SOFITEL will take the wraps off its inaugural project in Singapore by next June/July, unveiling its boutique brand label, So, while continuing to ramp up its presence in this part of the world.
Located in the heart of the financial district with 134 guestrooms including 23 suites, Sofitel So Singapore’s focus will be on individual business travellers, said Sofitel Asia-Pacific senior vice president, Markland Blaiklock.
He told TTG Asia e-Daily that his sales team would be contacting corporates in the vicinity to engage in their RFP process, while on the leisure side, promotions would be done via its own website and global sales offices. The average room rate of regular rooms will be around S$300 (US$245), while suites will be closer to S$600.
Due to the building’s heritage status, the hotel faced a number of size restrictions, explained Blaiklock. Aside from a small boardroom that can accommodate around 10-12 pax, there is no other meeting space. Facilities include a lobby gastrobar, a fitness centre, and a rooftop pool and bar.
He said: “Likely to be our biggest challenge is fitting all that demand into 134 rooms. Our markets will be predominantly Asian. China and Hong Kong will be big. And for Europe, it would be mostly from the UK, France and Germany. On the emerging side, there’s also some very affluent travellers from Russia and India.”
Drawing inspiration from the building’s neoclassical history and the island-nation of Singapore, the design theme is “empire arty”, which melds together elements such as Napoleon Bonaparte’s famous bee symbol, as well as orchids, geckos and jellyfishes.
This is the second So that the group is opening in Asia-Pacific, hot on the heels of its Bangkok property earlier this year. Besides one confirmed So for Mumbai (2015), Blaiklock revealed that there were advanced discussions in Sydney and Bali.
As for core brand Sofitel Luxury Hotels, he said that there were development opportunities in Singapore that were being looked at and that the destination could easily absorb two Sofitel properties.
At the media luncheon yesterday, Blaiklock also pointed out that Sofitel had successfully repositioned its brand into the luxury segment over the last five years. From 204 hotels worldwide in 2006, the group trimmed its network down to over 120 in 2012.
It is now on track to have at least 150 hotels in operation by 2015, a number it intends to maintain. About a third will be in Asia-Pacific. Out of Sofitel’s 20 projects in the pipeline, more than half are in Asia, including 10 in China and two in India.
– Read more about Sofitel’s MICE ambitions in TTGmice e-Weekly
