25 Nov 2025
Exclusive stay packages that combine sound, light, and scent to create a moment of true connection
This festive season, Sofitel unveils The Candle Experience, an immersive in-room ritual that transforms guest rooms and suites into a shimmering sanctuary of candlelight, scent and sound. Designed for those seeking a moment of calm amid the holiday rush, this new sensory experience blends Parisian romance with modern luxury, inviting guests to pause, reconnect and savour an intimate escape.
The Candle Experience begins with a door opening onto warm flickering light as hundreds of LED candles bathe the room in a soft, beckoning glow. The air is perfumed with the Signature Sofitel fragrance, a blend of bergamot, white rose and sandalwood, while a curated Devialet soundscape envelops guests in high-fidelity calm. With a bottle of Pommery Champagne chilled and waiting, and specially crafted festive treats, the suite becomes a private stage for an unforgettable shared moment.
“The Candle Experience is Sofitel's invitation to experience luxury as a sanctuary – a moment of peace and presence,” says Nicolas Gronier, Global Brand Experience Leader.
Availability
Every Candle Experience includes a room filled with candles, the signature Sofitel Scent and a bottle of Pommery Champagne, with a high-tech Devialat speaker in-room offering a curated soundscape. Every participating Sofitel then adds its own touch. The experience is ultra-exclusive, with only one Candle Experience Suite available per hotel per night, so guests are encouraged to book early.
Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour offers the Candle Experience, along with chocolate-coated strawberries for $250 on top of your room rate. At Sofitel Sydney Wentworth the experience is $199 and includes the Candle Experience, a box of Christmas-themed chocolates and a Sofitel Candle to take home. Sofitel Queenstown Hotel & Spa also offers the Candle Experience for $250 NZD on top of the room rate, which includes your room adorned with candles, a bottle of Pommery Champagne on arrival, gourmet bite pairings and a carefully selected playlist to listen to on the Phantom Devialet Speaker.
A Contemporary Celebration of Sofitel Rituals
The Candle Experience is an intimate extension of Sofitel's iconic Candle Ritual, a ceremony inspired by 1860s Paris, when more than 56,000 gas lamps illuminated the streets and earned the city its famed nickname, The City of Lights. At Sofitel hotels worldwide, this ritual transforms evenings into meaningful shared moments, as candles are lit, the atmosphere settles, and guests collectively pause to honour the transition from day to night.
Every Sofitel hotel interprets this ritual with local flair via touches of regional music, gestures of traditional dance, greetings in local languages, or seasonal accents that reflect the surrounding culture.
A Festive Invitation to Reconnect
Reimagined in-room, The Candle Experience offers a private yet evocative version of this ceremony. Available as an optional add-on during the festive season, it is ideal for surprising a partner, delighting a family member, or simply gifting yourself a moment of serenity.
Nicolas Gronier says: “At Sofitel, we magnify simple pleasures, and it starts with the senses. We delight taste with warm fresh croissants, smell with the zesty L'Essence de Sofitel, sight with glowing candle rituals, touch with cloud-like Sofitel MY BED and now sound with Devialet. Devialet is the master of acoustic engineering with powerful and immersive sound, and an ideal partner for this sensorial excellence. With shared commitment for beauty and French Zest, we are proud to create moments that resonate with every guest.”
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Press Contacts
Justine Lefèvre, Brand Communication & PR Manager Sofitel & Sofitel Legend
Justine.LEFEVRE@accor.com | +33 6 66 25 12 67
Gaynor Reid, PR Consultant for Sofitel, MGallery & Emblems, Pacific
Justine.LEFEVRE@accor.com | +33 6 66 25 12 67
About Sofitel
A pioneer of French luxury hospitality since 1964, Sofitel today embodies heartfelt and committed luxury with a French zest. A seamless blend of the richness of each local culture and the French joie de vivre, the brand delights travelers who appreciate delicacy and subtle refinement, offering them heartfelt and authentic service. At Sofitel, beauty is in the details: life's simple pleasures such as gastronomy and sleep are art forms for an incomparable experience.
Sofitel now boasts more than 120 hotels, all elegant and unique, in the world's most sought-after destinations. Among its most remarkable properties: Sofitel Le Scribe Paris Opera, Sofitel London St James, Sofitel Dubai The Obelisk, Sofitel Mexico City Reforma and Sofitel Ambassador Seoul. The brand also offers a selection of heritage luxury hotels under the Sofitel Legend banner, renowned for their timeless elegance and fascinating history, such as Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan or Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi. More recently, the brand also unveiled its first Sofitel Residences, redefining luxury living with prestigious properties that combine elegant design with Sofitel's renowned service and sophistication.
Sofitel is part of Accor, a world leading hospitality group counting over 5,700 properties throughout more than 110 countries, and a participating brand in ALL Accor, a lifestyle loyalty program and booking platform providing access to a wide variety of rewards, services and experiences.
sofitel.com | all.com | group.accor.com
About Devialet
At the forefront of acoustic engineering, Devialet is born from a conviction: that the transformative power of sound belongs to everyone. The House's mission is to create deep, physical, and real connections through listening. Moments that are alive with sound.
Thriving on relentless innovation, Devialet engineers continually push the boundaries of acoustic excellence, fusing uncompromising sound quality with elegant, functional design. The company's success is built on 250 registered patents and radical technologies that define Devialet products—from the Devialet Astra integrated amplifier and Devialet Phantom speakers to the Devialet Gemini II wireless earbuds, the Devialet Dione all-in-one soundbar, and the Devialet Mania smart portable speaker. To date, they have earned over 100 international awards.
Committed to making French excellence resonate around the world, Devialet relies on a robust strategy of industrial partnerships (with Safran, Ariane, Alpine, the BYD Group…), as well as cultural collaborations—notably with the Opera national de Paris—and artistic alliances. Through sound, Devialet brings its unique acoustic expertise to institutions, venues, and companies, helping to elevate artistic creation—and shape the sound of tomorrow.
