Sofitel, Adelaide and the Bordeaux connection

The luxury five-star Sofitel Adelaide brings the soul of southern France to South Australia’s wine-loving capital.

Welcoming: the Sofitel Adelaide lobby

It’s a stormy day and a gust of wind ushers me into the inviting lobby of the Sofitel Adelaide. Towering over Adelaide’s West End, the Accor-owned luxury 251-room hotel opened in November 2021, the city’s first new five-star international hotel in 30 years, and I’m here on my first visit to check out the Gallic vibe.

On a tour after check-in, duty manager Ethan Pham explains that every new Sofitel hotel around the world is linked with a French city or region that shares its cultural attributes and Sofitel Adelaide’s soul mate is the fine wine capital of Bordeaux. With so many wine regions within easy day-trip reach of Adelaide and about 200 cellar doors within a half-hour drive of the CBD, perhaps that’s not too surprising. In fact, a few years ago the South Australian capital was placed in the same exclusive club as Bordeaux when it was declared a “Great Wine Capital of the World”, along with other famous wine-loving cities such as Bilbao, Mendoza, Porto, San Francisco (Napa Valley), Valparaiso and Verona.

Light and flow: Sofitel Adelaide lobby. Picture: Supplied

Ethan leads me through the lobby and takes me through the principle of “light and flow” designed to impart a sense of joie de vivre to the hotel’s interiors. Overhead, a long, meandering, Bordeaux-coloured chandelier references both the nearby Torrens River that winds through the CBD and the red wine for which South Australia and France are revered. Beneath us, the artfully “bookmatched” veins in the marble floor create a dramatic sense of movement, both visual elements drawing guests through to the cosy street-level Champagne bar Déjà Vu. Over the sofa near the porte-cochère hangs the lobby’s centrepiece, Field of Dreams, a lavish artwork by Newcastle fine-art photographer Alexia Sinclair depicting an aristocratic-looking young woman lying on a bed of flowers. Is that Marie Antoinette?

Luxury Room including freestanding bath. Picture: Supplied

Upstairs in my Luxury Club Room, a red candelabra-style chandelier provides a further visual link to all things Bordeaux while in the marble shower there’s a nod to the city of churches, the mosaic tiles depicting a stained glass cathedral window – a motif reflected in the bespoke carpet design and framed black-and-white photos on the walls. A decadent freestanding tub – designed for sitting in, so you don’t spill your wine – takes pride of place in the open marble bathroom while in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, a room-width daybed provides maximum sprawling space and views over the city to the coast.

Mosaic tiles in the shower reflected in the bathroom mirror depict a cathedral window. Picture: Supplied

It’s time for a pre-dinner tipple and the duty manager has suggested I take advantage of Club Millésime, a private lounge on level 10 for guests booked in club rooms and suites offering complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea and evening drinks and canapes. It’s a tempting invitation but I discover my dinner guests are already ensconced a level below in the Garçon Bleu Wine Bar, tucking into the cocktail list.

Garcon Bleu restaurant. Picture: Supplied

The main event, though, is dinner at the handsome brasserie-style Garçon Bleu restaurant and we settle into our window seats with a sunset view of the sea. Head chef Gianni Delogu, previously at Melbourne’s Vue de monde and Grossi Florentino, produces exquisite dishes combining “re-imagined” Modern French cuisine with fine local produce and, like the hotel itself, the result is a seamless blend of old and new world influences. Our amiable and informative sommelier Daniel Ho pairs my delicate cheese soufflé with mushroom velouté and pickled shimeji with the crisp pear and apple notes of a 2021 Patrick Piuze Chablis, and the delicious duck breast with broad beans and shallots in orange sauce teams perfectly with a luscious 2020 Maxwell Four Roads Grenache from McLaren Vale.

I’m back at Garçon Bleu in the morning for an excellent buffet breakfast before setting off to explore the city sights, all within easy walking distance. A block away are bustling Leigh and Peel streets, home to a vibrant bar and restaurant scene, and I drop in for another caffeine hit at the lively Café Bang Bang on Hindley Street. It’s just a trot to the Festival Centre and over the Torrens Footbridge to the Adelaide Oval, and for lunch an Asian food festival is in full swing at the riverside Elders Park.

Club Millessime. Picture: Supplied

Back at the hotel there’s time for a swim under the grand chandeliers and a workout in the fitness centre before checking in to Club Millésime for canapes and a final toast to the Bordeaux connection.

Perfect for: visiting and local wine lovers and gourmands, business travellers and Francophiles.

Must do: Adelaide’s renowned Central Markets are an easy walk from the hotel. Head to the wineries: Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale and the Barossa, Eden and Clare Valleys are all a comfortable day trip. Check out Leigh and Peel streets for night-time action.

Dining: Garçon Bleu restaurant for a top-shelf food and wine experience; Déjà vu bar offers snacks and light meals.

Getting there: Sofitel Adelaide is at 108 Currie St, Adelaide, a 15-minute drive from the airport.

Bottom line: Rooms from $320 per night

sofiteladelaide.com.au