Is there anything more typically French than the croissant? Ignore the fact that these doughy delights trace their origins to Vienna rather than Paris. Despite its Austrian origins, the croissant has become perhaps the ultimate symbol of the Gallic lifestyle: simple yet sophisticated, an injection of buttery luxury into the everyday business of eating breakfast.
The croissant is a near-universal staple. In one study, a full quarter of respondents said they bought a croissant from a bakery at least once a week. But don’t be fooled: making the perfect croissant takes surprising amounts of skill, practice and finesse. And for one hotel brand, this icon of a pastry has become the perfect vehicle to export French culture around the world.
Sofitel’s La Haute Croissanterie project kicked off last year on January 30: World Croissant Day. First, the brand embarked upon a croissant quality-control mission. Every single Sofitel hotel had its viennoiserie vetted, to ensure that its breakfast croissants were up to the standard you’d expect from a veteran French hospitality brand. Pastry pioneers from across the Sofitel hotel network became La Haute Croissanterie ambassadors, training colleagues worldwide in the art of the perfect croissant under the eye of corporate executive chef Anne-Cécile Degenne.
But La Haute Croissanterie isn’t (just) about nailing the traditional croissant. It’s also about adding local flavour, and elevating the croissant while preserving its essence. Sofitel pastry chefs from all over the world have given the humble croissant their own unique gourmet twists: adding gochujang in Seoul, lemon zest in Panama or local goat’s cheese in Dubai.
The latest ‘collection’ from La Croissanterie dropped in May 2025, inspired by spring flowers. From cherry blossom in Korea to elderflower in Mexico, lavender in Sydney to verbena in Paris, the chefs were given a free hand to interpret the theme so that each creation felt rooted in their local culture – while still remaining, at heart, a croissant. (Strict rules, according to head chef Anne-Cécile Degenne, included a ban on cutting open the side – ‘otherwise it’s just a sandwich’.)
Each hotel taking part in the La Haute Croissanterie collection is selling its own unique croissant in its on-site pastry shops and cafés, with a few also treating their guests at breakfast. The croissants are available all summer from the following hotels:
- Sofitel Le Scribe Paris Opera, France
- Sofitel Marrakech Palais Imperial, Morocco
- Sofitel Mexico City Reforma, Mexico
- Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, Australia
- Sofitel Dubai The Obelisk, UAE
- Sofitel Ambassador Seoul, South Korea
- Sofitel Cotonou Marina Hotel & Spa, Benin
As well as the spring capsule collection, every Sofitel location serves an evergreen La Haute Croissanterie range inspired by timeless dessert flavours like tiramisu, black forest gateau or Saint-Honoré cake. Pop in and try one for a croissant experience that goes way harder than your squishy supermarket pastry.
travelled to Paris as a guest of Sofitel to sample the blossoms collection.
