Oo, la, la………..get spoiled rotten, French style!

In a glittering “A” listers event this week, Sofitel Wentworth Sydney has introduced its elite Club Sofitel concept and sumptious Garden Court restaurant to the harbour city, unveiling a $10m enhancement that provides a whole new level of service and an exclusive new club in the heart of Sydney.

More than 100 rooms and luxury suites have also been upgraded to Club Sofitel status, while the hotel’s entire fifth floor has been redeveloped to create a stylish urban oasis – a place in which to relax, work, dine and entertain. 

The new club brings Sofitel’s exclusive “hotel within a hotel” concept to Sydney after its successful debut in Melbourne and Brisbane.  It provides Club Sofitel guests with luxury extras, specialist services and exclusive access to the fifth-floor club facilities.

With interior design by Joseph Pang Design Studio, the club is wrapped around the hotel’s central Garden Courtyard and provides a contemporary space in which guests can enjoy private breakfasts and all-day snacks, make use of the modern business facilities or simply relax with cocktails and canapés. 

Facilities include state-of-the-art workstations, wireless internet, audio-visual technology, meeting facilities, a quiet room and a recreation area with the latest plasma televisions and entertainment options. 

[Pictured: David Baffsky, Premier and Mrs Iemma and Frank Sartor enjoy the 1999 Dom Perignon]

A dedicated Club Sofitel concierge is available to arrange anything from business meetings to forgotten cufflinks, while an express service allows guests to bypass hotel reception and check-in  directly at the club.

Complimentary champagne, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served each day from 5.30pm to 7.30pm, while Sofitel Wentworth Sydney’s Lenôtre afternoon tea will be served from 2.30pm to 5pm, providing exquisite French delicacies prepared by Australia’s first accredited Lenôtre Chef Pâtissier Mark Stone.

In their rooms, Club Sofitel guests will find a stylish new interior design and special features like wide-screen LCD televisions, espresso machines, internet access and Bose Radio Wave music systems with iPod connectivity.  Club Sofitel rooms also feature the new generation of Sofitel’s signature My Bed, designed as the ultimate in comfort with its combination of high-tech materials and luxurious layers of feather down. 

[Pictured: Leo Schofield and Kerri-Anne Kennerley get together on the red carpet]

Complimentary extras for Club Sofitel guests include a butler service, welcome gifts, Evian water, late check-out, gym access, daily newspapers, ironing services and shoe shine.  Guests can request an iPod personalised with their preferred music, or other equipment such as computer cables, chargers and cell phones.

Alongside Club Sofitel on the fifth floor will be the hotel’s new Garden Court restaurant, opening on September 19 under the stewardship of Executive Head Chef Jess Ong and a talented team drawn from Michelin restaurants and acclaimed eateries around the world.  Garden Court will serve magnificent contemporary Australian cuisine with the unmistakeable French influence of the hotel’s Sofitel peerage.

Originally opened as a guest house in 1854 and rebuilt several times before its current building opened in 1966, the Wentworth has long been an institution in Sydney and the scene of events from Royal visits and celebrity appearances to political dealings and corporate machinations.

As the Sofitel Wentworth Sydney, the hotel offers luxury and refinement with a sophisticated French flair, inspired by the heritage of the Accor global hotel group.

The magnificent new restaurant Garden Court, bringing together an international team with classic French technique and experience drawn from among acclaimed Michelin restaurants of Europe.

Under the direction of Executive Head Chef Jess Ong, the restaurant has brought together new imports in Executive Chef Nicolas Devic and Executive Sous Chef Andre Bosia.  Devic hails from Alain Ducasse’s Plaze Anthénée in Paris (three Michelin Stars) and Spoon Byblos in St Tropez, while Bosia’s experience includes Stephane Gaborieau’s Restaurant Twenty One in Tokyo (two Michelin stars).

Malaysian-born Ong joined the Sofitel Wentworth Sydney last year, having previously headed the Summit restaurant and worked under the legendary Anders Ousback.  He has trained under master chefs including French legends Paul Bocuse and Albert and Michel Roux.

Other key team members include new Sommelier Nobuko Okamura who has headed cellars at London’s Glasshouse, Mju and Zuma, and the hotel’s Director of Food and Beverage Laurent Branover whose French pedigree includes the Royal Barriere in Normandy (one Michelin Star).

Curved around the hotel’s semi-circular rooftop garden, the fifth-floor Garden Court has been designed in the style of an urban conservatory, with a striking modern dining room, an open kitchen and a central bar and lounge.

Its interior design by the award-winning Ara Design Studio draws on heritage-listed elements of the existing building while introducing a contemporary look with custom furnishings inspired by the cafes and restaurants of Paris.

Sofitel Wentworth Sydney General Manager Alex Penklis said the result would be a cosmopolitan restaurant that celebrated the hotel’s society heritage while placing it firmly within Sydney’s current dining scene.

“We have set out to create a restaurant for hotel guests and Sydneysiders to enjoy for its style and sophistication, yet in an atmosphere that would be convivial and lively,” Mr Penklis said.  “We wanted to reflect the era when the Wentworth was an institution for Sydney society, but at the same time create a restaurant that is fresh, modern and exciting.”

The restaurant’s name, Garden Court, retains the title under which the Wentworth became the place to stay and be seen after it was rebuilt as Sydney’s first five-star hotel in 1966.

Garden Court’s signature dishes will include a starter of crab and green mango (West Australian blue swimmer crab, green Northern Territory mango, lavosh crisps and salmon roe), a deconstructed salad nicoise (seared yellow-fin tuna, marinated Spanish anchovy and poached quail egg served as a platter with seasonal greens), snapper (Australian red ocean snapper served with a sausage of scallops, prawn, lobster and crab, with a foam of lobster, cream and brandy) and pork belly (Australian Kurobuta pork belly marinated in sherry vinegar and spices, twice baked vanilla roasted apples and foie gras under the crackling).

Other specialties will include Sofitel’s successful 30-minute lunch, a selection of four light courses meticulously presented on a single platter to create a fast, elegant meal.

The restaurant will also serve the French haute cuisine selection of Lenôtre cakes, pastries and desserts, prepared exclusively for the Sofitel Wentworth Sydney by Chef Pâtissier Mark Stone, the only chef in Australia with Lenôtre accreditation.

Other touches at the restaurant include table settings by Villeroy & Boch and glassware from Zwiesel designed by master sommelier Enrico Bernardo.

The new Garden Court has been conceived as part of a $10 million upgrade at the Sofitel Wentworth Sydney, which will also introduce the elite Club Sofitel to Sydney after its successful launch in Melbourne and Brisbane.

Originally opened as a guest house in 1854 and rebuilt several times before its current building opened in 1966, the Wentworth has long been an institution in Sydney and the scene of events from Royal visits and celebrity appearances to political dealings and corporate machinations.

As the Sofitel Wentworth Sydney, the hotel offers luxury and refinement with a sophisticated French flair, inspired by the heritage of the Accor global hotel group.

Report by The Mole