cratz2
Member
http://money.cnn.com/2003/03/13/news/companies/sofitel/index.htm
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - French opposition to a war in Iraq appears to be creating a backlash against all things French in the United States.
Products decidedly French like wines, cheese and even French-owned hotel chains like Sofitel lately have been on the receiving end of some angry American consumer sentiment.
Sofitel Hotel in midtown Manhattan replaced the French flag with the Stars and Stripes. French flags no longer are flying high and proud outside the Sofitel Hotel in midtown Manhattan. The French-owned hotel chain, part of the French hotel company Accor whose units include U.S. motel chains Red Roof Inn and Motel 6, replaced the flags with the Stars and Stripes as a peace offering to its American guests.
Sofitel spokesman Paul Charoy said the company last week decided to remove the French flags in front of all eight of its hotels in the United States as a "precautionary" measure and replaced them with a combination of the American flag and city and state flags.
"We wanted to calm down the situation a little," Charoy said. "We were getting some severe feelings and threats directed toward the safety and security of our employees and customers."
"This is not a political consideration," Charoy said. "The move is temporary and we just wanted to be safe."
Charoy added that about 70 percent of the hotels' customers in the United States are American.
[ed: Emphasis my own.]
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - French opposition to a war in Iraq appears to be creating a backlash against all things French in the United States.
Products decidedly French like wines, cheese and even French-owned hotel chains like Sofitel lately have been on the receiving end of some angry American consumer sentiment.
Sofitel Hotel in midtown Manhattan replaced the French flag with the Stars and Stripes. French flags no longer are flying high and proud outside the Sofitel Hotel in midtown Manhattan. The French-owned hotel chain, part of the French hotel company Accor whose units include U.S. motel chains Red Roof Inn and Motel 6, replaced the flags with the Stars and Stripes as a peace offering to its American guests.
Sofitel spokesman Paul Charoy said the company last week decided to remove the French flags in front of all eight of its hotels in the United States as a "precautionary" measure and replaced them with a combination of the American flag and city and state flags.
"We wanted to calm down the situation a little," Charoy said. "We were getting some severe feelings and threats directed toward the safety and security of our employees and customers."
"This is not a political consideration," Charoy said. "The move is temporary and we just wanted to be safe."
Charoy added that about 70 percent of the hotels' customers in the United States are American.
[ed: Emphasis my own.]
