NEW YORK -- Accor's luxury Sofitel flag is returning to its French roots, rolling out a repositioning with an emphasis on what the brand is calling "French Zest."
What exactly does that entail?
At Manhattan's 398-room Sofitel New York, which just wrapped a top-to-bottom renovation in October, some of this zest is served up via La Haute Croissanterie, Sofitel's new brandwide pastry program. Under the initiative, each Sofitel is charged with crafting a signature croissant. The one at the Sofitel New York is a cheesecake-inspired version.
It also means a nightly candle ritual, another new signature brand experience, inspired by the tradition of street lighting in 1860s Paris. The ritual at the Sofitel New York involves lighting candles throughout the lobby, which Andrea Puizina, the hotel's director of sales and marketing, said adds a "cozy" feel to the public area.
Other French-centric brand elements include new uniforms by Cordelia de Castellane, a French designer and artistic director at Dior, as well as a collaboration with French tableware maker Bernardaud to create custom votive candles.
"If we stand for French zest, then we need to partner with beautiful French maisons striving for excellence," Maud Bailly, CEO of Accor's Sofitel, Sofitel Legend, MGallery and Emblems brands, told media during a mid-November event here. "French people do know how to live well. This sense of embracing life is very much connected to the franchise."
Puizina said the Sofitel New York's transformation enables it go toe-to-toe against a more elevated competitive set in Manhattan, with the hotel's redesigned suites, in particular, helping to attract a higher-end clientele.
The property's refreshed event spaces also enable it to pursue more social events, including weddings. Early next year, the hotel will unveil a fourth-floor "social suite" featuring a large terrace designed for hosting social events.
"We are opening the gates to another pool of clients," Puizina said.
French Zest, however, is just one of four new brand pillars for Sofitel, which was founded in France in 1964 and has been part of Accor since 1980. The other three are Heartfelt Service, Cultural Link and Committed Luxury.
Their rollout is part of Sofitel's latest efforts to enhance as well as ensure consistency, across its portfolio of nearly 120 properties, which comprises the Sofitel Legend collection of historical properties, Sofitel resorts, urban hotels, residences and even airport lodging.
Part of these efforts involved an "initial network assessment," with that process resulting in a handful of properties exiting the brand and more than 30% of Sofitel hotels opting to undergo renovation, Bailly said. Sofitel is also in global growth mode, with 39 hotels slated for development by 2030.
The renovated lobby at the Sofitel New York. Photo Credit: Sofitel
And with much of Sofitel's portfolio weighted toward Europe, Asia and the Middle East, North America represents a relatively new frontier for the flag. The brand has six properties in the region; five in the U.S. and one in Canada.
The Sofitel New York renovation and a recent revamp of the Sofitel Montreal Golden Mile, however, appear to have triggered a wave of reinvestment across the brand's North American portfolio.
"When we announced the New York renovation, all the other U.S. properties started renovations, too," said Bailly, who added that those renovations are underway across the brand's Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Washington and Chicago locations.
Selling Sofitel
Many travel advisors primarily associate Sofitel with its properties in Europe, where the brand has a strong presence and longer history.
Jen Campbell Boles
Jen Campbell Boles, founder of Explore More Travel Co. in North Carolina, said she's most familiar with two European Sofitel properties that have impressed her and her clients. One is the Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam, which she called "pretty iconic."
Campbell Boles also regularly books clients at the Sofitel Paris le Faubourg, citing its prime location and spacious accommodations.
Beyond the product, she pointed out that some rates available via Accor's travel advisor loyalty and rewards program offer enhanced commissions, with the platform's ability to guarantee connecting rooms also a plus when booking families.
"I think if more advisors knew that a lot of these preferred rates have 15% commission, they might think differently about booking them," Campbell Boles said.