Sofitel Hotels & Resorts are a French hotel chain of
luxury hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...
s based in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, and owned by
Accor
Accor S.A. is a French multinational hospitality company that owns, manages and franchises hotels, resorts and vacation properties. It is the largest hospitality company in Europe, and the sixth largest hospitality company worldwide.
Accor ope ...
since 1980.
Founded in 1964 in France, Sofitel quickly developed worldwide to reach more than 200 properties. In 2008, Sofitel became a brand of luxury hotels only, downsized its property count to 89, and created new brands. Sofitel had 120 properties by 2012.
History
Banque Paribas opened the first Sofitel in
Strasbourg (
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
) on 26 June 1964, the Sofitel Strasbourg Grande Île, which was the first 5-star hotel in the city.
International development
In the 1970s, Sofitel became an international chain of hotels. The first Sofitel in the United States opened in 1975 in
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
. Sofitel entered the US market with a French approach to hospitality, making French
baguette
A baguette (; ) is a long, thin type of bread of French origin that is commonly made from basic lean dough (the dough, though not the shape, is defined by French law). It is distinguishable by its length and crisp crust.
A baguette has a dia ...
s on site, offering a wide selection of wines, providing
bidet
A bidet ( or ) is a bowl or receptacle designed to be sat on in order to wash one's genitalia, perineum, inner buttocks, and anus. The modern variety has a plumbed-in water supply and a drainage opening, and is thus a plumbing fixture subjec ...
s in 1/3 of the rooms, and hiring French chefs to manage the kitchens. The hotel turned a profit within 18 months of operations. In 1976, Sofitel opened the
Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila
The Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila is a luxury hotel in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines under the Sofitel hotel chain of AccorHotels.
History Construction and opening
The hotel was originally built as the Philippine Plaza, one of several h ...
, the first 5-star hotel in
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
, a building designed by Filipino architect
Leandro Locsin
Leandro V. Locsin (August 15, 1928 – November 15, 1994) was a Filipino architect, artist, and interior designer known for his use of concrete, floating volume and simplistic design in his various projects. An avid collector, he was fond of m ...
.
In 1980, Sofitel was purchased by
Accor
Accor S.A. is a French multinational hospitality company that owns, manages and franchises hotels, resorts and vacation properties. It is the largest hospitality company in Europe, and the sixth largest hospitality company worldwide.
Accor ope ...
and joined the group's hotel brands:
Novotel
Novotel is a French midscale hotel brand owned by Accor. Created in 1967 in France, the company grew into what became the Accor group in 1983, and Novotel remained a pillar brand of Accor's multi-brand strategy. Novotel manages 559 hotels in 6 ...
,
Mercure
Mercure may refer to:
* MERCURE, an atmospheric dispersion modelling CFD code developed by Électricité de France
* Mercure Hotels, a chain of hotels run by Accor
* French ship Mercure (1783), French ship ''Mercure'' (1783)
* Dassault Mercure, a ...
,
Ibis
The ibises () (collective plural ibis; classical plurals ibides and ibes) are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, that inhabit wetlands, forests and plains. "Ibis" derives from the Latin and Ancient Greek word ...
.
The first Sofitel in
Colombia opened in 1995, and the first Sofitel in
Japan opened in 1996. In 1997, the group announced the opening of the
Sofitel New York Hotel
Sofitel New York is a boutique hotel on West 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, owned and managed by the Sofitel corporation. It is two blocks north of Bryant Park and the New York Public Library Main Branch and next to the New ...
, a $90 million investment on
West 44th Street between
Fifth Avenue and
Avenue of the Americas
Sixth Avenue – also known as Avenue of the Americas, although this name is seldom used by New Yorkers, p.24 – is a major thoroughfare in New York City's borough of Manhattan, on which traffic runs northbound, or "uptown". It is commercial ...
(next to the
New York Yacht Club
The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. ...
).
In the early 2000s, Sofitel went through a major expansion plan in
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
, targeting beach resorts in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
,
China and
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
. Sofitel also opened the Sofitel Tokyo, the Sofitel St James London,
Sofitel Chicago Water Tower The Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile, formerly named the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower, is a hotel in Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It is operated by the Sofitel hotel chain. The hotel was designed by French architect Jean-Paul Vigu ...
, Sofitel Lafayette Square Washington D.C., Sofitel Marrakech, Sofitel Silom Bangkok, Sofitel Montréal and
Sofitel Buenos Aires
Sofitel Buenos Aires is a five star hotel in the Retiro section of Buenos Aires.
Overview
Commissioned by local shipping magnate Nicolás Mihanovich, a 20-story office complex was built which would allow him to look out towards the Río de la ...
. Between 2003 and 2004, Sofitel opened 14 locations, including the Sofitel
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...
, its first hotel in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, and 7 new locations in
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
. By 2010, Sofitel had more than 20 properties in China.
Luxury and asset-light strategy
In 2005, Accor North America decided to apply a joint-venture model on the ownership of 6 of its 11 North-American Sofitel properties to develop new growth opportunities. Then in 2007, the brand underwent a global overhaul. The number of hotels was reduced by 50% and a high-end offer around the Sofitel brand inspired by the French ''Art de vivre'' was developed. Sofitel adopted an asset-light strategy (less ownership in properties) to bring more focus on hotel management and related services.
