Sofitel unveils Candle Experience as UAE travellers seek quieter festive stays
Limited availability across global destinations
DUBAI – As the festive season approaches, Sofitel has revealed a growing preference among UAE travellers to stay closer to home, choosing quiet, meaningful moments over long-haul travel.
Reflecting this shift, the French luxury hospitality brand has introduced The Candle Experience, a sensory in-room concept available across 21 Sofitel properties worldwide. The experience has been designed to transform hotel rooms and suites into calm, immersive sanctuaries during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
Launched across destinations including Paris, Dubai, London and Sydney, The Candle Experience combines ambient lighting, curated sound and signature fragrance. Each participating room is transformed using softly flickering LED candle lights, Sofitel’s signature scent and festive playlists developed in partnership with French acoustic specialist Devialet.
Festive shift
Sofitel says the concept responds to travellers in the UAE increasingly seeking reflective, restorative festive moments rather than traditional celebrations centred on travel intensity. The Candle Experience caters to both staycation guests and seasonal visitors looking for a quieter way to mark the holidays, offering an intimate environment designed to encourage relaxation and connection.
This trend has influenced Sofitel’s broader festive programming, with the in-room experience placing stillness and sensory immersion at its core, rather than large-scale events or outward-facing celebrations.
The Candle Experience
At the centre of the experience is candlelight, with LED candles arranged to create a warm, festive glow throughout the room. The lighting is paired with a festive soundscape and Sofitel’s signature fragrance, blending notes of bergamot, sandalwood and white rose.
The concept draws inspiration from Sofitel’s long-standing Candle Ritual, a daily ceremony rooted in 1860s Paris, when 56,000 oil lamps illuminated the city and earned it the title ‘City of Lights’. Traditionally performed in public hotel spaces at dusk, the ritual has now been reimagined for private rooms, offering guests a more personal version of the experience while maintaining its historical and cultural references.
Immersive sound
Sound plays a central role in shaping the atmosphere of The Candle Experience. Festive playlists flow through Devialet Phantom Ultimate speakers, designed to deliver deep bass and high-resolution sound within the room. The speakers are engineered to create a physical sense of immersion, surrounding guests with audio that complements the visual and aromatic elements of the experience.
An additional bespoke playlist has been created for ensuite spaces, allowing guests to extend the sensory journey into moments of relaxation and restoration beyond the bedroom itself.
Sensory details
Beyond lighting and sound, the experience extends to curated in-room dining options and candle-infused aromatherapy treatments, where available. Guests also receive a keepsake to take home, either Sofitel’s signature Essence de Sofitel candle or a Sofitel x Bernardaud Votivelight, created by the French porcelain house Bernardaud.
Nicolas Gronier, Global Brand Experience Leader for Sofitel, said the concept reflects a changing definition of luxury during the festive season. He noted that more guests are prioritising comfort, presence and connection, with The Candle Experience designed to awaken the senses through light, scent and sound.
Booking details
Bookings for The Candle Experience are open for stays beginning mid-November. Guests must reserve their preferred Sofitel room and select the Candle Experience as an optional nightly extra. Only one room per hotel can be transformed into a Candle Experience per night, meaning availability is limited across all participating locations.
Participating hotels include Sofitel Dubai Downtown and Sofitel Al Hamra in the UAE, alongside properties in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Rome, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Bali, Hanoi, Montreal, Washington DC, Los Angeles and other global cities.
Sofitel, founded in 1964, operates more than 120 hotels worldwide and is part of Accor, which manages over 5,700 properties across more than 110 countries under the ALL – Accor Live Limitless loyalty programme.