The internationally renowned Le Meridien brand was established in 1972 by Air France "to provide a home away from home for its customers.” The first Le Méridien property was a 1,000-room hotel in Paris — Le Méridien Etoile. Within two years of operation the group had 10 hotels in Europe and Africa. Within the first six years the number of hotels had risen to 21 hotels in Europe, Africa, the French West Indies, Canada, South America, the Middle East and Mauritius. The group continued to grow and, by 1991, the total number of Le Méridien properties had risen to 58.
In late 1994, Le Méridien was acquired by UK hotel giant, Forte, which in turn was acquired by Granada Group plc in 1996. Through a merger in the summer of 2000 between Forte's parent company, Granada Group plc, and global contract catering giant, Compass Group plc — and the subsequent de-merger of the two companies in February 2001 — the ownership of the Forte Hotel Group and its three brands (Le Méridien, Heritage Hotels and Posthouse Hotels) passed solely to Compass Group.
In May 2001, Nomura International plc announced the acquisition of Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts from Compass Group plc for £1.9 billion and Le Méridien was merged with Principal Hotels, which was acquired in February 2001. In December 2003, Lehman Brothers Holdings acquired the senior debt of Le Méridien.
In November 2005, the Le Méridien brand and management fee business was acquired by Starwood Hotels & Resorts. The leased and owned real estate assets were acquired in a separate deal by a joint venture formed by Lehman Brothers and Starwood Capital (a company not affiliated with Starwood Hotels & Resorts).
Currently, Le Méridien is a global hotel group with a portfolio of more than 120 luxury and upscale hotels in over 50 countries worldwide. The majority of its properties are located in the world’s top cities and resorts throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and the Americas.
Great Environment
As an associate at a Starwood hotel or resort, you are an important part of a high performance team. Being the most successful hospitality company in the world makes it easy to enjoy what we do, so we have fun while doing our jobs. There is a genuine sense of teamwork and friendship that you do not always find at work. It is that great environment that makes Starwood stand out from the rest.
At Starwood, we believe that an honest day's work deserves an honest day's pay. For their hard work, Starwood associates enjoy very competitive pay. Our compensation programs are designed to attract, retain, recognize, and motivate our most valuable resource - people - while emphasizing our pay-for-performance philosophy. Starwood's compensation programs are regularly compared against leading companies in the hospitality industry and general industry to maintain a competitive position in the marketplace.
Base pay and other compensation is dependent on location, level, function, and a number of other factors, but is always competitive with other employers. Annual performance reviews give associates the opportunity to earn increases in their base pay, and in some cases, annual bonuses. Some functions, such as sales, have a component of their pay based on commission.
But you do not work just for a paycheck. At Starwood, we provide our associates with a comprehensive benefits program designed to give you and your family peace of mind. You should not have to worry about things like your health and your future, and we will do whatever we can to help.
Although benefits vary from country to country, here are some of the benefits that Starwood may be able to offer to you as an associate:
- Comprehensive, low cost health insurance for you and your family
- Dental and vision insurance coverage
- Company-sponsored retirement plans (U.S. 401(k) program)
- Life Insurance and Disability Insurance
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan
- Employee Assistance Program
- Adoption Assistance
- Domestic Partner eligibility
Finally, Starwood has associate-friendly Paid Time Off and vacation programs, and encourages associates to maintain a healthy work-life balance. There is more to life than work... and you will need time off to take advantage of our great employee discounts on hotel stays (see perks for more information).
Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts' Expansion Plans Continue
14 new hotels currently in the pipeline to open during 2006 and beyond
February 2006
Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts, part of the Starwood Hotels & Resorts portfolio, continues its worldwide expansion, with 14 new properties currently in the pipeline to open during 2006 and beyond. This expansion, located throughout Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, follows on from the five new Le Meridien hotels that opened during 2005.
A few months after Starwood acquired Le Meridien in November 2005, the brand has continued to go from strength to strength. The 14 new hotels will reflect the marriage of Le Meridien’s classic French heritage with a contemporary flair, offering guests a chic, cultured experience that helps them discover the destination. Le Meridien, currently with over 120 hotels globally, has a healthy development pipeline in place, with further development announcements expected this year, in particular in destinations such as India, Thailand, North America and China.
2006
Le Meridien St Julians, Malta (March 2006 - 276 rooms) Situated on the seafront of the picturesque Balluta Bay, guest rooms offer spectacular sea or country views over typical Mediterranean terraced fields. Facilities will include a selection of food and beverage outlets including The Villa Brasserie with menus developed by the two-Michelin-starred chef, Michel Rostang, business centre, shops, spa, indoor and roof-top pools, beauty treatment rooms and exercise studios, plus a conference centre.
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For assistance with reservations, call 888-625-5144 in the U.S. or Canada. All other countries, see Worldwide Reservations Offices . You may also wish to contact the hotel directly.
For Starwood Preferred Guest assistance, redemptions or reservations, call 888-625-4988 in the U.S. or Canada, or contact one of our Customer Contact Centers.
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