Sofitel Al Khobar The Corniche — Hotel in Eastern Province

Our experience at this hotel was extremely disappointing, especially considering we had chosen it based on positive reviews.

From the start, the valet parking staff appeared unwilling to speak English, creating confusion about whether valet service was even available. It felt as though they preferred guests to park their own vehicles.

Check-in was frustrating due to communication issues. The staff struggled to understand our request and failed to provide the connecting rooms we had specifically booked in advance — a major issue for us as we were traveling with young children. Instead, we were given two rooms on different floors.

To make matters worse, one of the rooms had a strong smell of cigarette smoke. We were placed in a smoking room without any prior notice. I immediately contacted the front desk to request a change. They said they would check and call back, but we heard nothing for hours. The next morning, the issue had still not been addressed, and the staff seemed unaware of it. The room was finally changed late in the evening on the second night.

Wait times for both check-in and check-out were unacceptably long, adding to our frustration.

One of the reasons we chose this hotel was its proximity to the Corniche, but we were disappointed to discover that there was no footpath leading to it, forcing us to take a taxi instead.

Overall, the experience fell far below expectations. Communication was poor, service was inconsistent, and basic requests were not met. We will not...

I recently stayed at the Sofitel Al Khobar Corniche for a leisure trip with my wife, and overall we had a pleasant experience that highlighted both the strengths and some areas for improvement at this property.||Based on my experience, I’d rate my stay 3.8 out of 5.||Pros:| 1. Excellent sea view from the room — beautiful and relaxing.| 2. I was upgraded thanks to my Accor Gold status, which was a nice touch.| 3. The pool was great, deep enough for a proper swim, not just wading.| 4. Welcome drinks were offered upon arrival — appreciated.| 5. The room had a bathtub, which added to the comfort.| 6. The receptionist at check-in was very friendly and welcoming — made a good first impression.||Cons:| 1. The room needs maintenance — especially the bathroom door, and the toilet flush button required pressing twice.| 2. The welcome treat was just basic fruit — at other Accor hotels (like Novotel) I’ve received better treats like chocolates, which feels more premium.| 3. On the first morning, there was confusion about my breakfast inclusion — staff said my room wasn’t listed, even though I had booked with breakfast and club access.| 4. No towels provided at the pool, which is inconvenient.| 5. The club lounge offered very limited snacks, and what little was available wasn’t refilled — didn’t feel like proper club...

Unfortunately, my stay at this hotel did not meet my expectations.

The first issue was with the valet service. I provided my valet ticket number, but they brought me the wrong car! A mistake like this is unacceptable in a hotel of this caliber.

In the morning, I ordered Egg Benedict for breakfast. The day before, I had ordered the same dish, and it was served hot (prepared by a Filipino chef). However, the next day, I received cold poached eggs straight from the fridge (this time prepared by an Egyptian chef). The inconsistency in food quality was disappointing.

Regarding late check-out, I arrived at 11:30 PM and requested a late check-out until 4:00 PM. The receptionist immediately refused and insisted that check-out must be at 12:00 PM. I understood, but when I tried to request an extension until 2:00 PM via Booking.com chat, they didn’t even bother to respond. This left me confused about my actual check-out time and disrupted my schedule.

Additionally, they do not answer phone calls after 8:00 PM, which made communication difficult.

Overall, the lack of proper service, inconsistency in food quality, and poor communication made my experience disappointing. I expected much better from a...