LE MÉRIDIEN HOTELS & RESORTS PRESIDENT VOTED ‘CORPORATE HOTELIER OF THE WORLD 2000’

Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts president and managing director, Bernard Lambert, has received one of the highest accolades in the hospitality industry by being voted ‘Corporate Hotelier of the World 2000’.

The prestigious annual award, presented by US-based HOTELS magazine (the only global magazine for the hotel industry) is given to an individual who – “has done the most to improve the international hotel industry and set the highest standard of hotel performance”.

The significance of the award is that the person nominated for it is voted for by the magazine’s 62,000+ readers around the world comprising the industry peer group and thus a most critical audience!

The crystal glass-engraved award was presented to Lambert by HOTELS editor-in-chief Jeff Weinstein at a glittering reception at the Palace Hotel in New York recently, in front of 450 guests, comprising the top line senior management of the international hotel industry.

Lambert said that he was “naturally delighted” to have been given this award by his global industry peers. However, paid tribute to Le Méridien’s 34,200 employees worldwide saying : “it is as much for them as it is for me”.

The awards, which are now in their 19th year, are not given lightly and Lambert shares the limelight with previous luminaries such as Isadore Sharpe (Four Seasons), Michael Hirst (Hilton International) and J. Willard Marriott Jr. (Marriott Corporation). Lord Forte was also a previous holder of the award, having won it in 1982 – the year after they were launched.

NOTES

Bernard Lambert boasts an illustrious career within Le Méridien spanning over 25 years. He joined in January 1974 and held several positions in both operations and sales and marketing both on property and with regional responsibility, including vice president for South America.

In March 1991, he returned to Le Méridien’s Paris headquarters as executive vice-president – operations Worldwide. With the acquisition of Le Méridien by UK hotel giant Forte in late 1994, he became deputy managing director. Following the take-over of Forte by Granada plc in late 1996, he became managing director of the brand in 1997 and moved to the London offices of Forte Hotel Group that same year. In 1999, he was again promoted – to president and managing director.

Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts – the luxury brand of Forte Hotel Group - currently has a global portfolio of more than 150 hotels in 55 countries (32,000 rooms) worldwide and an annual turnover of just over £1 billion.