Accor to reposition Sofitel brand and add 1,000 new hotels by 2010
French hotel giant Accor is repositioning its upscale Sofitel brand as part of a wider strategy to refocus on each of its brands individually.
The 200-strong Sofitel chain will be divided into three tiers with a luxury collection at the top of up to 20 hotels.
The top tier will include character properties in central locations such as the Sofitel properties in Egypt and Hanoi as well as the Grand in Amsterdam.
The second tier of Sofitel will consist of the core of the portfolio including the Sofitel St. James in London and the Sofitel in Los Angeles while the third tier will offer properties with large conference and meeting facilities.
UK and Ireland head of global and national sales Fred Fontaine said: “We will probably lose a few hotels but the network is continuing to grow.”
Sofitel is adding 31 hotels to the portfolio this year and in 2007 with about 11 to be opened in China.
The growth of the Sofitel brand is part of a group-wide expansion strategy to open 200,000 (about 1,000 hotels) more rooms across all Accor brands by the end of 2010 in Europe as well as emerging markets such as China, India and Russia.
Fontaine said: “We have already signed deals for 25,000 rooms and a further 50,000 are ongoing projects which we are confident will happen.”
Sofitel will raise awareness of the changes through its loyalty card programme, trade shows and public relations as well as a European advertising campaign similar to the one currently being run for sister-brand Novotel.
Report by Linda Fox
Linda Fox
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