Accor brand Sofitel has 120 properties in nearly 40 countries, but that total is currently severely under-represented in the Americas, particularly in the United States.
That’s where Dominique Colliat comes in. After working on repositioning the Sofitel brand starting in 2006 and being promoted to a newly created role as senior vice president of operations for the brand in Europe, the Middle East and Africa in 2009, Colliat recently moved to New York City to serve in a similar role for the Americas. Colliat knows this region is a critical frontier for Sofitel, and she recently sat down with HOTELS to discuss the brand’s aggressive plans for the Americas as well as Sofitel’s broader evolution.
HOTELS: How would you describe your new role as SVP of operations for the Americas to your most recent role for the brand in EMEA?
Dominique Colliat: My challenge today is totally different. In my previous region I had 55 hotels, and the goal was to make sure we were consistent in terms of quality of service and to increase brand awareness, and we did it. In the U.S., we have eight properties, and we have nine in Latin America and Canada [combined].
Really, the main goal for me is to increase the number of hotels in this region, to increase the presence of Sofitel in the big cities in North and Latin America. In Sofitel, we have three brands — Sofitel, which is the core brand; Sofitel Legend, such as the Metropole in Hanoi; and So, which are trendy, boutique, design hotels. I really believe this brand is going to be expanded very quickly in Latin America and North America. In Latin America, we are going to rebrand the Caesar Park in Rio de Janeiro Ipanema as Sofitel So as soon as we renovate the hotel. So that will be the first one in the region. I really believe this will lead the development of Sofitel So in Latin America and North America. I can see very quickly Sofitel So in Miami, in New York, in the region of L.A.
HOTELS: Is it fair to say So is your main focus in this region?
Colliat: I feel So is going to be more requested by potential investors. This is the type of hotel young clientele like. We are going to open Sofitel So in Singapore at the end of the year with Karl Lagerfeld, and last year we opened Sofitel So Bangkok with Christian Lacroix and Sofitel So Mauritius with Kenzo Takada. We are waiting for the confirmation of somebody very well known for Ipanema.
HOTELS: What specifics can you share regarding Sofitel’s development plans in the Americas?
Colliat: In Sofitel, we have 120 properties today; in 2015, the goal is 150.
In the United States in the next five years, we need to double the number of properties. So, we have eight; we need to have 15 — minimum — in 2017. Otherwise I will have failed my mission here. It’s very important.
It’s something that involves everybody — not only the development department. It’s also the perception of the brand, the way we invigorate our employees to be the best and provide the best service among our competitors. There is a real strategy to involve everybody.
HOTELS: Is there equal focus for North America and Latin America?
Colliat: It’s the same focus, knowing that we have some strategic cities in mind. In Latin America, it’s Sao Paolo; we used to have a Sofitel, but it was de-branded. It’s Mexico. It’s Lima, Santiago de Chile, Bogota. We can have one or two [in each market] — Sofitel and Sofitel So.
HOTELS: What cities in North America are most important?
Colliat: New York, Boston, Miami, the region of L.A., Toronto, Vancouver — but it’s not that easy to develop hotels in North America. The conditions are a little bit different than in Asia or the Middle East, where investors are less demanding in terms of conditions. Americans are quite strict in terms of ROI. It’s challenging.
HOTELS: How have you seen the Sofitel brand evolve in recent years, and how would you characterize it today?
Colliat: The luxury world is changing. The expectations are changing. People are looking for more generosity, more authenticity, and we have to work with our teams to make the change.
Our strategy, our “Be Magnifique” strategy, is to make sure our guests feel good in our hotels in terms of product, service and attentiveness. In this strategy we have a particular dimension that we call cousu main, which is a French word meaning handmade for you. It’s a word coming from haute couture. It’s a long training process, because in luxury hospitality you don’t train people in one year — it takes years to become an expert and efficient and competent. Cousu main is service with your heart versus the standards of the brand, which are important, but this is another dimension. So we train our ambassadors — we call our employees “ambassadors” at Sofitel, and we give them a passport when they arrive and they have their training certification month after month — to read the guest and to understand them, when they need something that is not in the standards of service.
This dates back to 2010, when we decided to work on the brand equity, and we said, what can we do more than our competitors in different domains? In terms of positioning, we said we are going to work on French elegance and explain what it means — we want our guests to understand what it is in terms of design, events and culture. It’s not a simple thing, because we want to link it with the country or city where we operate. For example, in terms of wine, in California or L.A., I think we should blend the French wine with California wine and organize our events around that. If there is something very specific in the city or the country that is part of the culture — the best things in terms of refinement culturally — we link it with something in France, always in the three same three domains: gastronomy and wines, design and culture.
HOTELS: Beyond strictly the number of hotels, what are the expectations for the future of Sofitel, especially in the Americas?
Colliat: Honestly, my hope is really to make this cousu main concept successful. I think it’s what guests are expecting today — different attention, a different look. That could have a huge impact on the brand. At the end of the day, the most important thing if we want to make a difference is really the relationship between our ambassadors and the guests. I know I can count on the American ambassadors, because they are very committed. I can feel the sense of belonging to the brand. There is a sincere sense of belonging to the brand. It’s not only in this region — it’s everywhere.