Sofitel Chicago Water Tower

Striking architecture converges with the excitement of the Windy City at the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower. Set in a triangular-shaped, 32-story prism of glass, the hotel offers an unmistakable presence in the heart of downtown—close to everything from the Magnificent Mile to museums and top-drawer boutique shopping.

A suitably grand welcome waits in the two-story lobby, a dramatic space with fiber-optic walls and black granite flooring. A monumental triangular staircase leads to four window-walled meeting rooms on the second level, equipped with amenities like mahogany tables and Herman Miller Aeron chairs. More stairs ascend to the third level grand ballroom with floor-to-ceiling windows and a glass-walled prefunction area and four additional meeting rooms. All meeting rooms offer panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows, full audiovisual capabilities plus both wired and wireless Internet access.

Visual drama continues in 415 rooms and suites with Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan views. The decor exemplifies art de vivre with designer furnishings, natural beechwood walls, and spacious marble baths. A fitness center, massage services, and 24-hour room service add to the hotel’s creature comforts.

For dining and socializing, the options include Café des Architectes, serving modern brasserie fare with a seasonal terrace; and Le Bar, pouring specialty martinis well into the night with a lively people-watching scene. In addition, the Cigale Private Dining Room, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows and an open kitchen, seats up to 50 for a sit-down meal or accommodates up to 75 guests for receptions.

Summer at the Sofitel

There are no hot dates at this time. Posted May 6, 2008 by lisaa
View RSS Feed Expedia Unveils Annual Insiders' Select Ranking of the World's Best Hotels

May 06, 2008: 03:00 AM EST

BELLEVUE, Wash., May 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Expedia(R), the world's leading online travel company, today unveiled its annual Expedia Insiders' Select(TM) list of the world's best hotels (http://www.expedia.com/insidersselect). Marking the second annual ranking, the list is comprised of the top hotels from among a selection of nearly 80,000 properties worldwide available on Expedia.

"The Expedia Insiders' Select list makes it easier for travelers to sort through thousands of hotel options to choose the best hotel for their trip," said Paul Brown, president, Expedia North America. "Expedia has captured the experiences of millions of hotel guests, and combined them with a value rating and local destination expertise to help travelers identify the best hotels in the world for the best value."

The list represents the variety of hotel types and destinations offered on Expedia. One characteristic all Insiders' Select hotels have in common is that they have been recognized by Expedia travelers for consistently delivering excellent service, a great overall experience and a notable value. The list is comprised of hotels ranging from boutique to chain properties in a variety of small, mid-sized and large destinations. The list also represents Expedia's global selection of hotel properties, from favorites in the U.S. like The Sanderling Resort & Spa on North Carolina's Outer Banks and Chateau on the Lake in Branson, Mo., to international favorites like The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The Expedia Insiders' Select list was compiled using a weighted mathematical formula that includes several factors including:
-- Expedia's collection of hundreds of thousands of Traveler
Opinions(R) -- hotel reviews created by Expedia travelers who recently stayed at the property;
-- A value rating determined by comparing hotels within the same star-rating and geographical region to identify hotels that deliver a notable value for the experience they offer; and
-- Local expertise and insight from hundreds of Expedia employees in destinations throughout the world.

The full list is available at http://www.expedia.com/insiderselect. Highlights include:

-- Number 1 overall: Sofitel Chicago Water Tower -- Chicago, Ill.
-- Number 1 in Asia: Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel -- Tokyo, Japan
-- Number 1 in Europe: The Knight Residence -- Edinburgh, Scotland
-- Top Resort Worldwide: JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa -- Cancun, Mexico

"We work hard to deliver an exceptional experience to our guests during their stay, and we are thrilled to be recognized as the top rated hotel globally by Expedia and its travelers," said Patrick Filatre, general manager, Sofitel Chicago Water Tower. "We know travelers value the opinions of other travelers and this ranking allows people to choose the right hotel with even greater confidence."

About Expedia(R)

Expedia is the world's leading online travel provider, helping millions of travelers per month easily plan and book travel. Expedia (http://www.expedia.com/) aims to provide personalized service, the latest technology and the widest selection of vacation packages, flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises and in-destination activities, attractions, and services. With the Expedia(R) Best Price Guarantee, Expedia promises to offer to its customers the best rates available online for all types of travel, making it the most comprehensive customer guarantee in online travel. Expedia is an operating company of Expedia, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPE).
Expedia, the Airplane logo, Insiders' Select and Traveler Opinions are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners.
(C) 2008 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. CST: 2029030-40 Posted Feb 29, 2008 by Nikki H
View RSS Feed CARROLLTON, TX-Sofitel Hotels has agreed to purchase wind energy for all nine of its locations in the United States, qualifying the brand as an Environmental Protection Agency Green Power Partner.

This purchase of the wind-generated power from Community Energy, Inc., will take the form of Renewable Energy Certificates, which will qualify Sofitel as an EPA Green Power Partner and make the hotel chain the first to choose such green power for each U.S. property.

Two of the Sofitels are in Chicago; the others are in Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, DC.

These hotels will buy a total of 1.5 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy. The environmental benefit of purchasing this type of energy is equal to offsetting approximately two million pounds of carbon dioxide per year.