During my recent 10 Day Colombia Itinerary, I stayed at the Sofitel Victoria Regia while in Bogotá. This is a quick review of an inexpensive (by US standards) Colombian luxury hotel.
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Location
First, location is very important when staying in Bogotá. Colombia can have some rougher and less safe areas. Therefore, picking an area with appropriate security is important. Staying in an area that offers a number of restaurants, cafés, and attractions is also a plus. Luckily, the Sofitel Victoria Regia fits both of these criteria.
This hotel is located in the Zona T area. This is one of the three areas where it is recommended to stay when you are a tourist in Bogotá (for the other recommended areas see our where to stay in Bogotá post). While Zona T and the Sofitel Victoria Regia aren’t close to any of the main tourist attractions, they are surrounded by great restaurants, walkable cafés and bars, and shops. With the hotel being at the corner of Calle 86a and Carrera 13, it is a short walk from many very cute neighborhoods. Also, the area has several nice parks including Parque El Virrey, Parque de Japón, and Parque de la 93.
The Sofitel is located on a small one-lane cobblestone street. This means it is in a more quiet area. Each side of the one-lane street has nice upscale restaurants and bars. The Four Seasons Bogotá hotel is also located immediately next door to the Sofitel.
Guest Rooms
The Sofitel Victoria Regia offers four different room categories to guests. These categories include Classic Room, Superior Room, Luxury Room, and a Junior Suite. The Classic Room is the base option at ~260 square feet and contains a queen bed. The Superior Room is the next-level up. A Superior Room is ~310 square feet and can have either one queen or two twin beds. Otherwise, it is very similar to the Classic Room. The Luxury Room upgrades the experience with a king-sized bed and a ~330 square foot room. The final room option is the Junior Suite. At ~540 square feet, this room has a separated bedroom and living area as well as a terrace that opens to the outdoors.
During my recent trip to Bogotá, I stayed in a Superior Room. The following are pictures and a review of this room type.
The square footage of the Superior Room was more than adequate for the three days we were there. The room contained enough space and surfaces to hold all of our luggage and backpacks. While I doubt guests in the Luxury Room would notice much of a difference between it and the Superior Room, the 50 square foot difference between the Classic and Superior would be more noticeable. I would be concerned with having sufficient space for multiple checked bags in a Classic Room.
Bathroom
Immediately upon entering the room, the hallway opened into the restroom. The sink and mirror of the bathroom were exposed to the rest of the bedroom. This can be annoying if there are multiple people in the room and one starts to get ready significantly earlier than the other. Also, the vanity had a single sink. Again, if there are multiple people in the room, this can be a little annoying. However, with only one sink, there was plenty of countertop space for storing toiletries and getting ready.
Located next to the vanity was the shower and toilet which were separated from the rest of the bathroom by a privacy door. The walls and floors of this room were covered in marble giving it a luxurious feel. Unfortunately, this room lacked space and was, therefore, a little tight at some points. Additionally, one of the towel hooks was located in the shower behind the glass door. This required guests to enter the shower again to retrieve or hang up their towel meaning feet or shoes may get wet. However, the shower had a nice rainfall showerhead, and toiletries were provided via bottles mounted to the wall.
Bedroom
A queen-sized Sofitel MyBed anchored the main bedroom area. The bed, pillows, and linens were very comfortable. Each side of the bed provided small adjustable reading lights. The bedside table on each side also featured their own outlets for charging devices. Outlets are unfortunately an often forgotten detail, especially in older, nicer hotels built when personal electronic devices weren’t as common. The opposite wall has a 50 inch television and a large amount of space for opening and/or storing luggage. There were also four full-length closets located along the wall. Three of these were full-sized wardrobes for storing hanging clothes. The final closet has several drawers and shelves for unpacking folded clothes. This closet also had the in-room safe located on one of the shelves.
The final area of the room is the small table, associated chairs, and the minibar. The small table is triangle-shaped and comes with two chairs. While two people can sit here, performing any activity that requires the use of the table would be hard for two people. Even one person may find the table to be small if trying to do work or eat at the table.
Opposite the table is the stocked minibar. The items in the minibar aren’t free, but the prices are not exorbitant when converted to US dollars. Each room comes with two bottles of water provided free each night. If you need to supplement these bottles, there are additional bottles of water in the minifridge, both still and sparkling varieties. Juices, sodas, Gatorade, energy drinks, coffee, tea, and beer round out the beverage options. The snack options include potato chips, cookies, chocolate bars, gums, and mixed nuts. Finally, the minibar menu included gin, wine, whiskey, scotch, and vodka, but these items had to be ordered from room service.
Breakfast
The Sofitel Victoria Regia offers a rate that includes breakfast as well as a rate without breakfast. When booking a rate that includes breakfast, guests will receive the buffet that is available in the restaurant. While the spread isn’t extensive, it is actually fairly nice. The buffet beverage options include a variety of juices, teas, and milk. The food includes traditional Colombian dishes, breakfast meats, cheese spreads, fruit platters, assorted breads and pastries, and yogurts/parfaits. Eggs, waffles, and pancakes were available to be ordered from a menu for an additional charge.
Restaurant
In addition to breakfast, the restaurant also serves a full lunch and dinner menu. The first night that my wife and I were in Bogotá we took advantage of the restaurant in the hotel. The menu contained a nice variety and included both vegetarian and gluten-free options. We had the opportunity to try the Caesar salad, vichyssoise, the fish of the day, and dish consisting of ham and mozzarella au gratin with potato croquettes. All of these dishes were prepared well and were plated in a way that created an upscale dining experience. The hotel also offered a nice beverage menu that included an extensive wine list, a wide selection of mixed drinks, and a small specialty cocktail menu.
Cost
Hotels in Bogotá are very inexpensive by US standards. However, the Sofitel is a five star hotel so a stay here won’t seem inexpensive. On the plus side, it won’t be a normal five-star price either. Suring a sampling of dates, the Classic Rooms go from $182 on weekday nights and $113 on the weekend. For what you get, this is a pretty good price, but you will have to decide if you prefer to find something much less nice but also cheaper.
Another way to book the Sofitel Victoria Regia is through American Express Hotel Collection if you have an American Express Platinum Card. The prices per night are the same as booking direct, but there are additional benefits that come with this booking method if you stay at least two nights. First, this rate included breakfast. This is generally a savings of about $20/night. Booking through American Express Hotel Collection also guarantees a one-category room upgrade. Therefore, if you book the Classic Room you will get a Superior Room at check-in. The final benefit is a $100 hotel credit. The credit is limited to food and non-alcoholic beverages, but you can get good use out of this.
Bottom Line
The Sofitel Victoria Regia is an upscale, French-inspired brand. While definitely not the cheapest option available in Bogotá, it is a good value for the money. For those who rarely stay in five-star accommodations, the Sofitel Victoria Regia represents an opportunity to do this.
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