The Candle Experience: where nights glow with Sofitel

Each night, a single room or suite at a Sofitel hotel is set aside for the limited-edition Candle Experience, an optional add-on designed for an intimate time together during the festive season. The set-up is deliberately exclusive to keep it special, and bookings open in late October 2025 for stays from mid-November.

“The Candle Experience is Sofitel’s invitation to experience luxury as a sanctuary – a moment of peace and presence.” – Nicolas Gronier, Global Brand Experience Leader

Candlelight softens edges, slows conversation and draws focus to what matters – faces, voices, the small shared rituals of evening. Sofitel roots that feeling in heritage with our signature Candle Ritual, a ceremony that invites everyone present to pause together as day tips into night.

The ritual’s spirit comes from 1860s Paris, when some 56,000 lamps lit the streets and the city earned its nickname “City of Light.” At Sofitel, that history becomes a living moment: candles are kindled in public spaces, the atmosphere settles, and guests share a gentle, collective pause. It isn’t just décor. It’s a brief, poetic ceremony that honours place and welcomes connection.

Crucially, the Candle Ritual changes with each destination. Every hotel puts its own stamp on it – a few bars of local music, a step or two of traditional dance, a greeting in the local language, seasonal flowers or flavours that say here and now. One evening might carry the shimmer of strings, another the warmth of hand-played percussion. The feeling is universal, the expression is local.

The Candle Experience is the in-room reimagining of this ceremony. It’s made for sharing – for surprising a partner, delighting a family member, gifting yourselves a rare pause à deux. During the festive season, it becomes a small act with a big impact: open the door to a room already aglow, raise a glass of champagne, let the city wait outside while you savour a moment that’s yours alone.

The glow doesn’t stop at the door. Many hotels pair the in-room set-up with candle-infused aromatherapy, easing you into stillness – lovely for a winter getaway or a festive staycation. Dining keeps the theme: begin the evening with an intimate candlelight dinner in the restaurant, or enjoy in-room dining by candlelight if you’d rather let the night linger in your suite.

Sound ties it all together. A calm, seasonal soundscape – think peaceful holiday cheer rather than party anthems – flows through newly crafted speakers by acclaimed French acoustic engineer Devialet, wrapping the room in gentle, present audio that works at low volume. The mix is tuned to the glow of the candles and the Essence de Sofitel fragrance, so nothing jars. Bass warms the space, delicate highs lift the mood, and conversation can slow without competing with the music.

Selected gifts extend the experience at home – either an Essence de Sofitel candle or a Sofitel × Bernardaud Votivelight – to rekindle the mood long after checkout.

Candlelight feels different in every city – festive sparkle up north, long twilights down south – yet Sofitel’s The Candle Experience keeps the mood constant: glow, scent, and sound doing their quiet work while the city hums beyond the glass.

December in St James means lights, theater, and late-night strolls past hushed squares. Book your festive staycation at Sofitel London St James for a cozy base near galleries and parks; after dinner, slip into the Rose Lounge for tea or a Champagne nightcap before returning to your room’s soft glow. It’s Christmas in London without the rush – polished, central, and perfectly calm.

Across the Channel, Sofitel Le Scribe Paris Opéra pairs candlelight with pâtisserie and performance. Start with a candlelight dinner near Opéra, then wander under gilded arcades before the in-room ritual turns the evening inward. 

For warm winter nights, Sofitel Dubai Downtown brings the romance of altitude: restaurants and lounges looking toward Burj Khalifa, spa time to slow the pulse, and a candlelight experience that replaces winter chill with desert-soft air. This is one of the standout hotels in Dubai when you want city energy and sanctuary at the same time. 

When it’s winter in Paris and London, Sydney is in full summer. At Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, the day stretches into golden evenings by the water; after swims and gallery stops, the room’s candlelit hush resets the tempo for a late dinner and a later sleep. It’s the same sensorial calm, just tuned to summer light. 

For North Africa’s take on seasonal romance, Sofitel Cairo Nile El Gezirah sets candlelight against river drift and palatial terraces. Evenings begin outdoors – a promenade glow, a quiet drink – before the room’s LED constellation completes the mood. Winter is gentle here; the ritual feels timeless.