Paris – Kai Speth, General Manager of the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi (Vietnam), has won the award for the Most Outstanding Hotel General Manager (upscale and luxury hotels) at the Worldwide Hospitality Awards 2009, organised by the French trade magazine HTR. Mr Speth will accept his award at the hospitality gala to be held in Paris tonight.

44-year-old Kai Speth, a graduate from the Heidelberg School of Management (Germany), has 28 years of experience working with luxury hotels and resorts worldwide. Forthright and very much in tune with his employees, his management style is one of determination with the prime objective of guaranteeing customer satisfaction. Kai Speth had the daunting task of conducting the necessary renovation work and implementation of new standards reqired to transform the hotel into the world’s first Sofitel Legend address in a timeframe of less than 12 months.

Mr Speth says, “I am very touched by this award, which I dedicate to the whole Metropole team for their unfailing commitment in recent months. But more than any personal recognition, it is an exceptional reward for the Sofitel and Sofitel Legend brands.”

This award adds to the 70 international or national awards already won by Sofitel since the beginning of the year and is the perfect illustration of the brand’s successful move upscale as part of its new positioning in the luxury segment In particular, Sofitel has been distinguished by Tripadvisor as the 4th Best Hotel Brand in their Top Ten, and Conde Nast Traveler with 5 of the brand’s addresses rewarded in the Gold List and 11 in the Reader’s Choice Awards…

Sofitel Legend

Created by Sofitel Luxury Hotels, Sofitel Legend is a label, a seal, a private club of centennial establishments, with buildings that are often listed, in sites with a mythical heritage that are landmark attractions in their city or country. Each Sofitel is a unique gem. The promise of a voyage steeped in history and luxury, to a place where legend and reality merge into one.

True feature of the Legend label, service is at the heart of this experience. Precise and elegant gestures, considerate and devoted attention, discreet and efficient service, everything is done to anticipate the needs of each guest and facilitate his daily life.

The Metropole Hanoi is the first hotel to join this collection. As soon as their refurbishment is completed, other hotels will become part of Sofitel Legend: the Grand Amsterdam (The Netherlands), the Old Cataract Assouan (Egypt), the Santa Clara (Colombia), the Winter Palace Luxor (Egypt), the Palais Jamaï (Morocco), the Cecil Alexandria (Egypt)

Sofitel, World Class Hotels & French Elegance

Sofitel is the only french luxury hotel brand with a presence on five continents with 130 addresses, in more than 50 countries. Sofitel offers contemporary hotels and resorts adapted to today’s more demanding and more versatile consumers who expect and appreciate beauty, quality and excellence. Whether situated in the heart of a major city like Paris, London, New York or Beijing, or nestled away in a country landscape in Morocco, Egypt, Fiji Islands or Thailand, each Sofitel property offers a genuine experience of the French “ art de vivre”.

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Rodolphe Moulin-Chabrot
Sofitel Press Relations Worldwide
+33 (0) 1 61 61 23 88
Accor

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