Sofitel eyes Dubai, Beirut and Cairo for So brand

France-based Sofitel is looking to increase the number of 'So by Sofitel' branded hotels to 18 globally in the next five years, including plans for properties in Dubai, Cairo and Beirut.

The firm currently has two properties operating under its boutique-like, fashion-led So brand;  the newly-opened Hotel Sofitel So Bangkok is a 30-storey urban building designed by a team including Smith Obayawat and France's Christian Lacroix, and the first hotel to be opened under the brand was Sofitel So Mauritius Bel Ombre by Thai architect Lek Bunnag, with features by fashion designer Kenzo Takada.

"Eventually we’ll have somewhere between 15 and 18 Sos operating around the world in the next five to seven years. I'd love to bring it to Dubai, Cairo and other parts of the Middle East. We’re looking at an opportunity in Beirut," Sofitel CEO Robert Gaymer-Jones told Hotelier Middle East. 

"The destinations have to be around fashion and design. The So we've just launched in Bangkok is unbelievable because guests choose their room by their preferred designer – it’s very fashion led. The uniforms and hotel accessories – the bath robes and soaps – are all designer.

"Our hotel in Mauritius is the only place in the world where guests are buying the housekeeping uniforms because they're designed by Kenzo Takada," continued Gaymer-Jones. 

Worldwide, the hotel group has already signed So properties in Singapore and Sydney. It is also actively looking for sites in "trendy areas" in London, Paris and New York. 

More fashionable than Missoni

Gaymer-Jones said the brand was even more fashion-conscious than Rezidor's designer lifestyle brand Missoni: "We went to Chanel and asked how our ladies should look, how much make up should they put on, how much nail varnish they should they wear and so we created a 'So look book' for our staff.

"We're really focusing on fashion from a guest point of view, but also from an employee point of view, and we're using the background of Paris to create that. 

"It has a boutique feel and is focused on people who like to live life intensely, have fun, enjoy themselves," he added, "but we want it to be authentic, we don’t just want 'bling bling'; we want to create a lifestyle where people meet, have fun, enjoy the music, the food and the wine".