DUBAI,
United Arab Emirates--Mar. 27, 2013-- Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced a significant
commitment to its Le Méridien hotels in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region
through a comprehensive renovation strategy. Le Méridien and its
ownership groups will invest more than $200 million in
the renovations of 13 hotels and resorts in the MEA region over the
next 3 years. The French-born brand has had a major presence in
emerging Middle Eastern and African markets for more than 30 years, and
as this region continues to evolve as an international business and
leisure travel destination, Le Méridien has developed a focused
approach to ensuring its global portfolio continues to meet high brand
standards.
“Since acquiring Le Méridien in 2005, Starwood and its
hotel ownership groups have made a tremendous effort to enhance and
create a consistent portfolio around the world,” said Brian
Povinelli, Global Brand Leader, Le Méridien and Westin.
“Le Méridien now boasts the best performance measures in the
brand’s history, and our focused efforts on the Middle East and Africa hotels will only
help ensure Le Méridien maintains its best portfolio ever.”
Le Méridien recently announced 10 new hotel openings
over the next year, an unprecedented number for the brand, and as the
European-rooted brand continues to grow globally, the consistency of
its portfolio remains a key priority. The 13 Le Méridien hotels
and resorts completing or currently undergoing renovations include:
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Le Méridien Al Aqah
Beach Resort (Fujairah, United Arab Emirates)
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Le Méridien Al Khobar
(Saudi Arabia)
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Le Méridien Dubai
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Le Méridien Heliopolis
(Cairo, Egypt)
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Le Méridien Ile Maurice
(Pointe Aux Piments, Mauritius)
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Le Méridien Jeddah
(Saudi Arabia)
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Le Méridien Makkah
(Saudi Arabia)
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Le Méridien Mandji
(Port Gentil, Gabon)
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Le Méridien Mina Seyahi
(Dubai)
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Le Méridien Pyramids
Hotel & Spa (Cairo, Egypt)
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Le Méridien Re-Ndama
(Libreville, Gabon)
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Le Royal Méridien Abu
Dhabi
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Le Royal Méridien Beach
Resort & Spa (Dubai)
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Additionally, Le Méridien will this year add a new
hotel in Egypt,
where the brand currently operates four properties. Le
Méridien Cairo Airport will open in September
2013. Located at Terminal 3, it will be the only hotel with
direct access to Cairo International Airport
terminals. Le Méridien Cairo Airport will
feature 350 guestrooms, a 24-hour restaurant, specialty restaurant,
coffee bar, lobby bar, lounge, fitness center, and swimming pool. The
hotel will have approximately 750 square meters of meeting space,
including a business center, ballroom, and six meeting rooms, for a
variety of business functions.
Many of these renovated hotels along with Le Méridien Cairo
Airport will integrate the Le Méridien Hub™
experience into existing public spaces, re-interpreting the traditional
lobby into a social gathering place for curious and creative minded
travelers to converse, debate, and exchange. Le Méridien Hub
offers both guests and locals an inspiring atmosphere where
contemporary, curated artwork sets the environment and a sophisticated
café experience sets the scene. Le Méridien Hub further
builds on the brand’s award-winning arrival experience consisting of
four elements: large-scale artwork in high impact areas to reset the
mind and stimulate dialogue and curiosity; the sensory experience,
illustrated through Le Méridien signature scent, sound and use
of light, creating a unique and distinctive atmosphere; UNLOCK ART™
programme, featuring LM100 ™ artist designed key card collections that
not only offer access to the guestroom but also to Le Méridien
affiliated contemporary cultural centers in the city; and a 24-hour
soundtrack.
About Le Méridien Hotels
& Resorts
Le Méridien, the
Paris-born hotel brand currently
represented by nearly 100 properties in more than 40 countries, was
acquired by
Starwood Hotels
& Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) in
November 2005.
With over 80 of its properties located in
Europe,
Africa, the
Middle East, and
Asia-Pacific, Le
Méridien provided a strong international complement to
Starwood’s then primarily North American holdings at the time of
purchase. Since then, Le Méridien has gone through a brand
re-launch, which included a large scale hotels product consolidation as
well as redefining its brand strategy. By appointing a full-time
Cultural Curator – French arts-provocateur Jérôme Sans –
Le Méridien transformed numerous guest touch points, thus
bringing unique and interactive experiences to its guests. Plans call
for dynamic expansion of Le Méridien
Hotels and Resorts
within the next five years, concentrating on markets in
Asia-Pacific and the
Americas. Le
Méridien recently opened new hotels in
Istanbul, Oran (
Algeria),
Arlington (
Virginia, USA),
Coimbatore (
India),
Koh Samui (
Thailand),
and
Taipei,
and will open in the next 12 months in
Bali,
Atlanta,
Chicago,
Zhengzhou (
China),
Mahabaleshwar (
India),
Ho Chi Minh
City (
Vietnam),
Cairo
(
Egypt),
Qingdao (
China), and
Dhaka (
Bangladesh). For
more information, please visit
www.lemeridien.com
or
facebook.com/lemeridien.
(Note: This press release
contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal
securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees
of future performance or events and involve risks and uncertainties and
other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ
materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking
statements are made. These risks and uncertainties are presented in
detail in our filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission.
Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking
statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no
assurance that our expectations will be attained or that results and
events will not materially differ. We undertake no obligation to
publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise.)
