STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS WORLDWIDE INC Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today announced the signing of Le Méridien Ahmedabad, a 200-room new build hotel slated to open in 2018. Owned by established real estate developer, Seven Leisure Private Limited, the hotel will be located within close proximity to the central business district and the Sanand Industrial Estate and will offer easy access to the main Gandhinagar Highway. Renowned institutes of higher learning and convention facilities such as the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and the Gujarat University Convention and Exhibition Centre are only a short drive from the hotel. Le Méridien Ahmedabad will mark the return of Le Méridien brand to this vibrant and historic city as well as represent Starwood’s third hotel in this growing market.
“We believe the return of Le Méridien to Ahmedabad is a key milestone for Le Méridien, which is experiencing renewed traction and momentum throughout South Asia,” said Dilip Puri, Managing Director India and Regional Vice President South Asia, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “Since acquiring the brand in 2005, Starwood has made significant investments in redeveloping Le Méridien, which unlocks the destination for curious minded travellers through the arts, culture and cuisine, and with the rich cultural heritage of Ahmedabad, we feel this is a perfect match for the brand.”
Le Méridien Ahmedabad will be part of a mixed-use development, featuring unbranded serviced apartments and Club07, a fully equipped recreational facility, and the hotel will boast the city’s largest convention center facility with 74,000 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting and event space. In addition to well-appointed, oversized rooms, signature amenities and personalized services, the hotel will also offer four restaurant and bar venues, including a signature all-day dining outlet and two specialty restaurants that will offer distinct culinary experiences for both guests and locals alike. Recreation facilities include a swimming pool and fully equipped fitness center.
Le Méridien Ahmedabad will feature the signature Le Méridien Hub™, which reinterprets the traditional lobby into a social gathering place and further builds on the brand’s award-winning arrival experience and coffee culture. Le Méridien arrival consists of four elements: large-scale artwork in high impact areas; a sensory experience, illustrated through Le Méridien signature scent, sound and use of light; UNLOCK ART™ programme, featuring artist designed key card collections that offer access to Le Méridien affiliated contemporary cultural centers in the city; and a 24-hour curated soundtrack by French Bossa Nova band Nouvelle Vague. The Hub features the signature Master Barista, a global initiative to meet the growing demands of coffee lovers at every Le Méridien hotel worldwide, as well as destination-inspired éclairs by day and Sparkling, an aperitif-inspired evening beverage programme.
“We continue to look for opportunities to grow Starwood’s brands in India and are delighted to announce the signing of Le Méridien Ahmedabad, strengthening Starwood’s footprint in the country,” said Sudeep Jain, Vice President, Acquisitions and Development, Starwood South Asia. “As one of the most culturally rich, vibrant and fastest growing cities in India, we saw a real opportunity to introduce the Le Meridien brand in Ahmedabad.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Starwood Hotels to bring Le Méridien to Ahmedabad—a very promising city with a growing need for a branded upscale hotel,” said Mr. Kalpesh Prajapati, Director Seven Leisure Private Limited. “We aim to create a chic and stylish Hotel that will deliver the true experience of Le Méridien, and help guests to experience this fascinating city at its best.”
Located on the banks of river Sabarmati, in the state of Gujarat in Western India, Ahmedabad is a burgeoning city known for its entrepreneurial spirit. The city established itself as the home of the textile industry and came to be known as "Manchester of the East". It was at the forefront of the Indian independence movement in the first half of the 20th century when Mahatma Gandhi established the famous Sabarmati Ashram, a key landmark of the city, which is today a major city attraction.
For further details and more information, please visit www.lemeridien.com.
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 more than 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 and redefined brand strategy. Through creation of the LM100 artist community, Le Méridien has transformed numerous guest touch points, thus bringing unique, interactive and curated 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 Chicago (Illinois, USA), Tampa (Florida, USA), Cairo, Bali, Atlanta, Dallas, Istanbul, Oran (Algeria), Zhengzhou (China), Arlington (Virginia, USA) and Santa Monica, (California, USA), and will open in the next 12 months in Bangkok, New Orleans, Mahabaleshwar (India), Gandhinagar (India), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Charlotte (North Carolina, USA) and Indianapolis (Indiana, USA). For more information, please visit www.leMéridien.com or www.facebook.com/leMéridien . Follow @LeMéridien Hotels on Instagram and Twitter.
About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with nearly 1,200 properties in 100 countries, and 171,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. We are a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®, and Element®. One of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) allows members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., a premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com .
