Sofitel Philadelphia, Reopen, Rittenhouse Square

Sofitel Philadelphia at Rittenhouse Square announced today that the hotel will reopen its doors to hotel guests and visitors on Thursday, August 6, 2020 at 11:00am. The luxury hotel that blends French elegance with American style will reopen for overnight stays for guests in 306 newly renovated elegant suites and 67 newly renovated luxurious suites, plus the stunning Presidential Suite. Banquet facilities will be open for limited private events in accordance with local and state guidelines. Hotel restaurants will remain closed at this time. Sofitel Philadelphia's top priority remains the safety, care and wellbeing of hotel guests and employees. At this moment, this means keeping guests and employees safe by preventing the spread of COVID-19 by partnering with top experts to implement new standards of safety and enhanced operational protocols and procedures which are among the most stringent in the hospitality industry. As part of the reopening plans, Sofitel Philadelphia is offering guests a buy one, get one free offer for a complimentary night stay with the purchase of an equal night stay. For reservations with this special offer and additional reopening information, please visit Sofitel Philadelphia on Facebook and visit www.sofitel-philadelphia.com/happenings/.

"We are excited to share that Sofitel Philadelphia is reopening its doors as of August 6th," said Sofitel Philadelphia General Manager Angela Bauer. "We’ve missed you all and are thrilled to welcome our friends, family and community back into the hotel. As always, our hotel's top priority remains the safety, care and well-being of our Sofitel Philadelphia family. Welcoming, safeguarding and taking care of others is at the very heart of what we do and who we are. Today, this means keeping our guests and employees safe by preventing the spread of COVID-19 by partnering with top experts to implement new standards of safety and enhanced operational protocols and procedures which are among the most stringent in the hospitality industry. We have missed being part of the Philadelphia community all of these months and we can't wait to see you."

The new operational standards being implemented at Sofitel Philadelphia at Rittenhouse Square and Accor properties across North and Central America were developed and vetted by a team of expert advisors to ensure maximum efficacy in preventing the spread of all viruses and pathogens, including COVID-19, with oversight by Bureau Veritas, a world leader in testing, inspections and certification; Dr. Amesh Adalja, Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security & fellow with the Infectious Diseases Society of America; and Ruth Petran, Ph.D., CFS, Senior Corporate Scientist, Food Safety and Public Health, for Ecolab, global leaders in cleaning and hygiene, and trusted advisors to the CDC.

At each touchpoint along the guest journey through Sofitel Philadelphia, extensive measures are being taken to protect guests and employees, including physical distancing; mandatory screening for all guests and employees, which may include a temperature check; masks provided to guests and worn by all employees; a 48-hour “settling period” for occupied rooms post-departure; increased frequency of cleaning & disinfecting, with a focus on high-touch points; and continued use of EPA registered disinfecting chemicals, proven effective in preventing the transmission of COVID-19.

Hands-on training for all employees, a dedicated on-property rollout committee and a formal audit program, validated under the global ALLSAFE Cleanliness label, ensure initial and continued compliance.

To further strengthen Sofitel and Accor's commitment to the care of all who visit, Accor has announced a groundbreaking strategic partnership with AXA, a global leader in insurance, offering medical support to guests across the 5,000 Accor hotels worldwide. Guests will benefit from AXA’s most recent advances in telemedicine through free access to medical teleconsultations, as well as access to AXA’s extensive medical networks, with tens of thousands of licensed healthcare professionals.

Additionally, Sofitel Philadelphia is asking guests to work with the hotel family on health and safety for everyone. Guests that belong to a risk group for COVID-19 are asked to postpone their travels until the risk period has passed, in order to help ensure the wellbeing of all guests and employees. Guests are asked to practice heightened hygiene measures, observe physical distancing, and follow the guidance of hotel employees, signage and markers while on property. Masks are also required when guests are on property outside of their hotel rooms, per local and state guidelines and recommendations.

“It seems like yesterday where we were celebrating the dawn of a new year and looking forward to the amazing spring days in the City of Brotherly Love," said Bauer. "Since then, the subsequent global pandemic has brought challenges unlike anything I have experienced in my extensive career in the hospitality industry – but also, and more importantly, it has demonstrated the unfaltering spirit and unwavering sense of community that surrounds Sofitel Philadelphia. For that and for you, we are forever grateful. As we welcome our friends, family and the Greater Philadelphia community back to Sofitel Philadelphia, please be assured that we are looking ahead, through and past the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure that our valued guests and employees will always be looked after with the highest degree of safety, care and comfort."

She added, "For more than 130 years, our loyal guests and employees at Accor properties across North & Central America have entrusted us with their care and safety. Sofitel and Accor have a long-standing tradition of setting new benchmarks for service excellence and today is no different."

For additional information on Sofitel's and Accor’s commitment to helping its community stay safe and stay well, please visit ALLStayWell.com.

As a welcome back to Sofitel Philadelphia, the hotel is offering guests a buy one, get one free complimentary night offer with a minimum of a two-night stay. The special offer will be available when you visit Sofitel Philadelphia on Facebook, and when a potential guest visits https://www.sofitel-philadelphia.com/happenings/.

In order to help travelers book with confidence, flexible rates are always available for booking, allowing change or cancellation up to 24 hours in advance of arrival. For guests who have booked a non-flexible rate directly with Sofitel Philadelphia for travel through June 30, 2020, the hotel has adopted more flexible modification and cancellation policies to help guests and clients shift their travel plans as needed. For more information, starting on August 6th please call the hotel directly at (215) 569-8300. For immediate phone inquiries, please call Director of Sales & Marketing Anthony Geistwite at (215) 564-7980.

Sofitel Philadelphia is located in the heart of Rittenhouse Square and Center City at 120 S. 17th Street, with ample outdoor dining, retail and cultural offerings just minutes away.

ABOUT SOFITEL PHILADELPHIA AT RITTENHOUSE SQUARE

(Please note: During the August reopening of Sofitel Philadelphia, hotel room and limited banquet facilities will open to the public on August 6, 2020. For information on the reopening of the hotel restaurants and eateries, please stay tuned for additional information at a future date and time.)

Sofitel Philadelphia at Rittenhouse Square blends French elegance with American style providing a refined environment for upscale business and leisure travel in Center City. The sophisticated downtown hotel is conveniently situated near historic attractions, museums, shopping, and restaurants. Aesthetic highlights of the hotel include a geometric lobby floor design inspired by Shaker quilts crafted from seven types of stone and French-inspired works of art adorning the walls. Sofitel Philadelphia offers 306 elegant rooms on 14 floors, including 67 luxurious suites all featuring Sofitel's signature feathertop and duvet sleep system— SoBed. The luxury experience is accentuated by the delicious cuisine of Liberté Lounge, a stylish restaurant and bar that brings back a bygone era with contemporary French-inspired food served in one of the city's loveliest settings. Sofitel Philadelphia ranked number nine on Conde Nast Traveler’s Top 20 Hotels in NY State & the Mid-Atlantic: Readers' Choice Awards 2015, and is a Best Hotel in Philadelphia on the 2016 and 2017 Best Hotel Rankings from U.S. News & World Report.