"Heavy French influence. They even say bonjour... except where staff speak Chinese to each other. Well located. Short walk to lake. Some rooms have views. Aim for level 5 or 6. If you have club access the cocktail hour is quite impressive although no actual club as such just special treatment in the bar."

"We stayed for six nights in a fantastic location at Sofitel Queenstown. It’s a lovely hotel, and we were fortunate to receive a complimentary upgrade to a Junior Suite. This was quite different from the typical layout — it featured a separate lounge and dining area, a spacious bedroom, a large spa bath, two wardrobes, and two small balconies with beautiful mountain views. Although there isn’t much snow on the mountains at this time of year, Queenstown is still absolutely stunning. The autumn colours are incredible, with trees displaying a rich mix of reds, oranges, and golds — it really adds a special charm to the whole place. I would highly recommend visiting during this season. The Club Lounge, while pleasant, is essentially part of the bar due to the hotel’s smaller size. That said, it works well, and the drinks and canapés offering between 4:30pm and 6:30pm is a nice way to ease into the evening — even if it is a little earlier than expected and it does take some time to get drinks the first night was over 20 minutes Overall, a very enjoyable stay and a great base for exploring Queenstown."

"Stayed 7 nights in April. I enjoyed my stay. I was upgraded to a King Bed. Room was very spacious and comfortable. Cleaning was perfect. I noticed prior negative reviews. I found them to be inaccurate in most, but not all complaints. First, the staff was great. Always helpful, from the bell staff and luggage, to the front desk staff. The rooms were clean and big. Yes, the rooms that face the upward public stairwell had some noise, but nothing overwhelming. Remember this is a downtown hotel with access to many venues. As for review that complained about staff not recognizing his birthday, this is an "entitled" review that I typically ignore. Just because you have some form of status, it doesn't mean that you get King Charles' salute on arrival. Some of the reviews did have issues for which I agree. Many days my room wasn't cleaned by 3 or 4pm, one day by 6pm. Housekeeping manager said that departing rooms had priority. That's not cool. This would be a 5* star review but for the housekeeping issues. Still, a great hotel."

"Lovely hotel in a very convenient spot, staff are super friendly. Beds very old, need replacing!"

"I stayed at Sofitel Queenstown as an Accor STEP guest and Accor Gold member during my birthday and unfortunately this hotel falls dramatically short of the standards one would expect from the Sofitel brand. The property is, quite simply, completely mismanaged, and the operational leadership appears overwhelmed at every level. From the moment we arrived, the experience was disappointing. The bellboy greeted us with a dismissive glance, turned away, and left us entirely on our own with our vehicle and six suitcases. We carried all our luggage to the reception ourselves, where staff watched us struggle without offering assistance. Check‑in was indifferent, mechanical, and provided no information whatsoever. The first room assigned to us was unacceptable: located on the lowest floor next to a kitchen ventilation unit and directly opposite a public stairway, offering zero privacy. The room smelled musty, and the bathroom was poorly cleaned. When we requested another room and referenced both our status and our booked VIP programme, we were told that no alternatives were available. Only after escalating the issue through a European contact did management suddenly “find” another room – a suite on an upper floor. While larger, it was clearly dated and long overdue for refurbishment. I want to acknowledge that the hotel offered us a room change and a bottle of sparkling wine as a gesture of goodwill. We appreciated this. However, these gestures do not compensate for the fundamental service shortcomings, nor do they reflect an ability to turn a negative guest experience into a positive one – something that should be a basic expectation at a Sofitel‑branded property. What added to the overall disappointment was the handling of my birthday. Despite informing the Interim General Manager in advance, there was no gesture of recognition whatsoever – something that is standard practice in comparable hotels. This absence of even a small acknowledgement further illustrates the lack of genuine care and service understanding within this property. The service issues continued at departure. Once again, no one offered assistance with our luggage. We checked out and left the hotel carrying all our suitcases ourselves, with staff standing by without engaging. For a hotel positioned as a luxury property, this level of indifference is simply unacceptable. To make matters worse, the hotel also forgot to apply our Accor STEP credit at check‑out. We had to raise the issue ourselves, and only after a lengthy discussion with the staff member at reception was the matter finally corrected. This lack of attention to detail further reinforces the impression of a property without structure, oversight, or service awareness. As many other reviewers have noted, breakfast is a complete disaster. The selection is extremely limited: a few slices of cheese, salami, prosciutto, and fruit consisting almost exclusively of melon and strawberries. The bread selection is far below Sofitel standards. Service is chaotic and painfully slow – it often took more than 30 minutes before anyone approached our table, and clearing was only done after guests had already left. Most staff appear to be untrained work‑and‑travel employees with no guidance, no leadership, and no sense of service culture. They prefer chatting behind the counter to serving guests. The Hotel Manager repeatedly emphasised how important food & beverage is to him and that the hotel is undergoing a “major transformation.” While the intention may be there, the current reality is far from acceptable. The interim General Manager, who oversees two properties, is friendly and seems well‑intentioned, but at no point did the hotel make a genuine effort to recover the situation or deliver a meaningful service recovery – not at dinner, not at breakfast, and not in any other area of the hotel. Compared to Sofitel Wellington or Sofitel Auckland, this property is miles behind in both service and quality. It bears no resemblance to the standards the brand is known for. Bottom line: I cannot recommend this hotel in any way. It does not meet even an average Sofitel standard and suffers from severe leadership and operational issues. For a stay in Queenstown, I strongly suggest choosing The Rees Hotel or QT Queenstown instead."