Revolving around three key themes – ‘chic’, ‘cultured’ and ‘discovery’ – Le Meridien is seeking to revolutionise the customer experience from the moment they enter the lobby until they open the key to their guest room, simultaneously transforming it from 120 disparate hotel brands into a singular lifestyle brand.
Lobbies will be revamped to include a visual and audio ‘wall’ effect along with a specially-designed scent aimed at enhancing the sensory experience. Visually, the lobby lighting will vary depending on the time of day and occasion, with bespoke perfume house Le Labo developing a customised scent consisting of frankincense, musk and iris.
“Le Meridien is seeking to bring alive its core values,” said Eva Ziegler, senior vice-president, Le Meridien.
“We are changing the concept of staying at the hotel from a ‘heads and beds’ experience to providing a stay at Le Meridien into a stimulating experience for the creative guest.
“We are also transforming their hotel stay into an emotional experience by bringing our core values, Chic Cultured Discovery, into every single step of the experience.”
The initiative also covers elevators, which will enjoy an enhanced audio and visual experience, along with an ‘Unlock Art’ programme characterised by artist designed key cards. Unlock Art, while seeking to position room keys as collectors items for guests, will also provide consumers will complimentary access to Le Meridien’s affiliated arts organisations.
Le Meridien, which was acquired by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in November 2005, boasts approximately 120 properties in 52 countries. Starwood has revealed ambitious expansion plans for the chain over the next five years with a target of 90 new hotels, with a particular focus on India, Thailand and China.