Between 2009 and 2012, 30 new properties were added to Sofitel's portfolio, reaching 120 properties in 2012:
The
Hotel Carrasco
The Hotel Casino Carrasco is a historic five star hotel and casino in Montevideo, Uruguay. It currently operates as the Hotel Sofitel Montevideo Casino Carrasco and Spa.
History
The idea for the building began with the formation of a corporatio ...
in
Montevideo, its first hotel in
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
, and the
Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi in
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
. The 182-room Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom designed by French architect
Jean Nouvel
Jean Nouvel (; born 12 August 1945) is a French architect. Nouvel studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was a founding member of ''Mars 1976'' and '' Syndicat de l'Architecture'', France’s first labor union for architects. He has o ...
(2010); The Grand Amsterdam (2011). By 2013, Sofitel managed 8 properties in the Middle East with plans for further expansion. The Dubai Downtown opened in 2014, and Sofitel
Jeddah in 2015. The Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa and the Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort both opened in 2013 with plans to further develop Sofitel's network of resorts in the Middle East and Africa. In June 2017, Sofitel announced the construction of its highest property so far in the Middle East, the Sofitel Dubai
Wafi.
Sofitel worked with fashion designers to create the So Sofitel artsy hotels :
Kenzo Takada
is a common masculine Japanese given name.
Possible writings
Kenzō can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:
*賢三, "wise, three"
*健三, "healthy, three"
*謙三, "humble, three"
*健想, "healthy, concept"
*建造, "bu ...
for the Sofitel So Mauritius,
Christian Lacroix for the Sofitel So Bangkok,
Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Otto Lagerfeld (; 10 September 1933 – 19 February 2019) was a German fashion designer, creative director, artist and photographer.
He was known as the creative director of the French fashion house Chanel, a position held from 1983 ...
for the Sofitel So Singapore, and Polpat Asavaprapha for the Sofitel So Hua Hin.
Other Sofitel products
In July 2009, Sofitel launched the “So SPA by Sofitel” concept at the Saint James Hotel in London and at the Sofitel Marseille Vieux Port location.
So SPA's development in Asia started in 2013.
In December 2014, during the
Marrakech International Film Festival
The Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM) ( ar, المهرجان الدولي للفيلم بمراكش, Amazigh ⴰⵏⵎⵓⴳⴳⴰⵔ ⴰⴳⵔⴰⵖⵍⴰⵏ ⵏ ⵍⴼⵉⵍⵎ ⴳ ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ ) is an international film festi ...
, Sofitel launched the first edition of ''La Nuit by Sofitel'', recurring parties organized by Sofitel and happening around noteworthy fashionable events worldwide.
Properties
![Sofitel Metropole, Ngô Quyền - 2022-09-02 07](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Sofitel_Metropole%2C_Ng%C3%B4_Quy%E1%BB%81n_-_2022-09-02_07.jpg)
This is a non-exhaustive list of notable Sofitel Hotels & Resorts properties worldwide:
*
Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile The Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile, formerly named the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower, is a hotel in Gold Coast Historic District (Chicago, Illinois), Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It is operated by the Sofitel hotel chain. The hote ...
*
Sofitel Frankfurt Opera
Sofitel Frankfurt Opera is a luxury hotel in Frankfurt, Germany.
It is part of the French Sofitel chain of luxury hotels, and is located in the Opera Quarter (Frankfurt), Opera Quarter and in the centre of the central business district known unoff ...
*
Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi is a five-star historic luxury hotel, opened in 1901 as Grand Métropole Hotel in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. It is today one of the most important buildings of Vietnam in French colonial style. The hotel today h ...
*
Hotel de l'Opera Hanoi
Hotel de l'Opera Hanoi is a 5 star hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam and under the MGallery Sofitel banner. Opened in 2011, the hotel was built in what was formerly the Dan Chu Hotel and Dan Chu Villa (both an early 20th Century hotel) and is state owned ...
*
Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila
The Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila is a luxury hotel in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines under the Sofitel hotel chain of AccorHotels.
History Construction and opening
The hotel was originally built as the Philippine Plaza, one of several h ...
*
Sofitel New York Hotel
Sofitel New York is a boutique hotel on West 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, owned and managed by the Sofitel corporation. It is two blocks north of Bryant Park and the New York Public Library Main Branch and next to the New ...
Sustainable development
As a member of the
AccorHotels
Accor S.A. is a French multinational hospitality company that owns, manages and franchises hotels, resorts and vacation properties. It is the largest hospitality company in Europe, and the sixth largest hospitality company worldwide.
Accor op ...
group, Sofitel Hotels & Resorts applies the sustainable development policies set by the group. In April 2016, AccorHotels announced that a 1,000 of its hotels, including Sofitel properties, now needed to weigh and record all thrown away foods to reduce
food waste
Food loss and waste is food that is not eaten. The causes of food waste or loss are numerous and occur throughout the food system, during production, processing, distribution, retail and food service sales, and consumption. Overall, about o ...
. The number of items on menus shrank to 10-20 and those courses must use seasonal local products as much as possible. The group also planned the opening of 1,000 vegetable gardens within its properties, including Sofitel properties, by 2020. In
Etterbeek
Etterbeek (French: ; Dutch: ) is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the eastern part of the region, it is bordered by the municipalities of Auderghem, the City of Brussels, Ixelles, Schaerbeek, Wolu ...
, the honey served by Sofitel is produced on the building's roof by a professional beekeeper.
References
External links
*
{{Hotel chains
Accor
French companies established in 1964
Hotels established in 1964