Sofitel New York To Celebrate National Cheese Day, June 4, With Pop-Up Shop With Murray's Cheese To Benefit The Bowery Mission

Selections include artisanal cheeses from France, Holland and Vermont

 Sofitel New York is once again partnering with Murray’s Cheese, New York City’s oldest cheese shop, for National Cheese Day on Saturday, June 4.Une petite fromagerie will be open from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the hotel’s signature restaurant, Gaby Brasserie Française. Donations are welcome and will benefit The Bowery Mission in its goal to provide help and hope to the homeless and impoverished of New York City.

Guests will enjoy tastings of select artisanal cheeses and receive assistance from a cheesemonger, knowledgeable in the finer points of cheese, as they make their choices. Selections will include a Ewephoria Sheep Milk Gouda from Holland; three cheeses from France, including a Comté Saint Antoinecow’s-milk cheese, a Tomme Crayeuse cow’s-milk cheese and a Saint-Maure de Touraine pasteurized chevre; and two cheeses from Vermont, which include a Jasper Hill Farm Bayley Hazen Blue and a Spring Brook, Reading cow’s-milk cheese.

Reservations may be made by calling 212-782-3040. For more information, visit gabynyrestaurant.com.

About Sofitel New York

Sofitel New York, part of AccorHotels group, is a stylish Midtown hotel with a decidedly French accent in its contemporary décor, sophisticated artwork, brasserie cuisine and cosmopolitan service. It features 398 guest rooms, including 52 suites; function space that serves small to mid-sized events; and an outstanding brasserie, Gaby Restaurant, whose French executive chef has won the Food Network show Chopped among other accolades. Sofitel New York is ideally located at 45 West 44^thStreet, affording easy access to Fifth Avenue and the Times Square theater district. For reservations, call 800-SOFITEL (763-4835) or visit http://www.sofitel-new-york.com/.

About The Bowery Mission

The Bowery Mission has served homeless and hungry New Yorkers since 1879. This year, The Bowery Mission provided more than 406,000 meals to men, women and children, 91,000 nights of shelter and 44,000 articles of clothing, as well as showers, haircuts, and expert medical and optometric care. Each meal and every night of shelter is an invitation to residential recovery programs, where men and women get a second chance and lives are transformed from hopelessness to hope. Last year, the Mission’s residential programs served nearly 300 men and women who are regaining sobriety, reconnecting with family and faith, pursuing educational goals, and preparing for work and independent living. To ensure that at-risk children have a positive first chance at life, The Bowery Mission’s city camp and summer camp serves nearly 1,200 at-risk children from poor city neighborhoods. www.bowery.org

Hotel Inauguration: Sofitel Abidjan, Ivory Coast

INAUGURATION OF THE NEW WING OF SOFITEL ABIDJAN HOTEL IVOIRE

The new wing of the Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire was inaugurated on Friday 15 May, in the presence of H.E. the Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire, M. Daniel Kablan Duncan; M. Tiemoko Yadé, President of the Economic and Social Council; M. Amadou GON Coulibaly, Minister of State, Secretary General at the Presidency; M. Amon Tanoh, Minister, Chief of Staff of the President; M. Roger Kacou, Minister of Tourism, distinguished Members of the Government and representatives of the company « Palaces de Cocody » (SPDC).

Located in the upscale neighborhood of Cocody, the Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire is a legendary oasis combining French luxury with African culture. Overlooking the Ebrié lagoon and the Plateau, this 5-star hotel stands majestically in a lush setting amidst greenery and water. Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire, meeting the requirements of all customer segments, becomes the Sofitel reference in West Africa and consolidates the presence of the Accor Group in the region, which now has 17 Sofitel hotels in Africa and the Indian Ocean.

« We are very pleased on this inauguration day. It is a great moment for Abidjan and Côte d’Ivoire to see the achievement of the renovation of the second building of this hotel managed by Accor under the Sofitel brand. The hotel is once again a reference of hospitality in Africa. », declared Mr. Thierry de Jaham, General Manager of Sofitel Abidjan Hôtel Ivoire.

The Director General of SDPC, Ms. Maférima Diarassouba, said «By appealing to the Accor Group, the company « Palaces de Cocody » sought to strive for excellence in the renovation as well as in the management of this historic hotel in Abidjan."

This exclusive hotel in Côte d’Ivoire was built by architect Moshe Mayer in 1963. The Tower Hotel has been beautifully restored in 2011 by architect Pierre Fakhoury, who continued the works in the Main Building. In July 2012, attended by representatives of the Ivorian government, SPDC and Accor signed a management contract, entrusting the fate of the hotel to Sofitel from 1 January 2013.

The renovation of the Main Building completed, the iconic hotel today offers a harmonious blending of the Sofitel brand’s expertise with the best of Ivorian traditions.

Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire offers 392 rooms, including 121 suites, 1 presidential suite and 31 apartments, with a total capacity of 423 keys.
For the interior, Pierre Fakhoury has enlisted the services of French-Argentine designer Luis Laplace. The force of nature, bright colors, the materials such as gold and wood, are all symbols integrated in the decoration. The art of composition reflected in the patterns of Ivorian fabrics, geometry shapes and simplicity inspired the designer.

Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire now has four restaurants. In addition to « Le Toit d’Abidjan » - located on the 23rd floor, offering panoramic views of the city and the Ebrié lagoon– and « La Gourmandise » at the heart of the hotel, where African poetry meets French flavors, guests will find « Le Pavillon », a typically Ivorian restaurant, and finally « La Brasserie Française » offering the great classics of the French cuisine.

This offer is completed by the pool lounge, « L’Oasis », and 2 bars, « Cocoa Lounge » in the Tower and « Link bar » in the Main Building, a shopping mall with 11 shops and a 3D cinema with 386 seats.
The hotel also offers 20 meeting rooms including 9 new rooms, all equipped with high- tech audiovisual equipment. Next to the hotel, the Abidjan Convention Centre features an auditorium with 1,650 seats.
Guests who are PLATINUM Members of the Club Accorhotels loyalty program, looking for exclusivity, will benefit from the services of the Millésime Club at the Mezzanine.

Finally, the So SPA, 1,200 square meters dedicated to well-being, will be opening soon.

The 7 Best Airport Hotels In The World

They may not be ideal for your entire holiday, but airport hotels are a traveler's last chance at a good night’s sleep before replacing a bed for a partially reclinable and small aircraft seat.

That’s why Skytrax continues to host the annual World Airport Awards, that recognize properties meeting and exceeding the global benchmark of excellence.

Awards are determined completely by the votes of travelers over a nine-month survey of some 1.56 million airport hotel guests.

The results for this year’s winners are in and we thought we’d share the seven best airport hotels in the world:

7. Hilton Frankfurt Airport

6. Fairmont Vancouver Airport

5. Sofitel London Heathrow

4. Pullman Guangzhou Airport

3. Hilton Munich Airport

2. Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong

1. Crowne Plaza Changi Airport

For the first time, the world’s best airport hotel in the world is Crowne Plaza Singapore Changi Airport.

The 320-room Crowne Plaza Changi Airport is the first international brand hotel to open in the immediate vicinity of the world-class Changi Airport.

It offers unparalleled convenience and accessibility with a fully-covered, air-conditioned link bridge seamlessly connected to Changi Airport Terminal 3.

Access to Terminal 1 is also available with the airport’s Skytrain service. With the addition of a new wing, the hotel will feature a total of 563 rooms starting 2016.

BY KARRYON

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