COIMBATORE, India, Nov 14, 2011--Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today announced the opening of Le Méridien Coimbatore, its newest hotel in India and the 100th Le Méridien hotel globally for the brand. Owned by Appu Hotels Limited, Le Méridien Coimbatore is the first internationally branded five-star hotel in the city.

"Le Méridien has undergone a comprehensive brand transformation in the past six years since it was acquired by Starwood," said Eva Ziegler, Global Brand Leader, Le Méridien and W Hotels Worldwide. "In this new era for Le Méridien, after a comprehensive brand re-launch and portfolio consolidation, we are proud to celebrate Le Méridien brand's best portfolio ever with the grand opening of our 100th hotel worldwide, Le Méridien Coimbatore."

Strategically located, Le Méridien Coimbatore is situated within easy access from Coimbatore Airport (CJB) and features 254 guest rooms and suites, including a Presidential Suite, with timeless chic design and flexible work space. The hotel also features a wide range of cuisine and bar options, including Latest Recipe, Le Méridien brand's signature all-day dining restaurant, with an interactive, open kitchen serving a selection of international cuisine; Peacock, anauthentic Indian restaurant serving a variety of regional cuisines from around the country; the Pan Asian restaurant Ponzu, with an open kitchen, serving authentic Mongolian, Chinese, Thai and Japanese dishes; and Le Méridien's signature Italian restaurant, Favola. The Illy Café reiterates the brand's point of view on the coffee culture, while Latitude 11 offers an ideal location to enjoy fine wine or signature cocktails. The hotel will also feature an international spa concept and night club, both opening soon.

Le Méridien Coimbatore showcases the signature Le Méridien arrival experience, curated by international arts provocateur Jérôme Sans, the brand's Global Cultural Curator since 2006. The award-winning arrival experience commences from the moment guests arrive at the hotel doorsteps until they have opened the door to their guest room and is designed to make the first ten minutes of the guest's stay memorable and special. Arrival consists 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(TM) programme, which features an artist designed key card collection that not only offers access to the guestroom but also to Le Méridien affiliated contemporary cultural centers; and the elevated experience, which transforms the event of riding an elevator into an "elevating experience" through sound. Le Méridien Coimbatore's UNLOCK Art partner is the city's contemporary art initiative, "Contemplate."

With nearly 3,500 square meters of meeting and event space and eleven smaller meeting rooms, Le Méridien Coimbatore offers the largest meeting space in South India with flexible and customized meeting solutions for inspired large-scale social gatherings as well as state of the art conferencing. For thoughtful and personalized weddings, the hotel also features a temple on-site.

"We visualize great potential for Coimbatore to emerge as an ideal MICE destination," said Palani G. Periasamy, Chairman, PGP Group of Companies, which owns Le Méridien Coimbatore under its Appu Hotels Limited banner. "The city's salubrious climate and proximity to well known hill stations in the Nilgiris such as Ooty, Kodaikanal, Munnar and wildlife sanctuaries make it an attractive destination for the leisure traveler, while its growth as a medicare and educational center as well as the engineering and textile industries provide opportunities for it to become a strong industrial hub. We believe Le Méridien Coimbatore will position the city in the international market as a destination for holding flagship congresses, conferences and conventions."

To find out more about Le Méridien Coimbatore or to reserve your experience, log on to www.lemeridien.com/coimbatore or call 1-800-258-2555.

For more information on Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts, please visit www.lemeridien.com.