Le Méridien to top global hotel industry by 2004 with £850m world-wide investment programme

 Newly independent luxury hotel group, Le Méridien Hotel Group, announces a widespread £850m global investment programme designed to dramatically upgrade its facilities and catapult the brand to the top of the hotel industry rankings in three years. The £850m total investment figure is made up of £350m capex from Le Méridien for its owned and leased properties, and an estimated £500m capex anticipated to come from hotel owners in the group.

At the heart of the renovation programme is the introduction of a dramatically different style of hotel bedroom, the Art & Tech room, designed to offer today’s increasingly sophisticated traveller the ultimate in innovative luxury. With the more discerning frequent traveller moving to so-called ‘boutique hotels’ in the last three years, Le Méridien is the first international hotel brand to take these hotels on head-to-head by combining individual style and service with a global portfolio of luxury properties.

New Chief Executive of Le Méridien, Juergen Bartels, said at the launch today:

“The growth of boutique hotels represents, in effect, the biggest-ever research and development programme in our industry and their style and innovation now attracts more discerning travellers than ever before. As a result, Le Méridien has embarked on a three-year programme designed to offer the demanding travellers of today and tomorrow an experience never seen before in a global luxury hotel group – individual, innovative, stylish luxury.”

The Art & Tech room, together with a totally new approach to individual customer service, will help drive Le Méridien to the top of the hotel league tables - measured by occupancy, average room rate, GOP and quality - by 2004. The Art & Tech room concept is underpinned by the use of the latest technology and meticulous detailing. A 42-inch plasma screen TV, electrically controlled bed and the latest in shower technology provides guests with the ultimate in luxury.

The new Art & Tech room will feature in the majority of Le Méridien hotels and there are currently plans for 5000 rooms to be renovated around the world. Some hotels will become all Art & Tech room properties, whereas other more traditional hotels, such as The Ritz in Madrid, may include an Art & Tech annex.

The first all Art & Tech room hotel will open next year at The Cumberland Hotel in central London. Le Méridien has already introduced a wide-spread training initiative designed to provide today’s traveller with a more personal and stylish service from its staff.

Since taking on the role of Chief Executive of Le Méridien, Mr Bartels has also launched a ‘treasure hunt’ initiative designed to make maximum use of all properties around the world. As a result, many meeting rooms will be turned into new bedrooms and inefficient storage and dead-space will become meeting rooms. In all, Mr Bartels has uncovered capacity for an additional 1600 bedrooms and thousands of square feet of meeting and banqueting space, which will be built over the next two years, across the Le Méridien group.

“Every single aspect of the Le Méridien experience is being redefined to give our guests what they want, in the way they want it, and with style. Across the globe our aim at Le Méridien is to become a leading group of stylish hotels offering the very latest in modern luxury – a combination of historical buildings with modern design, individuality, comfort and respect for local culture,” concluded Mr Bartels.