Short review
Value for money: 4/5 (A large, comfortable room and adequate hotel facilities)
Services: 4.5/5 (Overall it’s very good)
Bedroom: 5/5 (A large room, excellent amenities, and a nice view)
Bathroom: 5/5 (Spacious and luxurious)
Breakfast: 2.5/5 (Average experience)
Facilities and amenities: 3.5/5 (Water in the pool was cold; fitness centre is fairly small, but is adequately equipped; nice garden surrounding the hotel)
Pros
- Large and luxurious room and bathroom
- Beautiful garden
Cons
- Except for a horse racecourse next door, not much is happening around the hotel; a car is essential when staying here
- Breakfast is mediocre
- Cold water in the swimming pool
Long review
My family and I staycationed in this hotel about 1 week before lockdown in Sydney. Celebrating racing history and the thoroughbred, The William Inglis MGallery By Sofitel is a boutique 5-star hotel. Located in the Riverside Stable precinct in the Sydney southwest near the suburb of Liverpool, the hotel was opened in 2018. The Warwick Farm Racecourse is adjacent to the hotel and horse racing typically takes place across 23 Wednesday afternoons in a year. Horse racing decorations and memorabilia are evident throughout the hotel. Besides this, however, there are no restaurants or shops within walking distance from the hotel. A car, therefore, is essential when staying here.
We arrived there by car and I was happy to see that there were plenty of car park spaces available. I am not sure how busy this place is during a race day, so if you want to have a quiet time, you may want to check the race schedule first before making a booking. An exquisite horse statue welcomed us in the front of the hotel.
Check-in was smooth and quick. I also loved the interior of the lobby.
Our room is a superior suite with 1 king bed. The room is fairly large at 40 sqm. It has a cosy lounge area. Some welcome gifts were placed neatly on a coffee table. The chocolate was shaped like a horsehead and horseshoe. The king size bed was firm and comfortable. The room is beautifully designed and the furniture also complements the design nicely. The view from the hotel room is unique as I could see the stables, a horse wind vane, and some lush landscape in the background.
The hotel has an extra-large bathroom with a separate bath and shower. Again, I loved the design and the spaciousness of the bathroom. It indeed looks luxurious. The toilet is placed in a separate space from the bath and shower area, which is great and is uncommon in a hotel.
When it comes to food and beverage facilities, the hotel offers Newmarket Room Restaurant, 1867 Lounge Bar and the Chiltern Roof Top Bar. We ordered the In-Room Burger-180 gram wagyu Pattie and rustic fries from the room service menu. It was delicious. Breakfast was served in the Newmarket Room Restaurant. The beautiful interior design continues seamlessly here. The ceiling height windows allow sunlight to brighten the room and provides a nice view to the garden. The breakfast itself was so so. The dishes were typical English breakfast dishes. There was a juicer in one corner, allowing guests to make their own juice. The waiter seemed like a nice bloke and we had a nice conversation with him. By the way I noticed a fly flying around the breakfast table two days in a row. The kitchen has a window, allowing guests to peer into it. Unfortunately, I saw another fly stuck on this window.
Other facilities in the hotel include a rooftop swimming pool and a fitness centre (gym). The rooftop swimming pool provides sweeping views. The pool itself is fairly small. The water was cold even though the website says that it is heated. The wind made it even worse. The fitness centre is also rather small, although the view from it is nice. The equipment is, I think, adequate. It was empty when we were there, so it became a kind of private gym for us. In addition, the hotel also has Inglis Day Spa, which offers a luxurious and wide selection of beauty and wellness rituals.
I mentioned the garden a couple of times previously, so now let’s have a short stroll there. The garden is quite beautiful, and we enjoyed some refreshing and relaxing time there. One morning, we witnessed some horses and their riders practising, which excited our young daughter.
Overall, we enjoyed our experience staying in this hotel. The room is the highlight of the stay, while the breakfast is the weakest link, particularly for a 5-star hotel standard.
