Le Club Accorhotels - The Newest Luxury Hotel Brand Travelers Need To Know: Sofitel?

Interesting article in Forbes (http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/05/01/the-newest-luxury-hotel-brand-travelers-need-to-know-sofitel/):

The Newest Luxury Hotel Brand Travelers Need To Know: Sofitel?

Nearly 50 years ago the first Sofitel hotel opened in Strasbourg France, and in the ensuing half century, the company went global. Amassing over 200 hotels worldwide, from Asia to the States, South America to Australia, more than Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton combined, Sofitel became a big hotel group, chain, or company, yet it never managed to become a brand, at least not in the U.S. where few travelers knew it and fewer knew much about it........

Sofitel, like Accor group, has a very poor presence in the US (only one Novotel, just a few Sofitels, and no Mercure hotel).

Still, in Asia (where Accor is very strong), Australia, South America (Accor is number one in Brazil), of course Europe and more recently in the Middle East, Accor and Sofitel are very well known, and Sofitel reputation is growing thanks to its revamp - and maybe Dominique Strauss Kahn ;) (very solid hotels, with excellent service, very good food, super comfortable beds, somewhat conventional design - with some exception).