Sofitel debuts in Foshan, China

The Sofitel Foshan, launched in July 2017, is the brand’s first property to debut in Foshan and the 23rd property in the Greater China network. Located in China's Furniture City – Lecong in Shunde – the new 62-storey Sofitel Foshan is the tallest hotel in the city with a 360 degree view of the city.

Source: Sofitel. Exterior of the Sofitel Foshan, night view. 

Architecture, furniture and design are the key themes for the Sofitel Foshan, which is connected to the 200,000 sq m Louvre International Exhibition Centre, a destination hub for design aficionados.

Featuring an interior designed by Cheng Chung Design from Hong Kong (CCD), Sofitel Foshan blends Chinese and French design furnishing and décor to showcase the best of Lingnan rich culture with iconic French monuments and art. “Sofitel Foshan offers the perfect blend of the city’s charm with a touch of French and Chinese “Art de Vivre” for travellers seeking modern refinement and a luxury escape in the historical and cultural city,” said Olivier Larcher, GM, Sofitel Foshan.

Architectural fittings, furnishings and décor are environmentally friendly designed and constructed in line with AccorHotels’ Planet 21 initiative that aims to offer travellers a unique sustainable hospitality experience. Boasting 325 modern guest rooms with four themes: modern, post-modern, neo-Chinese, and Classic French, the hotel also features an in-house furniture gallery display on the 9th and 10th floor that offer unique art pieces and designer furniture. Bespoke furniture pieces are also available for purchase at Sofitel Foshan.

“It gives us great opportunity to partner with Guangdong Louvre Furnishings Group on the development of Sofitel Foshan,” said Michel Molliet, COO, AccorHotels Greater China. “With a long history of fine ceramic production, Foshan has morphed into a furniture and accessories hub in recent years. The city’s enriched culture blends perfectly with the design and architecture of Sofitel’s DNA. Sofitel is AccorHotels’ authentic luxury brand that aims to create magnificent moments for travellers seeking an indulgent experience.”

Dining outlets include an all-day dining restaurant Kwee Zeen and an Italian restaurant, Allegria offering authentic Mediterranean food. The city’s first French executive chef Mikael Robin oversees the entire culinary operations at Sofitel Foshan.

For meetings and events, the hotel features a state-of-the art 3,000 sq m of function spaces including a Napoleon III's Grand Salon Apartment-inspired grand ballroom, six meeting rooms, an outdoor terrace. Fitness facilities including a panoramic indoor swimming pool and the SoFIT 24-hour fitness centre with Life Fitness equipment.

With more than 120 hotels worldwide, Sofitel continues to expand globally. Over the coming years, Sofitel will introduce Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara, Sofitel Singapore City Centre (opening September 2017), and Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour. 

Interested?

Enjoy a city getaway inclusive of one breakfast starting from CNY788* nett from now until August 31, 2017. For reservations or inquiries, please email H8719-re at sofitel.com or call +86 757 2881 2222.

*Additional breakfast is chargeable at CNY100 nett. Terms and conditions apply.

posted from Bloggeroid

AccorHotels launches Hotel Baraquda Pattaya MGallery by Sofitel

Source: AccorHotels. The Hotel Baraquda Pattaya MGallery by Sofitel evokes the ambience of a beach resort.

Hotel Baraquda Pattaya MGallery by Sofitel is now open. Situated in the heart of the city, the 72-room boutique hotel is within walking distance of many shopping, dining and entertainment venues. The nautically themed hotel features 60 Deluxe rooms, eight Baraquda Suites and four Baraquda Grand Suites. 

“Pattaya is a vibrant beach destination that has long appealed to both local and international travellers. With a wide array of water sports, the sights and sounds of Walking Street, cabaret shows and a floating market, the city offers something unique and special for everyone,” said Patrick Basset, Chief Operating Officer for AccorHotels Upper Southeast and Northeast Asia. “The opening of Hotel Baraquda Pattaya raises AccorHotels to another level of success and steps up the expansion of our network in this city. This is a sophisticated, boutique hotel in every sense and a proud new member of the MGallery by Sofitel.”

“As Thailand’s premier holiday destination, Pattaya is a natural choice for vacationers seeking their own little corner of paradise with an exciting twist. Hotel Baraquda Pattaya breaks the generic mould of the city’s holiday accommodation with a vibe of its own and encourages guests to relax, unwind to get away from it all. The unique interior and exterior design is reminiscent of a transatlantic journey on a luxury liner, and this vibe is enhanced by its supremely comfortable state-of-the-art accommodation, an eclectic choice of dining options including a rooftop bar offering a panoramic view of the city skyline and AccorHotels’ renowned standards of superlative personal touches and services,” said Wanitchaya Kietdamrongwong, the Hotel Manager of Hotel Baraquda Pattaya.

