The Sofitel is located in the heart of midtown Manhattan on 44th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. The main entry on 44th Street places the hotel in the company of such prestigious institutions as the New York Yacht Club and the Harvard Club. The hotel has been designed to complement its elegant neighborhood, with the first four stories bearing a limestone facade, reminiscent of many historic buildings both in Paris and New York. The remaining floors will rise in a 30-story curved tower of limestone and glass, flanked by two rectangular 20-story wings. The distinctive Sofitel logo will top the tower's southern exposure.

This dramatic addition to the Manhattan skyline has been designed by Brennan Beer Gorman/Architects of New York. Brennan Beer Gorman/Architects is an internationally recognized leader in hospitality design, and has been associated with other prominent New York City hotels.

The Sofitel's guest rooms will number 400, with 52 suites including a "presidential suite." A brasserie-style restaurant will be located on the ground floor, with an entrance on 45th Street. As a tribute to Sofitel's French heritage, the restaurant is being designed so that the floor-to-ceiling "windows" can open up onto the street in nice weather, reminiscent of the many cafes of Paris. The restaurant will seat 130 and will be complemented by a bar with entertainment.

The hotel will have several meeting rooms, averaging between 550 and 650 square feet, designed to accommodate a variety of room configurations and purposes. Sofitel is targeting the small meetings market, seeking groups of up to 30 per meeting room. One room will be equipped with the most up-to-date video conferencing capabilities. A grand ballroom, located on the second floor along with the majority of the meeting facilities, offers an additional 2,500 square feet of group space.

Accor purchased the 15,800 square-foot plot in February 1997 for $11.5 million, through New York-based real estate firm B.J. Organization. Construction is estimated to cost about $90 million and Accor has chosen Constructa, Inc. to assist in the development and construction of the property. The hotel is due to open in mid-2000. The year will be an important one for the Sofitel brand in the United States, as new Sofitel hotels will also be opening in downtown Chicago and Philadelphia. In addition, the first Sofitel in London is also expected to open then.

Hotel Sofitel, with 110 properties worldwide, is the four-star brand of Paris-based Accor, the global services group and leader in four complementary businesses: hotels, travel agencies (Carlson Wagonlit Travel), car rental (EuropCar) and service vouchers (Accor Corporate Services). In the United States, Sofitel currently manages hotels in Chicago (at O'Hare), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, San Francisco Bay and Washington, D.C. The Sofitel will be Accor's second property in New York; the Novotel New York on Broadway at 51st Street is also an Accor hotel.