-Courtesy of Aversa PR & Events
Sofitel Philadelphia at Rittenhouse Square, part of AccorHotels, presents a month-long celebration for June as Philadelphia Gay Pride Month. The Sofitel Philadelphia will raise a giant Philadelphia-version of the Gay Pride Flag to hang proudly outside the hotel on 17th Street. Inside, neighbors, guests and visitors are invited to visit the Hall of LGBTQ Flags Exhibition featuring six individual LGBTQ flags flying high above the lobby to celebrate the diversity of the local and hotel LGBTQ community. The raising of the flags coincides with a month-long benefit to support the William Way LGBT Community Center. Back and bigger than ever, Sofitel Philadelphia and Brittany Lynn’s Drag Mafia Present Sofitel’s Pride Drag Tea featuring the Sofitel famous tea-service with an entertaining and drag twist. This year look for performances EVERY single weekend, including June 4, 11, 18 and 24, 2022. A portion of proceeds from the Drag Tea will go to support the capital campaign and operations at William Way LGBT Community Center. Sofitel is located at 120 S. 17th Street, Philadelphia in the heart of Rittenhouse Square. For information about events at Sofitel Philadelphia, visit Sofitel Philadelphia on Facebook. For booking a stay during Pride Month, call (215) 569-8300 or visit https://www.sofitel-philadelphia.com/.
“Sofitel Philadelphia is passionate about supporting our local community,” said Sofitel Philadelphia General Manager Angela Bauer. “We are prouder than ever to celebrate June as Philly Pride Month and fly a giant Philadelphia Pride rainbow flag outside the hotel to publicly show our commitment to inclusiveness. We are thrilled to bring back our pride line-up better and bigger than ever, with our Pride Drag Teas, an art reception, the return of Fête de La Musique, and a month-long benefit for the William Way LGBT Community Center. We invite you to stop by and join us during Pride Month – our doors are always open to all. We are thrilled to be back again and to welcome and celebrate with the entire community.”
DRAG TEA ADDS TWIST TO TRADITION
Sofitel Philadelphia kicks off Philly Pride Month with the celebrated drag tea expanded to all four weekends of June this year, on Saturdays, June 4, 11, 18 and 24, 2022. Look for a new spin on a time-honored tradition. Sofitel, famous for its classic afternoon tea service, will debut a new Drag Tea featuring Brittany Lynn’s Drag Mafia. Sip tea (or spill it) in the presence of fabulous Drag Queens as you enjoy delicious offerings from Sofitel’s award-winning culinary team. Drag Tea starts each week at 2:00pm and runs through 4:00pm inside Chez Colette Brasserie.
Come ready to be entertained as you enjoy classics, like scones, tea sandwiches (smoked salmon, dill cream cheese, cucumber, pinwheel; truffled egg salad, quinoa cup; fig jam, boursin, red onion, sesame pretzel; turkey, cranberry, orange, pumpernickel), pastries (orange and grand marnier cake, matcha mousse, chocolate profiterole, macaroons), and Palais Des Thes (selection of nine different teas for you to choose) – plus your choice of a Champagne, Mimosa or Bellini.
Tickets are $75 per person for standard drag tea service, or $85 with bottomless Champagne, Mimosas and Bloody Marys. Five dollars from each purchase will be donated to the William Way LGBT Community Center. Tickets are available at:
https://www.sofitel-philadelphia.com/dining-lounge/drag-tea/
PRIDE FLAG AND LGBTQ HALL OF FLAGS
Sofitel Philadelphia invites the community to celebrate Philadelphia’s Pride rainbow flag on the outside of the building in June. An oversize rainbow flag, with Philly’s addition of the brown and black stripes to honor diversity in the community, greets visitors as they enter to the left of the front doors. Inside look for the lobby to be renamed Philadelphia’s LGBTQ Hall of Flags. Look for Philadelphia’s locally designed and news making rainbow flag to also have a center spot in the lobby, showcasing the diversity of our local community. The Philadelphia rainbow flag will be joined by host of LGBTQ flags flying high inside the lobby to celebrate the different facets of the local gay community, including, Lesbian Pride Flag, Gender Fluid Pride Flag, Binary Pride Flag, Pan Sexual Pride Flag, Transgender Pride Flag and the Bisexual Pride Flag.
WILLIAM WAY LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER
During the entire month of June, and through the rest of 2021, Sofitel Philadelphia will donate one dollar per each banquet menu item designated with the WWCC’s logo on the menu. Designated items range from breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets to beverages and snack breaks for groups of 10 or more people hosting a meeting or event at Sofitel Philadelphia. View the full banquet menu here.
Sofitel Philadelphia will also donate one dollar from every Liberté cocktail sold in the Liberté Lounge to WWCC during Pride Month. The resources raised through the partnership will support the William Way Community Center’s programs for seniors, as well as its Trans Resource Center. Funds will also support the WWCC’s capital campaign. The Liberté Cocktail is available in Liberté Lounge and features pear infused Vodka, lemon, St. Germain and Sparkling Wine.
“As part of our commitment to philanthropy, we started this program in 2017 and donated more than $40,000 to Broad Street Ministry and Attic Youth Center before the pandemic,” said Bauer. “We are proud to expand our commitment to the community, which is why we are extended and expanding this program and celebrating our latest charity partner. One dollar from select items on our banquet menu will be donated to the William Way LGBT Community Center – starting in June and through the rest of the year.”
She added, “We are proud to continue working with such valuable community organizations such William Way LGBT Community Center and Broadstreet Ministries,” said Bauer. “These efforts are so important to our city and that is why we at Sofitel are so proud to be known as the Hotel of the Community. We look forward to our partnerships and the growth that we expect to see in the coming year.”
“We’re grateful for our ongoing partnership with Sofitel, who has been our home for many of our annual Indigo Balls and other community events,” said William Way LGBT Community Center Executive Director Chris Bartlett. “After all of the challenges of the pandemic and COVID isolation, we’re thrilled to work with Sofitel to celebrate LGBT communities and Pride together.”
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