For dining options, guests can sit back and watch the world go by over a cup of fresh Lavazza coffee and slice of homemade cake at Nauti-Café. Round off the evening by the uniquely shaped Pool Bar. Take in the view through the large windows at SEA Restaurant or watch master chefs at work in the kitchen while indulging in local and international dishes or watch the evening sunset over the horizon, at the all-day dining and bakery corner on the hotel’s rooftop bar.

Business and private events are catered for with a meeting room of 80 sq m accessible via an open courtyard reminiscent of a ship's deck. The meeting room can accommodate up to 80 guests while the 132 sq m White Lounge can take up to 50 guests. Both rooms are equipped with audio and visual equipment and Wi-fi connectivity.

Interested?

Hotel Baraquda Pattaya is located at 485/1 Moo 10, South Pattaya 2nd Road, Nongprue, Banglamung, Chonburi 20150, and is 90 minutes from Suvarnabhumi Airport by taxi or public transportation. 

To celebrate its opening, the hotel is offering an introductory rate starting from THB 2,925 ++ per night from now until 25 December 2016. For more information and reservations, please contact rsvn at hotelbaraquda.com or call +66 038 769 999.

Sofitel Kunming offers easy access to city centre

Sofitel, the luxury hotel brand of AccorHotels, has announced the opening of Sofitel Kunming, the only international luxury hotel in Kunming city centre.

Located in the central business district of Kunming, the 400-room hotel, located from the 27th to 52nd floors, incorporates French elegance and art de vivre combined with distinctive elements of Yunnan’s colourful ethnic cultures and traditions.

"The opening of Sofitel Kunming marks a period of swift expansion in China for AccorHotels, as we continue to strengthen our commitment to bringing world-renowned, exquisite French hospitality to discerning Chinese travellers," said Paul Richardson, Chief Operating Officer, AccorHotels Greater China. "Set to become the luxury benchmark in the gateway city of Kunming, the hotel is an ideal choice for travellers who enjoy world-class hospitality with an authentic French experience."

Sofitel Kunming is located within the precinct of various popular tourist attraction sites such as Nanping Walking Street, East and West Pagodas, Green Lake, Dianchi Lake and shopping district. The hotel is also easily accessible to both Kunming International Convention & Exhibition Centre and New Kunming Dianchi International Convention & Exhibition Centre. It is a 35-minute drive from Kunming Changshui International Airport.

The guest rooms are furnished with the Sofitel MyBed, an exclusive bedding concept designed to foster restorative sleep, a wireless audio system, a large-screen TV, and Wi-Fi access. The rooms feature unique designs inspired by the peacock, which symbolises Yunnan’s Dai minority, and handcrafted leather wall coverings.

The hotel is also home to three restaurants. Le Chinois Chinese Restaurant which serves Yunnan, Cantonese and Sichuan dishes; Kwee Zeen which showcases a selection of Chinese, international and French favourites with live cooking stations, and Lan Pan Asian Restaurant for Southeast Asian and Japanese cuisines.

For corporate events and meetings, the hotel boasts a pillarless grand ballroom which can accommodate up to 800 guests, plus eight meeting rooms. An outdoor garden and rooftop venue on the 52nd floor offers mountain and lake views.

Interested?

To celebrate Sofitel Kunming’s opening, from now until 17 April 2016 guests can enjoy one night stay in a Superior Room for RMB999 nett including up to two buffet breakfasts, and RMB100 credit for food and beverages at the hotel's outlets. Terms and conditions apply. For reservations call the reservation team at +86 871 6863 9888.

*Images from AccorHotels.

French inspired dining with a twist this festive season at Sofitel So Singapore

Source: Sofitel So Singapore. Paulo.

Trevor Paulo, the head culinary designer of Sofitel So Singapore's gastro-bar dining concept restaurant, Xperience, is commemorating his first saison de Noël (Christmas season) at the hotel with a four-course Christmas Eve dinner.

The dinner will start with an amuse bouche of blinis topped with dill yogurt and herring roe, followed by an entrée that resembles a miniature garden - house-cured Salmon Gravlax on a bed of edible truffle, mushroom soil and pickled shallots.

For the main course, Chef Paulo will personally carve a hay roasted savel chicken at the guest’s table. For dessert, a deconstructed version of the classic pear tarte tatin will be served: layers of poached pear and warm cake, lightly spiced with cinnamon ice cream and peppered with honeycomb from bees that have been fed on longan fruit alone.

In addition to the Christmas Eve dinner, a buffet lunch on Christmas Day has been prepared. Choose from meats like slow roasted lamb leg, cranberry & fig stuffed savel chicken and Christmas breads like stollen and panettone. Desserts include croque en bouche, a specialty of Chef Paulo's.

