Sofitel London Heathrow TAKES OFF At Terminal 5

One of the world’s largest, luxury airport hotels, meetings and events venues opens today at London Heathrow’s Terminal 5 (T5).

The 5-star, 605-bedroom Sofitel London Heathrow connects to T5 by bridge and is just 21 minutes from central London via the Heathrow Express. It also offers the largest onsite, undercover parking facilities in the area.

At the heart of Sofitel London Heathrow are the legendary Sofitel values of luxurious ‘art de recevoir’ and noble ‘hôtellerie savoir-faire’. These values ensure every guest enjoys moments of ‘plaisir’, élégance and ‘bien être’ during their stay.

“The Sofitel London Heathrow is not an airport hotel, it’s a five star luxury hotel which just happens to be at an airport,” explains Surinder Arora, chairman of Arora International Hotels, owners of the Sofitel.

The hotel’s Concept Architect is Stephen Williams, who previously designed the Conrad Hotel in Chelsea Harbour, while the hotel’s glamorous interiors have been designed by KCA International’s Khuan Chew, who is renowned for her work on the Burj Al Arab in Dubai.

Khuan Chew has focused on the concept of a ‘gateway to the world’ as her design inspiration and themes of country and continent resonate throughout the hotel. ‘Antarctica’, for example, takes centre stage in the entrance lobby with a dramatic water fountain centrepiece commissioned from RHS Chelsea winner, David Harber. Among Chew’s touches in the hotel’s fabulous 165m2 Imperial Suite are the first Swarovski crystal bathrooms featured in a European hotel.

The Sofitel features a wide range of food and beverage options. Chef Consultant Albert Roux oversees the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, Brasserie Roux, and brings a touch of fabled French gastronomy to Heathrow. Offering the very best in French regional cooking under the leadership of Executive Chef Julian Jenkins, Brasserie Roux features ‘Vivre – l’expérience des saveurs’ with five live cooking theatre kitchens. The Sofitel also houses Tea 5, an exquisite tea salon complete with its own Tea Master and signature delicacies. The hotel’s Icelandic blue Sphere Bar is a vibrant and informal meeting place, while the more intimate Library Bar serves up signature cocktails taken from London’s hippest bars.

Sofitel London Heathrow introduces the UK to its first experience of ‘couture meetings’ facilities. The hotel contains 45 individually designed meeting rooms (with a maximum capacity of 1700 in the 1309m2 Arora Suite) along with a tiered theatre seating 117, and three high-tech boardrooms (with a choice of a private dining room or a Chef’s table in Brasserie Roux). Exhaustively equipped with the latest in technology of the highest standard, the hotel boasts Sofitel’s trademark world class service. ‘Couture meetings’ also includes the newest conference dining experience in ‘Vivre – l’expérience des saveurs’. This initiative allows the event’s pace and style to be matched with the theatrical sensation of 15 cooking styles.

‘The Spa at Sofitel London Heathrow’ provides a luxurious sanctuary for soothing relaxation and natural treatments using ESPA products. Spa wellness programmes include a specially formulated ‘Bodyclock’ programme.

Rooms cost from £129.

For information and booking visit http://www.sofitel.com

A Report by The Mole