Sofitel

Sofitel Hotels & Resorts is a chain of luxury hotels based in Paris, France, and owned by AccorHotels 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 the brands Sofitel Legend, So Sofitel and MGallery to diversify Sofitel’s new high-end offer.HistoryBanque Paribas opened the first Sofitel in Strasbourg (France) on 26 June 1964, the Sofitel Strasbourg Grande Île, which was the first 5-star hotel in the city.International developmentIn the 1970s, Sofitel became an international chain of hotels. The first Sofitel in the United States opened in 1975 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Sofitel entered the US market with a French approach to hospitality, making French baguettes on site, offering a wide selection of wines, providing bidets 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 first 5-star hotel in Manila, a building designed by Filipino architect Leandro Locsin.In 1980, Sofitel was purchased by Accor and joined the group’s portfolio of hotel brands: Novotel, Mercure, Ibis.