To usher in 2016, Chef Paulo has created a New Year’s Eve menu sectioned into Revelation, Celebration, Jubilation, Countdown and Resolution. 

Interested?

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dinner will be available on 24 and 25 December 2015 at S$88++. Christmas Day Lunch on 25 December 2015 is S$128++ while the New Year’s Eve Dinner on 31 December 2015 is S$98++.
Contact Sofitel So Singapore’s reservation department at +65 6701 6800.

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog posts about the 2015 festive season, including:

Singapore Gift Guide 2015, the pleasure edition
Singapore Gift Guide 2015, the tech edition

Who in APAC will be spending the most online, according to the Adobe Digital Index
How Facebook sees mobile redefining the season

Hong Kong's Winter Wonderland experience
The City of Sydney's Christmas programme

The launch of Casa Ferrero, Ferrero Rocher's popup store
House of Sillage launches the Holiday by House of Sillage fragrance

Revealed photo exhibition makes first Asia Pacific stop at the Sofitel Wanda Beijing

Source: Sofitel. Olivier Picasso, the curator of Revealed by Sofitel, at the September 1 opening of the Revealed photography exhibition at Sofitel Wanda Beijing.

Sofitel Wanda Beijing (北京万達索菲特大飯店) has launched the inaugural Revealed photo exhibition in Asia Pacific. This exhibition has already been to five cities in North America and five in Europe before Beijing, the first stop on its Asia Pacific tour.

The exhibition takes an intimate look at the world’s greatest modern artists at work as they reveal themselves to the photographer. Olivier Widmaier Picasso, grandson of Pablo Picasso, hand-selected 30 photographs from the archives of Paris Match, the French weekly, for Revealed.

Among the photographs on display is a black-and-white image of Pablo Picasso eyeing a Dalmatian longing to climb upon his lap; Salvador Dalí seen sitting in an animal exhibit at the Paris Zoo; Jeff Koons styling a BMW for the 24 Hours of Le Mans; Pierre Soulages crouching over a work in progress; Kees Van Dongen painting a posing Brigitte Bardot; and other striking images depicting Rene Magritte, Marc Chagall, Fernando Botero, Joan Miro, Jean Cocteau, Francis Bacon.

Source: Sofitel. Art-inspired menus are offered at the Sofitel Wanda Beijing throughout September.

In conjunction with Revealed, the Sofitel Greater China culinary team, led by Eric Costille, Regional Executive Chef, Accor Greater China, has put together two art-inspired menus that are available for the month of September at Sofitel Wanda Beijing. The Un Mois en Provence dinner menu at Heritage and Le Gouter en Provence Afternoon Tea at Vous Lounge both take inspiration from art in their colour and presentation, as does the Revealed Cocktail available at Vous Lounge.

French Chef Jean-Franscois Nulli from Privé at Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16 has curated the Un Mois en Provence Menu (RMB 688+). The four-course menu begins with a crab beetroot timbale and moves on to sea bass unilateral with zucchini concasse basil and olives, followed by beef two ways - stewed oxtail pumpkin parmentier and oan-fried tenderloin. To finish, guests will experience the visually stunning pavlova tangerine with mandarin orange sorbet.

Source: Sofitel. 

Curated by Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16 Pastry Chef Laem Liu, the Le Gouter en Provence Afternoon Tea Set offers an escape from the city (RMB 118+) with bright sweet and savoury dishes including: strawberry gourmet cones, Provencal honey nougat, lavender macaroons, and anise financiers.

Interested?

Revealed by Sofitel will be on display in the lobby of Sofitel Wanda Beijing till September 20, 2015. Admission to the exhibition is free of charge to guests and the public.

Sofitel SO Bangkok confirms chef lineup for So Amazing Chefs 2015

Source: Sofitel SO Bangkok. 

Sofitel SO Bangkok has confirmed that 12 celebrity chefs from around the world will be in Thailand for the 4th So Amazing Chefs 2015 taking place from 6 to 11 October 2015.

"This year's gastronomic festival is the most high profile event we've ever put together, with the constellation of amazing chefs representing a combined seven Michelin stars. The gathering highlights Bangkok as a foodie city, and promotes the exchange of epicurean ideas and inspirations," said Yves Mudry, General Manager of Sofitel SO Bangkok.

The So Amazing Chefs programme is packed with dinners and cooking classes, with the event highlight – the Culinary Showdown competition and gala dinner– taking place on 9 October with proceeds going towards the CCF Foundation under The Royal Patronage of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. New additions this year include the introduction of special weekend brunches and an after-party which will feature guest DJ Chef Ferry van Houten on the decks.

