Accor brings its luxury Sofitel brand to China`s Sichuan province with the opening of the prestigious Sofitel Wanda Chengdu on the banks of the Funan River.

The 262-room hotel is five-star in every sense, with stunning interior design that blends traditional Chinese and modern European motifs to create an elegant marriage of Eastern and Western cultures.

Sofitel Wanda Chengdu has 162 Deluxe rooms, 84 Sofitel Executive rooms and 15 Deluxe suites and a Presidential suite. Rooms feature stylish artwork highlighting China`s rich cultural history juxtaposed with modern western-style furnishings, French marble and heavy glass partitions. Each room as high-speed broadband Internet access, efficient work stations and satellite television.

There are also four non-smoking floors, comprising 64 rooms, a rarity in China and a first in Chengdu. Since every floor offers each room category, Sofitel Executive room guests can enjoy a smoke free stay should they choose.

Visiting businessmen will find the Sofitel Executive Lounge, offering stunning city views from the 23rd floor, an exclusive retreat. Those staying in Executive rooms enjoy daily breakfast, complimentary cocktails in the evening and tea and coffee through out the day. Recreational facilities include a fifth floor fitness centre, indoor swimming pool for year round enjoyment, recreation centre with Mahjong and Snooker and a Chinese-style spa.

Conference and banqueting facilities offer flexibility in superb surroundings. The lavish Versailles Ballroom has 432sqm of space and can comfortably handle 420 participants theatre style, or 300 people for banquets. Five smaller Sofitel Board Rooms and a versatile auditorium with a simultaneous multi-language translation system are also available.

Accor Senior Vice President - Asia, Reggie Shiu, said Sofitel Chengdu would appeal to both visiting businessmen and leisure tourists keen on soft adventure experiences in mountainous areas outside the city.

“Bringing our Sofitel brand to western China is very important to Accor, especially given the significance the Chinese government has given to developing the city.

“The province has strong historical ties to many Asian countries as expatriate Chinese businessmen return to invest in the area. It also is the gateway to Tibet and the mountains around Chengdu are popular with both domestic and international visitors.”

Chengdu has a population of 10 million, a third living in the city, and has firmly established itself as the commercial hub for China`s western region. Over 60 Fortune 500 companies, including Siemens, Bayer, Proctor & Gamble, Toyota and Motorola have offices in the city, reflecting the country`s interest in increasing trade and investment in western China.
To celebrate its recent opening, Sofitel Wanda Chengdu is offering a special rate of RMB666 (US$80 - valid till 29 February, 2004), single or double occupancy per night inclusive of service charge and tax.

Throughout the course of the last three years, Sofitel has become a benchmark for brand expansion in the luxury hotel market with the prestigious openings of Sofitel New York, Sofitel Paris Bercy, Sofitel Tokyo, Sofitel St James London, Sofitel Palm Beach Marseille, Sofitel Chicago Water Tower, Sofitel Lafayette Square Washington D.C., Sofitel Marrakech, Sofitel Silom Bangkok, Sofitel Montreal and Sofitel Buenos Aires. The strategic development of the brand continues into 2004 with a number of new properties, including, amongst others, Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Budapest (Hungary), Chengdu (China).

All these openings strengthen the presence of Sofitel, which stands out with its French “art de vivre” that can be felt in each hotel around the world; through its decor, art work, uniforms created by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, and the cuisine.

Sofitel is the prestige brand of Accor hotels, with 160 properties that bring a unique French “art de vivre” to prime locations around the world.
ith 150,000 associates in 140 countries, Accor is the European leader and one of the world`s largest groups in travel, tourism and corporate services, with two major international activities:
- hotels:  nearly 4,000 hotels (450,000 rooms) in 90 countries, casinos, travel agencies, and restaurants;
- services to corporate clients and public institutions : 13 million people in 32 countries use a broad range of services (food vouchers, people care and services, incentive, loyalty programs, events) engineered and managed by Accor.
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