Accor has announced the appointment of Sylvain Chauvet (more than 18 years with the group) as Vice President Operations Africa for the Sofitel Legend, Sofitel, MGallery and Emblems brands. The role, effective from 1st September 2026, comes with a relocation to Casablanca, the hub of the group’s luxury and lifestyle operations on the continent.
Eight years at the helm of the Sofitel Mexico City Reforma
Prior to this appointment, he had led the Sofitel Mexico City Reforma since June 2018, overseeing its pre-opening and subsequent operation. From January 2025, he also held the position of Deputy General Manager Mexico for the Sofitel, MGallery and Emblems brands, extending his remit across the group’s full portfolio in the country.
In an interview with The Business Year in 2024, Sylvain Chauvet reportedly highlighted Sofitel’s differentiated positioning in the Mexican market as a French brand operating against largely North American competition, and pointed to the complementarity between French and Mexican gastronomy as a way of shaping the property’s guest experience.
An African career forged in Equatorial Guinea, Gambia and Tanzania
Sylvain Chauvet’s move to Africa is far from unfamiliar territory. His hospitality career began in Tanzania, as General Manager of the Karafuu Hotel in Zanzibar, between 2002 and 2006, followed by a stint with Corinthia Hotels International in Banjul, Gambia, until 2008.
He then joined Accor in June 2008 to take over general management of the hotel in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, a 100-room, 140-employee property owned by the Equatoguinean state and designed as the country’s tourism showcase. According to his professional profile, the property has hosted a king, a princess, thirteen presidents and more than fifty ministers since opening.
From 2011 to 2013, he led the pre-opening and launch of the Sofitel Malabo Sipopo Le Golf, a 200-room resort with a private beach and an 18-hole golf course. He retained leadership of the property until 2015 as part of a Cluster General Manager mandate covering both of the country’s Sofitel properties, Malabo Sipopo Le Golf and the now-closed Malabo President Palace.
That same year, Sylvain Chauvet took over as Accor’s regional director for Cuba, a role he held until 2018.
An appointment aligned with Accor’s African strategy
The move comes as Accor continues rolling out its Sofitel, Sofitel Legend and MGallery pipeline across several priority African markets. Over the past two years, the group has opened the Sofitel Cotonou Marina Hotel & Spa in Benin and the Sofitel Cairo Downtown Nile in Egypt, while also expanding its MGallery network across sub-Saharan Africa.
Sylvain Chauvet’s appointment also forms part of a broader wave of nominations across the group’s luxury and lifestyle brands, following those of Mark Burns as General Manager of the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth and Hani Akkari at the helm of the Sofitel Rabat Jardin des Roses, confirming the continued strengthening of Sofitel leadership across its strategic markets.
A move welcomed by group leadership
In a message posted on LinkedIn, Sylvain Chauvet reportedly reflected on this new chapter, describing a meaningful return to a continent where he lived through significant chapters of his career and personal life, across Tanzania, Gambia and Equatorial Guinea. He is also said to have described his eight years at the Sofitel Mexico City Reforma as unforgettable, noting that the hotel’s opening and the building of its corporate culture would not have been possible without his teams’ commitment.
He is further reported to have thanked Maud Bailly, CEO of Sofitel, MGallery and Emblems, along with Markus Keller and Philippe Trapp, for the renewed confidence behind the appointment, saying he looks forward to contributing to the brands’ next phase of development across the African continent.
At a glance by The Hospitality Tribune
Accor appoints Sylvain Chauvet VP Operations Africa for Sofitel Legend, Sofitel, MGallery and Emblems
Effective since 1 September 2026, based in Casablanca, Morocco
18 years and 4 months with Accor; previously General Manager of Sofitel Mexico City Reforma (2018-2026)
Career built across Africa: Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Tanzania and Cuba
Officer of the Legion of Honour, awarded in Equatorial Guinea in 2016
Appointment follows a wave of Sofitel openings and nominations across Africa, including Cotonou and Cairo
