Sofitel Victoria

I stayed at Sofitel Victoria only one night Sep, 6 2007.
From the very start they didn’t make us feel welcome at all.
We were so tired after a very long trip but they make us wait . Receptionists treated us like nuisance. No smiling faces there. The only cheerful and helpful person was a porter.
The room itself was far from what one can call luxurious, a very average room with a mini bar.The bathroom was dirty with a leaking toilet. Don’t’ look for slippers or bathrobes you won’t find them. I have order a room service at night ,definitely I had feeling I really bother them. The Sofitel deserves 4 stars at most. I will never go back.
The only positive thing about this hotel is a location close to the Old Town.

Unique Quality: Very good location, close to the Old Town which is the best , most interesting part of Warsaw.

I stayed in this hotel one night somewhen in the middle 1990', on business that means I didn't pay for myself :-). Now, I think that this 5-star hotel is a very good option for at least four reasons: location, friendly staff, 5-star facilities and reasonable price. One warning: the old name, Victoria Hotel is commonly used until now. Do not ask your taxi driver to pick you up to Sofitel Hotel.

It's a great option for every visitor who used to stay in 3-star hotels in, say Western Europe, USA and wants to try what 5-star hotel is. This 5-star hotel often costs even less than I had to pay for a very small room in 3-star hotel in downtown Berlin, believe me :-). Just now (February 2006) their webpage gives 70 (weekend) - 100 euros per the least expensive room for 2 people without breakfast (they want 20 euros per breakfast which is a robbery as for Poland, my usual good home breakfast costs some 1 euro haha). When you book a room in Warsaw keep in mind that internet prices tend to be some 5-10% higher than those by phone. To save this little money as a foreign visitor you may call them as soon as you reach Poland but at least a day before your stay, ask... eventually make a new reservation at lower price and cancel that old one in any internet cafe. Do enjoy :-)

Victoria Hotel was the only top class hotel in Warsaw before 1990' and it was a proud of communist rulers. There was a popular Polish song "Victoria Hotel" very simalar to "Hotel California" by The Eagles. This not coincidential similarity expressed Polish dreams about California in quite different, grey and sad country. The hotel accommodated all both communist (incl. comrade Brezhnev) and western (incl. Chancellor of Germany Willy Brandt) leaders visiting Warsaw that time.

Unique Quality: I remember jokes about bugs plantes by communist milice (UB, Polish KGB) in each room of this hotel. After 1990 we got to know that there had been bugs planted in some hotel rooms and that some trained in Poland terrorists lived there as well as top members of Polish mafia. There are no bugs now, no terrorists and no mafia, I guess :-) and the hotel was pretty renovated and looks much better now although it still is a business-oriented hotel.

bWell, I was totally amazed being accommodated in such luxary hotel for the first time in my life. I remember fantastic pool, sauna and fitness club. Add smaller things like birds singing in toilets/restrooms (through loudspeakers), white like snow dressing gown put in a plastic bag on my bed and that funny plastic covering on the toilet gown :-). I was not a monkey from the jungle (maybe a bit :-) but I had never seen something like that before, maybe on TV. Well, it was long time ago. Since that time I've stayed in many hotels and other accommodations in the USA, Europe, and northern Africa, mostly 0-3 stars though :-). And since that time many new luxary hotels have been built or restored in Warsaw.

I asked about postage stamps and some other things in the hotel lobby in January 2006 and, although I wasn't a hotel guest, they replied all my questions which was not that simple. They had to call to check opening hours of some exhibition I wanted to visit and did it with a smile. The hotel boy showed me the kiosk where I bought post stamps on Sunday morning.

Directions: Very close to the Royal Way (1 min.). On walking distance to both the Old Town (some 10 min.) and downtown (some 10-15 min.). Map here

This hotel is above my usual standard but thanks to a great rate of 55E per night from Travelocity, including breakfast and taxes, we were fortunate enough to stay at this hotel.

The location was perfect, 10-15 mintues on foot to the Palace of Culture, 10 minutes on foot to the old town square.

This seems to be primarily a business hotel. The bed was comfortable, fitted with goose down pillows and comforter. The room and the bathroom are modern in style, toiletries are supplied (shampoo, lotion, bath gel) and there is a hair dryer.

There was also a scale in the bathroom, but do you really want to weigh yourself while on vacation? :-)

There is a very nice pool and sauna on the bottom level and allegedly there is also exercise equipment but I did not become personally acquainted with it.

The breakfast was ample, consisting of eggs, bacon, waffles, sausage, cereal, fruit, bread, meat, sweet rolls, juice, tea and coffee.

Accomodation:

- 158 single rooms
- 131 double rooms
- 41 business rooms
- 10 suites
- 1 presidential suite

For many years Victoria used to be the most elegant and modern hotel in Warsaw... and in Poland...

I think that the location of this hotel makes it a good choice for a business trip. Close to a large park, in the very city of Warsaw, Sofitel Victoria has been businessmen's choice for many years.

Unique Quality: TV Sat, CNN, Pay-TV, Computer games, Radio, Direct-dial telephone, Room service, Air-conditioning, Minibar, Non-smoking rooms and rooms for disabled persons, safe-box, Hair-dryer, Fax connection point, In-room safe, Voice mail, Quick check-out, Smoke detectors and alarms, Sprinklers.
Free access to internet via DATA outlet located in every hotel room, and Ethernet Port in your laptop.

Business Centre, Currency exchange, Flower shop, News-stand, Perfume counter, Laundry, Dry-cleaning and pressing service, Shoeshine machines, Car rental, Travel Service Office, Indoor parking, Underground garage. Express check out, Pets permitted. Airport transfer available by hotel taxi.