Who runs it? You could be forgiven for thinking the Sofitel brand is taking over the world. In the past four years, Sofitel hotels have opened everywhere from New York to Dongguan.
Now the subsidiary of the French firm, Accord, has expanded to Sydney, Australia, upgrading what is supposedly the largest brick structure in the southern hemisphere, the Wentworth. The first 'new' five-star hotel in the city this century, it opened recently with a Moulin Rouge-style jamboree.
What's it like? The Wentworth experience hinges on art de vivre, which translates as lashings of luxury with a French flavour. The 436-room hotel, in the heart of the business district but only a stroll from the harbour, offers traditional Australian cooking with a Gallic dimension, flat-screen televisions, broadband access and imported French bathroom products courtesy of L'Occitane.
Already, the revamped colossus appears to be overachieving. Its Grand Ballroom has hosted the Olympic Torch Relay, the opening party for the Lion King musical, the Sydney Film Festival launch, the Variety Club Awards, and functions graced by Microsoft boss Bill Gates and Australian Prime Minister John Howard.
Who else goes there? The glitz and glamour are in keeping with tradition. Well before its A$60 million ($353 million) renovation, the horseshoe-shaped building, which dates from 1966, had established a reputation for hosting just about every luminary you could think of.
The roll call stretches to Queen Elizabeth II, the Sultan of Brunei, Pope Pius VI, Nelson Rockefeller, George Bush Snr, Sir David Attenborough, Princess (now Queen) Beatrix of the Netherlands, actresses Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren, moon-walkers Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, and Nat King Cole and Marlon Brando.