Familiar faces from last year include Stephane Bonnat (Voiron, France), Laurent Peugeot (Burgundy, France), Didier Corlou (Hanoi, Vietnam), Alain Caron (Amsterdam, Netherlands), Ferry van Houten (Amsterdam, Netherlands), and Sofitel SO Bangkok's very own Executive Chef Paul Smart. Making a comeback from the inaugural So Amazing Chefs 2012 is Chris Salans (Bali, Indonesia):

• Bonnat is Maitre-Choclatier at Bonnat, the longest operating chocolaterie in the world. He received two gold awards at the International Chocolate Awards 2015.
• Caron, a Masterchef judge and author, also hosts his own cooking show. 
• Corlou won Masterchef in France and is the chef owner of La Verticale and Madam Hien in Hanoi, Vietnam. 
• Peugeot owns six establishments around the world, including SushiKai (Beaune, France), LP+Tetsu (Singapore), and LP Receptions (Pernand-Vergelesses, France). He is also chef owner of Le Charlemagne (one Michelin star) in Burgundy. 
• Smart was Winning Challenger Chef of Ironchef Thailand in 2012 and 2013.
• Van Houten is chef owner of Het Bosch in Amsterdam, Netherlands. 

Exciting new additions to the 2015 chef roster include Amsterdam-based Menno Post of two-Michelin starred restaurant The Bokkedoorns; Herve Rodriguez, chef owner of MaSa (one Michelin star, Paris), Jacques Pourcel, one-half of Le Jardin des Sens' Pourcel brothers (one Michelin Star); Frenchman Loic Villemin of Toya (one Michelin star, Faulquemont); and Thierry Renou of Le Patio Thierry Renou (one Michelin star, Arcachon).

Interested?

For more information and reservations, call +66 (0) 26 240 000 or email h6835-fb3 at sofitel.com.

Accor relocates luxury and upscale team to Singapore to focus on Asia Pacific

Accor has moved its Global Luxury and Upscale marketing operations from Paris to Singapore in a move that signals the growing importance of Asia Pacific in these segments. Asian consumers now account for almost half of global luxury sales, the company said. The implications for MICE organisers are that events in this part of the world may have to be of a certain standard to satisfy participants from this part of the world.

“Asian travellers are very demanding and the standard of hotels in this region is very high. We believe that Asia right now is a hub of creativity, innovation and transformation and that this environment provides the perfect breeding ground for us to take our luxury and upscale brands to the next level,“ says Rick Harvey Lam, Senior Vice President Global Marketing, Accor Luxury and Upscale Brands, who recently relocated from Paris to Singapore.

Accor believes that Asia will replace North-America and Europe as the key market for travel in future, especially in the upmarket and luxury segments. And while China and India are leading the way, other markets such as Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines also have a growing affluent middle class with increasing disposable incomes, Accor said. Accor has luxury and upscale hotels in all these regions and will continue to grow its high-end footprint in all these countries.

"Over the past decade Asia Pacific’s economic development has been remarkable and as travellers become more affluent, their desire to travel and explore the world grows, making this region the fastest growing luxury market in the world,” says Michael Issenberg, Chairman and CEO Accor Asia Pacific. “We currently have more than 170 luxury / uspscale hotels with over 37,000 rooms in the region, plus over 70 luxury and upscale hotels under development. This means that Accor will open, on average, a new luxury and upscale hotel in Asia Pacific every month for the next five years.

“With Sofitel celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Accor has a long history in luxury and upscale hotels and our credentials in this segment continue to grow with our expanding pipeline in this sector, including more than 30 Pullman hotels in China alone,” he said.

The move of the Luxury and Upscale Global Marketing team to Asia follows a restructuring of Accor’s business model around geographical lines, with all its brands now divided into three segments: Luxury and Upscale; Midscale; and Economy/Budget. The Luxury and Upscale segments include Accor’s Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Grand Mercure and The Sebel brands. China hosts 19 Sofitel and 15 Pullman hotels, making it the number one market for these brands outside of Europe.

With its central location, excellent infrastructure and business-friendly climate, Singapore is an ideal hub from which to manage Accor’s growth in the region, and brings the company’s leadership closer to more of Accor’s core luxury and upscale markets.

Source: Accor. Artist's rendition of the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour.

As one of the world’s largest and oldest operators of luxury hotels, Accor aims to make its Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Grand Mercure and The Sebel brands the reference point for discerning travellers throughout the Asia Pacific region and globally. In recent months Accor has celebrated the successful launch of several high-end hotels across Asia Pacific, including Sofitel So Singapore, Pullman Shanghai South, and the signing of Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour at the Sydney International Convention Centre.