Mandi P.
Yelp
This was the hotel I was the most worried about on our recent trip to Europe. Based on pics from the property and other reviewers, I was expecting something very simple and basic with minimal pleasantries. We were VERY pleasantly surprised.
The hotel from the outside is not very pleasing on the eye. It is very cold and concrete looking. However, as soon as you enter the front doors, all of that changes. The hotel is modern looking and warm feeling. The hotel is also booming with people all through the day. It would seem that tons of tour companies use this hotel for their stop/stay in Warsaw as there are always tour buses parked in the front and nearly everyone we met in the hotel was with a tour.
Our room was very nicely updated with very pleasing colors. There was plenty of room for us to both unpack, move around, and get ready together daily without bumping into each other. My only issue was the shower/tub. The bottom of the tub is quite slick and I kept feeling like I would slip getting out if I wasn't overly cautious. It would be nice if they got rid of the tub altogether and went with a standing shower. We also had a room overlooking the park across the street that houses the grave of the unknown soldier. It was very peaceful to view in the morning while getting ready.
We hung out at the bar almost every day before heading out for lunch and for a night cap. The bar staff was always very friendly and efficient. We only caught one of their names during our stay and she provided spot on service to us each time...Klaudia/Claudia. The bar was pretty dead during the day, but was usually buzzing at night.
The hotel could not have been in a more perfect location for us. We easily walked to Old Town several times, walked to the new section several times, and walked to the theater district several times. We only took a taxi from and to the airport the entire time we were there and found no need for public transportation.
One employee that stood out to me was the concierge. I didn't get his name, but I should have because he deserves some recognition. I had arranged a rather expensive private tour for me and my husband prior to our arrival. He called us the next morning after our arrival to let us know we could come down at anytime to go over the details. He was very patient with us with all of our questions and our desire to pay half in EUR cash and the rest in Zloty on our credit card. The next morning, our tour guide had not showed up in the lobby during the time allotted. There were many tour groups leaving and meeting in the lobby at that particular time so I thought maybe he over looked us as we were just two people. The lobby cleared out, but there was still a line at the concierge. We sat there a few more minutes and I began to grow angry. We walked over and got in line at the concierge stand. This awesome guy came from out of nowhere directly up to me to let me know that he had already spoken with my tour guide and that he will be there shortly. He knew exactly who I was, he read the look on my face, he took care of the issue before I brought it to him. This man is very good at his job!!!
It was also very hot while we were in Warsaw. We were pretty miserable after touring one day and we decided to walk over to the new shopping center nearby and go in search of swim suits. We found some...they are probably the ugliest suits we've ever purchased, but it's end of season and no one there will ever see me again...hah! Anyway, we got back to the hotel and changed and headed down to the hotel's pool. We are not typically people who utilize the pool facilities on vacations to Europe, but I think we may now incorporate this into our future trips. The pool was beautiful and quiet. The ceiling is mirrored so you can see yourself swim...which is a little weird at first, but relaxing after a while. I'm not sure what the pool is usually like, but we ended up having the pool to ourselves for about a hour...then a few other couples started coming in. I would definitely suggest heading down to the pool to relax after a taxing day.
I suggest the Sofitel Warsaw Victoria to anyone staying in Warsaw. The location can no be beat and the service is top notch!!!