New "So" Label Hotel to Open In 2015

New “So” Label Hotel to Open In 2015

Auckland Tuesday 30th July 2013 – The Pacific region is

set to welcome its very first Sofitel So ‘designer’

hotel, with Sofitel Luxury Hotels today announcing plans to

open the Sofitel So Auckland in New Zealand in 2015.

Sofitel So Auckland will become the fourth Sofitel

branded hotel to join the expanding Sofitel network in New

Zealand, alongside the Sofitel Queenstown Hotel Spa,

Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour, and much anticipated

Sofitel Wellington in the nation’s capital due to open in

2014.

The hotel, estimated to cost NZ$50 million, is

owned by the Auckland based Pandey family via the CP Group.

CP Group currently operate 11 Accor and Sofitel branded

hotels in New Zealand, with two more – the Sofitel

Wellington and Sofitel So Auckland – currently under

construction, taking the number to 13 by 2015.

Globally,

Sofitel So Auckland is the fourth addition to Sofitel So’s

boutique portfolio joining the Sofitel So Mauritius Bel

Ombre, Sofitel So Bangkok, and Sofitel So Singapore which

will launch in December 2013. Other hotels are currently

under way in Mumbai and Rio.

The new 133 room Sofitel

So Auckland hotel will be located in the heart of

Auckland’s CBD in the old New Zealand Reserve Bank at 67

Customs Street, just one street back from Auckland’s

stunning harbour foreshore and a five minute walk to the

popular Auckland Viaduct entertainment precinct.

Facilities will include a lobby lounge bar and rooftop

restaurant, a range of meeting and conference spaces and a

swimming pool. Sofitel So Auckland will also offer a

state-of-the-art day Sofitel branded SoSpa with six

treatment rooms, with a wide range of beauty and wellness

treatments, and a SoFit centre, both located in the old bank

vault.

Building on the time-honoured establishment of

Sofitel Luxury Hotels and their unique brand blueprint that

combines French luxury with the essence of local tradition,

Sofitel So is the network’s ‘designer hotel’ label

featuring trendy hotels in contemporary locations, with a

strong focus on expressing the essence of the

destination.

Area General Manager for Sofitel New

Zealand Wouter de Graaf said it was an honour for New

Zealand to be selected as the first address for the

international design label in the Pacific region.

“Sofitel So Auckland is the perfect complement to our

hotel portfolio here, with its design connections and

passion for blending pleasure, style and soul ensuring a

genuinely contemporary luxury experience for guests,” he

said. “Sofitel’s continued growth and expansion in

Auckland certainly gives credit to the city’s status as

the Pacific’s next emerging luxury travel destination.

“New Zealand has always been a world-class destination,

but perhaps for the first time Auckland is now truly ready

to realise its true tourism potential, with continued

investment in creative projects like the Sofitel So Auckland

poised to redefine hospitality experiences for both local

and international visitors alike.”

Each So has its

own atmosphere created by a famous name from the world of

fashion, the arts or design. The first So label hotel in

Mauritius featured interiors by Thai architect Lek Bunnag

and signature designs by Kenzo Takada, while the second in

Bangkok was decorated by famous local designers inspired by

the 5 elements, Water, Earth, Wood, Metal and Fire, with a

« French Touch » contributed by Monsieur Christian

Lacroix. In keeping with the tradition, the upcoming third

Sofitel So currently under construction in Singapore will

feature a design signature by Karl Lagerfeld. The design

connection for the latest So in Auckland is still under

negotiation.

ends

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New "So" Label Hotel to Open In 2015