The doors have officially opened at Sofitel Adelaide, Australia’s most anticipated hotel launch for 2021.

Sofitel Adelaide’s General Manager Rachael Harman said, “We are truly excited to open Sofitel Adelaide, which not only marks Sofitel’s debut in South Australia, but also represents Adelaide’s first internationally recognised five-star address to be built in 30 years.”

“Each Sofitel draws inspiration from local culture while celebrating innovation and imparting a French sense of hospitality, and Sofitel Adelaide will proudly continue this tradition. We aim to deliver a one-of-a-kind, luxurious hotel experience, but with a distinct Adelaide feel.”

Located in the true heart of the city on Currie Street, the $150 milion flagship hotel offers guests a selection of 251 luxurious guest rooms and suites (Superior, Deluxe, Luxury, Luxury Club, Prestige and Opera Suites), with a choice of city and Adelaide Hills views. Stunning fully open concept bathrooms with luxurious vanities and free standing bathtubs maximise a sense of space, with Balmain Paris room amenities providing an additional indulgent touch.

The pièce de resistance is Sofitel Adelaide’s palatial Presidential Suite. The embodiment of luxury living, the Presidential Suite includes an extensive dining room and open living room concept, walk-in wardrobe, private study and a grand bedroom with an additional ensuite bathroom.

All Luxury Club rooms and suites at Sofitel Adelaide provide guests with access to additional complimentary facilities and services as part of Club Millésime. Situated on level 10, Club Millésime features a private lounge serving complimentary à la carte breakfast, afternoon tea and evening drinks and canapés, as well as offering personalised check in and check out.

Interiors at the hotel have been custom designed – from the burgundy coloured chandeliers featured in each guest room to the bespoke vintage-inspired wallpaper commissioned by Sofitel for the hotel’s club lounge. In keeping with the hotel’s themes of ‘light and flow’, Sofitel Adelaide’s indoor heated pool is also in the spotlight, with spectacular natural light courtesy of floor to ceiling windows, and illumination from three exquisite chandeliers overhead.

Ms. Harman explained that the exquisite marble used throughout the Sofitel was sourced personally by the hotel owner, Daniel Palumbo, and his family direct from Carrara in Italy, in what was a very personal journey for the proud South Australian developer in bringing the hotel to life.

“Most of the features in this hotel, from the art and furnishings to the flooring, have been selected and overseen by members of the Palumbo family,” Ms. Harman said. “This attention to detail was maintained during the installation phase, evidenced by features such as the book leaf cut used to join the veins of marble together in the lobby.”

This kind of extravagance extends to the Sofitel Fitness Centre (the hotel’s gymnasium), also designed with a luxurious eye for detail to feature state-of-the-art equipment boasting the same leather finishings as used in Ferrari supercars for a world-class workout.

Every Sofitel around the world is culturally linked with a city or region in France that shares similar attributes in terms of culture, landscape and design, and Sofitel Adelaide is culturally linked with Bordeaux – a city that epitomes viniculture and gastronomic refinement, as well as history and fine art.

Indeed, art will play an important role at Sofitel Adelaide with the hotel preparing to display artwork from more than ten local and international artists, including photographers Emmaline Zanelli and Drew Lenman; painter and ceramicist Michael Carney and glassblower Nick Mount– who all hail from South Australia.

An original piece by Newcastle-based fine-art photographer, Alexia Sinclair, titled Field of Dreams, forms the centrepiece of the hotel lobby and segments of this historic French-inspired artwork will appear on lightboxes to illuminate the entire porte cochere ceiling. In the lobby, a striking flowing red wine-inspired chandelier has been suspended, representing the flow of wine and meandering of the nearby Torrens River, to reflect two of the most appealing aspects of South Australia.

“These details are important in our ambition to become Adelaide’s official hotel for the arts, and will hopefully provide talking points for guests, inspiring them to explore and discover something new and interesting on every visit,” explained Ms. Harman.

Coinciding with the hotel’s official debut is the opening of Garçon Bleu – a French re-imagined restaurant set to become Adelaide’s newest gourmet destination. With elevated city views from its location on level nine of the new Sofitel Adelaide, Garçon Bleu’s 90-seat dining room boasts an open kitchen, an extensive wine wall, and an up-lit oyster and raw seafood bar. The hotel has also opened a luxurious street-level Champagne bar, Déjà Vu, inspired by the romantic sidewalk cafes of Paris, which will offer a selection of elegant beverages, lighter meals and casual eats seven days a week.

The Sofitel brand, which is world renowned for luxury French-style and hospitality as well as a passion for art de vivre (the art of living), continues to expand its network across Australia and the Pacific.

The largest hotel operator in Australia, Accor now has 15 hotels across South Australia, with 12 of these in the city of Adelaide. Sofitel Adelaide’s opening represents the luxury brand’s debut in South Australia and joins a growing portfolio of six Sofitel Hotels & Resorts across Australia and more than 120 globally.

Rates to stay at the new Sofitel Adelaide start from A$320 per room per night (for a Superior Room).

To make a reservation online visit www.sofiteladelaide.com.au or call the hotel on (+61) 08 8432 1900.

WHERE: 108 Currie St, Adelaide