Logo 'Sofitel'

CHICAGO | Sofitel Chicago Water Tower, the North American flagship property for Sofitel, the prestige brand of Accor hotels, has been chosen by the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects as the "best new building in Chicago in the last ten years." The hotel is located at 20 E. Chestnut, at the intersection of Chestnut and Wabash streets. Designed by award-winning Paris-based architect Jean-Paul Viguier, the stunning 350,000-square-foot, prism-shaped structure was chosen by 338 of Chicago's finest architects as one of the city's most outstanding achievements in architecture.

With its geometric simplicity, attention to detail and careful orchestration of materials, the striking glass triangular tower displays a majestic presence, thrusting forward over the street and narrowing as it rises. Two prominent facades with exposures facing east and southwest allow for substantial natural light. Adding to the building's refinement is its exterior of horizontal cladding of opaque and visible glass in dynamic interaction with its verticality.

"Accor chose architect Jean-Paul Viguier from a number of applicants to lead this one-of-a-kind project," said Sofitel Chicago Water Tower's General Manager Patrick Filatre. "With Chicago's history of renowned architecture, we are proud to have made a significant contribution to the city's striking and awe-inspiring skyline."

Mr. Viguier was selected for the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower project in 1998, during a design competition judged by top Accor executives and several outside consultants. His entry was chosen for its design that best complemented the hotel's exceptional surroundings. Mr. Viguier graduated from Harvard University with a Master of City Planning in Urban Design, 1973 Graduate School of Design. Mr. Viguier appointed the Chicago-based architectural firm Teng & Associates to assist on the project with engineering services.




Sofitel Chicago Water Tower features: 32 floors of 415 elegantly-appointed guest rooms, including 30 Deluxe Executive Rooms, 32 Deluxe Suites and one Presidential Suite, each with a spectacular view of the Chicago skyline or Lake Michigan; 10,000 square feet of meeting room and banquet space; Cafe des Architectes, a first-class restaurant; Le Bar, a chic meeting place; state-of- the-art fitness center; and Le Petit Bijou gift boutique.

Sofitel Chicago Water Tower complements an existing portfolio of 10 Sofitel hotels in North America, including: New York, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Chicago O'Hare, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco Bay, Houston, Minneapolis and Montreal.

To reserve a stay at any Sofitel hotel or resort, call 1-800-SOFITEL (763-4835), visit http://www.sofitel.com/ or http://www.accorhotels.com/ . To reserve a stay at the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower, please call (312) 324-4000 or visit http://www.sofitel.com/ .

Throughout the course of the last four 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 , Sofitel Buenos Aires, Sofitel Budapest, Sofitel Nicolas de Ovando (Dominican Republic), Sofitel Boao, Sofitel Chengdu and Sofitel Jin Jiang Oriental Pudong Shanghai in China.

The strategic development of the brand continues into 2004 with a number of new properties, including, amongst others, Sydney (Australia), Venice (Italy), Marbella (Spain), and 6 new addresses in China including Sofitel Royal Lagoon Dongguan (facing Hong Kong) and Sofitel Grand Park Hefei (North East of Shanghai).

More than 20 Dorint Sofitel hotels are enriching the Sofitel network with new addresses in the major cities and the leading holiday resorts in Germany, Netherlands, Austria and Spain (Balearic Islands).

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 more than 180 properties that bring a unique French "art de vivre" to prime locations around the world.

With 150,000 people 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 (455,000 rooms) in 90 countries, casinos, travel agencies, and restaurants;
  • services to corporate clients and public institutions: 14 million people in 34 countries use a broad range of services (food vouchers, people care and services, incentive, loyalty programs, events) engineered and managed by Accor.