Sofitel Kunming 5 stars

Our short stay at the Sofitel Kunming was outstanding. The room was well appointed and the views of the city were breathtaking. I found that service was exceptional. James, the Chief Concierge, was the best! Prior to my stay, he kept in constant contact with me for the various activities I was interested in. He arranged a car to pick me up at the train station and provided the best English speaking tour guide named Pony. Pony guided us throughout the city and made sure we ate some of the local cuisine. I highly recommend this hotel when visiting Kunming.

1. Staff were all super warm, helpful, and really lovely--from the concierge and front desk to the cleaners and maintenance staff. 2. The room was very nice, very clean, spacious and comfortable. 3. The breakfast buffet is not befitting a 5-star hotel. Honestly, other than the view from the 49th floor, the breakfast is better at 4-star hotels I've stayed at elsewhere across China, including on this trip. You should have a wider fresh fruit selection and fresh fruit juices. You should have smoked salmon and sushi. You should serve real tea, not junk British tea in tea bags that leech microplastics. There is a wide range of Chinese food, which I liked, but quite limited options for Western tastes. There wasn't even rice! 4. Same terrible tea is offered in the room. This is Yunnan, for crying out loud! Give us some Chinese tea and a small gongfu tea set in the room. At least, then, people can bring or buy their own tea. 5. I paid extra for the "lake view" room. It wasn't worth it. The lake is far and you can barely see it from the hotel. The views of the city and surrounding mountains are just as nice from the other sides. 6. The fitness center was nice, but not the sauna, which is tiny and poorly designed. The door doesn't seal and creates a constant cold draft. The steam room didn't seem to be working while I was there, though I didn't inquire about it. 7. The location is not near tourist areas and not near Kunming's business districts. It seems like a strange choice of location for a high-end hotel in this city. It is about 1.5 blocks from the metro, which is convenient, but there is not much else of interest in walking distance in the immediate vicinity. 8. None of this world prevent me from staying there again, hooted I definitely will first seriously explore other options before making that choice on future trips to Kunming.

All staff are so professional and nice.

I would like to thank James and his concierge team. They went above and beyond to help us. We had been travelling China for 6 weeks and had sent a bag to Novotel Kunming in anticipation for our last stop in China. Our plans changed slightly and we decided to stay at the Sofitel Kunming. James and his team took charge to contact the Novotel and locate the bag and send it to our room. This was a difficult challenge, as we later found out SFExpress only put the first two letters of my name on the luggage tag! As we had quite a few luggage’s, James and his team also helped to bring our bags down at checkout and load them into the car for us, it was a really great service from the concierge team! The hotel itself, we stayed in a twin room. The room is very large with a great rain shower and bathtub. The Toilet is seperate with its own door, which I like when travelling with someone else. The temperature in the room was a little warm for my liking, but it seems to be common in Chinese hotels during winter. The windows on the lower floors could be opened which provided some relief, and the team provided a fan, but the room stayed a consistent 23 deg Celsius even with the aircon/heater turned off. Ironically, the hallway was actually colder so we would sometimes leave the door open to let in the cooler air. We only stayed 2 nights so it was acceptable but would be good if the hotel management can look into it. 23 degree Celsius for sleeping temperature for more foreigner is too high. And individually controlled system would be better so each guest can choose what is the comfortable temperature for them. Some people run hot (medical conditions, menopause etc) and just need a cooler room.

I recently stayed at the Sofitel Kunming and was thoroughly impressed. From the moment I arrived, I was greeted by friendly and professional staff whose English was excellent, making the check-in process seamless and welcoming. The accommodations were a highlight—the room was incredibly spacious, as was the bathroom, providing a true sense of luxury and comfort. I was also struck by the hotel's generosity; they provided plenty of mineral water, along with lovely welcome refreshments and fresh fruits. The location is also very convenient. Just a short walk away, you’ll find everything you need, including a cafeteria, hair salon, mini-market, and plenty of delicious local food stores. I highly recommend this hotel for anyone visiting Kunming.