NEW YORK? After a period of relative quiet that lasted several years, the Sofitel brand has embarked on aggressive expansion and renovation. Accor, Sofitel?s parent company, will concentrate on expanding the brand network in North America and recently announced development plans for its fourth new U.S. Sofitel hotel over the next two years. In addition to projects currently under way here and in Philadelphia and the upcoming excavation of a Chicago site scheduled for this fall, Accor has signed an agreement to open a Sofitel property in Dallas by the end of 2001. Besides its ambitious expansion goal of opening 40 Sofitels in the U.S. and Canada by 2003, the company will continue expanding the brand globally. Accor added nine new international properties in 1998, will open 21 in 1999, and has 16 projects currently slated for Year 2000 and beyond. It aims to have 160 Sofitels open by 2003. The focus on developing Sofitel hotels in the U.S. and Canada follows a lull in development that began in the early 90s and lasted until the end of 1996. According to John Lehodey, president of Accor North America, the company paid more attention to its other brands, particularly Motel 6. ?We were not always clear how much emphasis should be placed on each product,? Lehodey explained. ?Our one-star product was too heavily weighted,? Lehodey said of Motel 6, adding that Accor?s efforts will be more balanced going forward and the company will devote more of its energies to its three- and four-star brands, including Novotel and Sofitel. ?We have money and we?re building a (Sofitel) chain,? Lehodey said. Paralleling its expansion activity is Sofitel?s worldwide renovation program. Over the last five years, the brand has spent approximately $60 million each year to renovate and reposition its worldwide network. By the end of this year, the company will have spent $140 million on combined renovation and repositioning efforts it began in 1998. Current and recent renovations projects include the Sofitel Rio Palace in Brazil; the Palais Jamai in Morocco; and the Sofitel Venice in Italy. Accor placed particular emphasis on refurbishing its network of Parisian properties, including the Sofitel Paris Arc de Triomphe, Sofitel Porte de Sevres, Sofitel Paris Forum Rive Gauche, Sofitel Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Hotel Scribe and Hotel Trocadero Dokhan?s, at which extensive renovations have either been completed or are currently in progress.
