Sofitel Launches 'The Candle Experience' For Festive Stays

Published on Oct 30, 2025, 3:13 pm CDT

3 min read

Key points

Sofitel launches The Candle Experience in select Asian hotels from mid-November 2025
Immersive in-room setup combines hundreds of LED candles, Sofitel's signature scent, and Devialet playlists
Guests receive a keepsake, either an Essence de Sofitel candle or a Sofitel x Bernardaud Votivelight

Impact

Who Is It For: Travelers seeking reflective festive stays and sensory experiences close to home
Where It Launches: Sofitel Ambassador Seoul, Sofitel Singapore City Centre, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua, plus additional properties
When To Book: Reservations open in late October 2025 for stays beginning mid-November 2025
What To Expect: LED candlelit rooms, curated Devialet soundscapes, and Sofitel's signature bergamot, sandalwood, and white rose scent
What You Take Home: An Essence de Sofitel candle or a Sofitel x Bernardaud Votivelight keepsake

Sofitel is introducing The Candle Experience across select hotels this festive season, an intimate, sensory take on its nightly Candle Ritual that transforms rooms with hundreds of flickering LED candles, a branded fragrance, and curated soundscapes. The limited-edition offering begins mid-November 2025, with bookings opening in late October 2025, and first waves confirmed for Seoul, Singapore, Hanoi, and Bali. The concept responds to rising interest in calmer, close-to-home celebrations among Asian travelers.

Sofitel's in-room ritual, reimagined

The Candle Experience layers three elements. First, lighting, with a sea of LED candles arranged to create a warm, dusk-to-night transition reminiscent of Sofitel's daily Candle Ritual. Second, scent, using the brand's signature profile that blends citrus top notes with a floral heart and woody base. Third, sound, delivered through new Devialet systems and festive playlists tuned for a cocooned, low-key mood.

Sofitel positions the experience as a sanctuary for stillness and connection during a busy period, aligning with recent brand partnerships that elevate ambience in public spaces and, increasingly, in suites. The Devialet collaboration, announced in September 2025, underpins the audio component across select properties and future openings.

Where and when

At launch in Asia, participating addresses include Sofitel Ambassador Seoul Hotel & Serviced Residences, Sofitel Singapore City Centre, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, and Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort, with further hotels adding the in-room setup through the season. Stays begin in mid-November 2025, with reservations opening in late October 2025 via Sofitel's festive pages.

The scent and the keepsake

Rooms are infused with Sofitel's signature fragrance, which features lemon leaf and bergamot top notes, white rose and jasmine at the heart, and sandalwood and vanilla in the base. As part of the experience, guests receive either an Essence de Sofitel candle or a Sofitel x Bernardaud Votivelight lithophane lamp to carry the glow home.

Background

Sofitel's Candle Ritual is a daily brand ceremony inspired by the illumination of nineteenth-century Paris, when oil lamps gave rise to the City of Lights moniker. Many hotels stage the ritual in lobbies at dusk. The Candle Experience takes that aura private, relocating the moment of transition into the guestroom with sensory control and curated playlists.

Analysis

For travelers opting out of long-haul trips this December in favor of short stays, The Candle Experience offers a premium, wellness-adjacent twist without spa scheduling. The Devialet hardware suggests consistent, high-fidelity audio across participating rooms, while the take-home gifts extend the brand memory beyond checkout. Expect staggered adoption across the portfolio as properties calibrate room layouts and safety standards for large-format LED arrangements.

Final thoughts

Sofitel's Candle Experience blends the brand's ritual with modern sound engineering and a recognizable scent profile to create a quieter festive stay. For travelers planning mid-November through year-end getaways in Asia, this elevated in-room setup is positioned as a sensory refuge without leaving the city.