"This is a year of achievement in the top end and luxury segments", explains Christophe Alaux, General Manager HotelServices France for the hotel group. Until now, we haven't made any major announcements. First of all, we wanted to do all the work upstream to achieve consistency in these segments". This dynamic, which affects the Pullman, MGallery and Sofitel brands alike, took shape last Thursday with the reopening of the renovated Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg. This former private mansion on the Faubourg Saint Honoré has been revisited by Didier Gomez in the spirit of 18th century private residences. "In this haute couture district, I wanted to retranscribe the idea of sophisticated Paris dreamt up by foreigners by using the vocabulary of the private mansion, with mouldings, armchairs and mirrors in the bedrooms," explains the interior designer. "The hotel also conveys a nostalgia for the luxury of the 50s and 60s, with black and white, gold and grey, as well as fashion photos throughout the hotel. Designed as a winter garden, the hotel's restaurant, STAY, is overseen by three-starred chef Yannick Alleno, with a menu that focuses on the spirit of travel. It also features haute couture signature pastries specially created for the hotel, such as the "plissé".
The use of big names such as Didier Gomez or Yannick Alleno symbolises the new direction taken by the best of Accor hotels. "You can't be banal in luxury," stresses Christophe Alaux. "Five-six years ago, it's not certain that these names would have come to work with us, whereas today we are able to work with them. We want to sublimate Accor's history and show that we have real legitimacy in luxury, as well as being a key player in budget and mid-range hotels". The owners are also following in the footsteps of the hotel group, which has invested €300 million in recent years to support this repositioning.
The hotel Mgallery Trouville Marine Spa (DR)
Next April, the Mgallery banner will continue to refurbish exceptional locations. After the Molitor swimming pool in Paris, the boutique chain is preparing to open the Hôtel des cures marines in Trouville. And, as with the Molitor pool, Jean-Philippe Nuel has been entrusted with the task of reviving this languid beachfront palace. His theme, the slightly old-fashioned atmosphere of the first seaside resorts, will extend to the thalasso & spa areas, with the hotel's two pools dressed entirely in giant bayadère stripes.
The Pullman Paris CDG hotel project (DR)
In a completely different style, more directly dedicated to nomadic business travellers, the Pullman Paris CDG will open its doors next August. Designed by Christophe Pillet, the hotel invites travellers to take an active role in their stopover, so that it becomes a moment of pleasure rather than a compulsory part of their business agenda. "I wanted to showcase optimism. The real modernity, the beauty of the world, is people coming together. That's why the spaces are wide open and not closed or sanctuaries.
