Welcoming, safeguarding and taking care of others is at the very heart of what we do and who we are at Accor and Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour.

We want to take a moment to reassure you that Accor has been prioritising the safety and wellbeing of our guests and team members every day for more than 50 years.

High standards of hygiene and cleanliness are already delivered across all our brands locally and globally. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and with a focus on guest care as hotels reopen, we have elevated these even further by launching our own global cleanliness and operational standards, the ALLSAFE Label, which represents some of hospitality’s most stringent cleaning standards.

In accordance with the most recent NSW Government regulations, we have had to adapt our operations, services and opening hours in order to be able to reopen our doors safely – and we thank you in advance for your patience. Until further notice, Atelier by Sofitel is only open on weekends, for breakfast and dinner. Our in-room dining service, however, remains available to hotel guests 24/7.

You will find below some examples of the enhanced cleanliness and hygiene measures we have taken to welcome you back safely:

• New guest physical social distancing measures: in line with the NSW Government guidelines, we have reconfigured the chairs and tables of our restaurant to allow a maximum average density of 4 sqm per person and a minimum of 1.5m distance between guests and staff – limiting the room capacity to 50 guests at any one time.

• New training of our team members was rolled out, to help everyone develop the skills and education necessary to protect themselves and you, our guests.

• Enhanced handwashing protocols: all staff are mandated to wash hands correctly and often with soap and water. Guests are also encouraged to wash hands regularly and thoroughly, with posters advising on handwashing techniques displayed in our public washrooms. Hand sanitizer is available to all guests at the entrance of our restaurant.

• Appropriate PPE such as masks and gloves are word by our Chefs and food handlers when receiving stock.

• Enhanced cleaning & hygiene protocols in the restaurant room, with hourly hospital-grade cleaning and disinfecting of all high-touch surfaces such as door handles, lift buttons, handrails, switches, trays, cash registers, and payment terminals. Two dinner services are now available each night the restaurant is open, with the dining room completely closed to guests between 7:30pm-8pm to allow for a deep clean and disinfection all the tables, chairs, menus and tableware.

• Restaurant spring-cleaning: before we reopened our restaurant to the public post COVID-19 closure, our restaurant and kitchen were thoroughly cleaned to remove dust and disinfect the kitchen, utensils, provisions and containers.

• Enhanced cleaning & hygiene protocols in the kitchen, with regular hospital-grade cleaning of all high-touch surfaces such as work surfaces, cooking utensils, knives, bells, drawers and trays. Chefs keep a physical distance of 1.5m between each other during all phases of the food preparation. Dishwashing is done in commercial dishwashers at the appropriate high temperatures.

• Food delivery: fresh food arriving to our loading dock packaged in boxes (eg meat, fish, cheese, eggs, fruits & vegetables) is unpacked in a separate area and disinfected with food-safe wipes, before being put away.

• A contact log of visitor and patron information is kept each night for contact tracing as a condition of entry to our food outlets, in line with the NSW Government’s health, legal and privacy guidelines. Guests who are unwell, even with only mild symptoms, will be kindly requested to leave the premises in order to help protect the health of all guests and employees and minimise the spread of the virus.

• Laminated menus have been introduced, wiped down and disinfected between each table.

• Contactless payment options are the norm, to minimise touch points.

• Buffets have been temporarily removed until further notice to minimise touch points.

• ALLSAFE officer: Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour being an Accor ALLSAFE Hotel, we have appointed a special ALLSAFE officer in charge of managing any health or wellbeing concern our guests may have. Should you feel unwell or have any hygiene-related question during your visit, we invite you to contact one of our team members or reception from your room by dialling 9 and ask for the ALLSAFE Officer. We will answer all your questions and advise you on what to do.