NEW YORK CITY Five years after being acquired by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Le Méridien has emerged with the strongest portfolio and the highest RevPAR index in the brand’s 38-year history.
Now represented by 105 properties in 50 countries, Le Méridien provides an international complement to Starwood’s strong North America portfolio and has accelerated Starwood’s global expansion. Since the Starwood acquisition in 2005, 45 Le Méridien hotels have been removed from the system. Half of the portfolio has been renovated or will be renovated by end 2012.
Starwood has announced 10 new Le Méridien properties in its global pipeline for the coming years in key markets, including Algeria, Istanbul, Cairo, Lagos, China, India, Vietnam and Doha. North America and Asia Pacific, specifically, offer strong growth opportunities for Le Méridien brand, Starwood says.
Since the Starwood acquisition, Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts brand has posted new marks for guest satisfaction and global ADR, while the current RevPAR index of 105.4 is the brand’s highest level ever. Le Méridien’s Europe portfolio has a RevPAR index of 113% compared to its competitive set, and Europe has become the brand’s strongest performing region in terms of RevPAR and RevPAR index—US$129.60 and 112.2, respectively.
A total brand relaunch, from product consolidation to an innovative brand strategy featuring a large-scale service culture transformation program, has catapulted Le Méridien brand into a new era. Nearly 45% percent of Le Méridien guests are Starwood Preferred Guest members, while room nights booked by SPG members have had double-digit year-over-year growth.