Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Starwood Debuts Le Meridien in Algeria with the New Le Meridien Oran Hotel & Convention Centre


ORAN, Algeria - Wednesday, June 6th 2012 [ME NewsWire]

Featuring Contemporary Design by Rockwell Group Europe, Hotel OffersSpectacular Coastal Views and the Largest Conference Facilities in North Africa

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced the debut of the first Le Méridien hotel in Algeria with the opening of Le Méridien Oran Hotel & Convention Centre. Owned by Sonatrach, the hotel is part of a mixed-use development, which includes an adjacent conference and exhibition centre, an esplanade and an oceanfront promenade. Located on Algeria’s north-western Mediterranean coast, Le Méridien Oran sits on a cliff offering breathtaking views of the Mediterranean.

“We are proud to partner with Sonatrach as we introduce the Le Méridien brand to Algeria,” said Roeland Vos, President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa & Middle East. “This spectacular new hotel allows us to showcase Le Méridien brand’s contemporary lifestyle and sophisticated origins in the city of Oran and further underlines our commitment to continued expansion in the region.”

Designed by Rockwell Group Europe (RGe), Le Méridien Oran features 254 guest rooms and 42 suites, combining contemporary design with Algerian heritage and Le Méridien brand amenities. The hotel’s signature spa, inspired by European spa traditions, comprises eight treatment rooms, a jacuzzi, Turkish Hammam, an outdoor pool and fitness centre, offering endless ocean views.

Le Méridien Oran also features an all-day dining restaurant with an open kitchen, a chic lounge bar with inspiring sea views, the city’s first authentic Italian restaurant as well as a lobby bar serving Illy coffee and tea from around the world.

Le Méridien Oran Hotel & Convention Centre houses the largest meeting facilities in North Africa with nearly 9,000 square metres of flexible meeting and event space, including two ballrooms, a pre-function area and 23 meeting rooms. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology the convention centre houses an auditorium that can seat up to 3,000 seated guests and features the largest mural fresco in the world. Created by Algerian artist Tewfik Boumedhi, the 2000-metre-long façade is made of 51,000 tiles and depicts the Southern Mediterranean culture in Arab-Moresque art.

“Le Méridien has long had a presence in Africa, and the opening of Le Méridien Oran is a key milestone as we celebrate the brand’s strongest portfolio and performance levels in its history,” said Vincent Gillet, Global Brand Leader, Le Méridien and W Hotels Worldwide. “Since being acquired by Starwood more than six years ago, Le Méridien has undergone a comprehensive brand re-launch, and we are proud that Le Méridien Oran showcases many elements of the new Le Méridien brand direction.”

Le Méridien Oran offers the signature Le Méridien arrival experience, curated by Jérôme Sans, the brand’s cultural curator since 2006. Upon arrival, guests are greeted to giant lanterns, soaring ceilings and an inspirational, thought-provoking artwork designed by RGe depicting a profile of Oran’s coastline on steel plates.

The hotel also features the newly-developed Le Méridien Hub experience, which re-interprets the traditional lobby into a social gathering place for creative people to converse, debate, and exchange. Le Méridien Hub offers both guests and locals a creative atmosphere where contemporary, curated artwork sets the environment.

Le Méridien Oran Hotel & Convention Centre is now accepting reservations. Rooms start from EUR170 ($224) per room per night plus VAT. For further information and to book, visit www.lemeridien.com/oran.

Starwood now has three hotels in Algeria including the Sheraton Oran Hotel & Towers in Oran and the Sheraton Club des Pins Resort & Towers in the capital city, Algiers.

About Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts

Le Méridien, the Paris-born hotel brand currently represented by 100 properties in 50 countries, was acquired by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) in November 2005. With close to 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 in the U.S., Latin America, and Asia-Pacific markets, including destinations such as India, Thailand and China. Le Méridien recently opened new hotels in Arlington (Virginia, USA), Istanbul, Coimbatore (India), Koh Samui (Thailand), and Taipei, and will open in the next 12 months in Bali, Zhengzhou (China), Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), and Suvarnabhumi (Thailand). For more information, please visit www.lemeridien.com.

Contacts

Media

Jenni Benzaquen

Director Public Relations, Starwood Europe, Africa & Middle East

+32 2204 5494

jenni.benzaquen@starwoodhotels.com

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