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Starwood Debuts Le Meridien in Turkey with the New Le Meridien Istanbul Etiler

By: Le Meridien |  7 Shares     84 Reads

The First New Build Le Méridien Hotel in Europe in a Primary Destination, Designed by Award-Winning Turkish Architect Emre Arolat

ISTANBUL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 5, 2012-- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) announced the debut of the first Le Méridien hotel in Turkey with the opening of the highly anticipated Le Méridien Istanbul Etiler. Owned by Makyol Construction Industry Tourism and Trading Co. Inc. and designed by leading Turkish architect Emre Arolat, the hotel is situated in Istanbul’s most exclusive neighbourhood and overlooks the Bosphorus with panoramic views over two continents.

“We are delighted to partner with Makyol as we introduce Starwood’s Le Méridien brand to Turkey”, comments Roeland Vos, President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa, and Middle East “Istanbul continues to evolve as a metropolitan centre of culture, design and cuisine, making it an ideal match for our Le Méridien brand. This flagship hotel will enable us to showcase Le Méridien’s contemporary lifestyle and sophisticated origins in one of the world’s most remarkable destinations.”

"Le Méridien has undergone a comprehensive brand relaunch in the past six years since it was acquired by Starwood," said Eva Ziegler, Global Brand Leader, Le Méridien and W Hotels Worldwide. "In this new era for Le Méridien, we are proud to celebrate Le Méridien brand's best portfolio ever with the grand opening of the flagship Le Méridien Istanbul Etiler, which marks the first new build Le Méridien to open in a primary European city."

Adnan Çebi, Makyol’s Chairman says, “We are extremely excited to be expanding Makyol’s tourism portfolio with an internationally renowned hotel group such as Starwood Hotels & Resorts and to bring the contemporary Le Méridien brand to Turkey. With the brand’s artistic cosmopolitan touch, we believe Le Méridien Istanbul Etiler will bring a fresh flavour to the city, perfectly suited to the rich and sophisticated cultural blend of East and West.”

Set to become a landmark in the city, the 34-storey hotel features iconic architecture and a dedicated curated art programme showcasing Turkish contemporary artists, reflecting Istanbul’s inspiring and culturally diverse atmosphere. Designed by award-winning Turkish architect Emre Arolat, the hotel features three distinct, vertically-stacked blocks inspired by the neighbouring buildings in Etiler. The building gradually becomes transparent as it rises towards the sky, providing guests with impressive views of the Bosphorus and a new perspective of Istanbul. The hotel’s interiors were designed by renowned Turkish designer Sinan Kafadar of Istanbul-based Metex.

The hotel provides a comprehensive contemporary lifestyle experience, featuring 259 guest rooms, including 21 long-stay residence suites all with floor-to-ceiling windows providing inspiring views of the Bosphorus and the city. Featuring a timeless chic design, all guest rooms are outfitted with Le Méridien Bed® and amenities such as a docking station, rainforest shower and a separate bathtub. Le Méridien Istanbul Etiler’s signature spa offers visitors a new perspective inspired by European spa traditions and features eight treatment rooms, a Turkish Hammam, an indoor pool, an outdoor heated pool, and a state-of-the art fitness centre.

Le Méridien’s UNLOCK ART™ programme features an artist-designed key card collection that offers access to both the guestroom and affiliated contemporary cultural centres. In Istanbul, guests can enjoy access to Istanbul Modern, the hotel’s UNLOCK ART™ partner, using keycards designed by :mentalKLINIK – a contemporary artist duo from Istanbul and recently appointed as the latest LM100™ members. Selected by Jérôme Sans, Le Méridien’s Cultural Curator since 2006, LM100 is a group of international innovators chosen from the worlds of art, architecture and cuisine who use their creativity to develop original, interactive programs that transform the Le Méridien guest experience.

The hotel offers 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. Dining facilities include an all-day restaurant, Latitude Bar serving illy coffee and other refreshments, and a rooftop bar with spectacular 360-degree views of the city. Le Méridien Istanbul Etiler also features over 2,000 square metres of meeting space, including a 766-square metre ballroom and nine individual rooms.

Acquired by Starwood in November 2005, Le Méridien has undergone a full brand relaunch to transform into a contemporary, design-led lifestyle brand that seeks to provide a new perspective through a curated approach to culture. The opening of Le Méridien Istanbul Etiler is a milestone for the brand’s transformation as it continues to attract a growing audience of creative, world-travelling guests.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts currently operates six hotels throughout Turkey, including three in Istanbul – W Istanbul, Sheraton Istanbul Maslak Hotel and Sheraton Istanbul Atakoy Hotel, as well as Sheraton Ankara Hotel & Convention Centre, Sheraton Cesme Hotel Resort & Spa, and The Lugal, a Luxury Collection hotel. The company is set to open three new hotels in Turkey in the next few years: Sheraton Adana Hotel, Sheraton Bursa Hotel, and Aloft Bursa.

About Le Méridien

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. 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 brining unique and interactive experiences to its guests. With close to 80 of its properties located in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Le Méridien provides a strong international complement to Starwood’s primarily North American holdings. 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, including destinations such as India, Thailand and China. Le Méridien recently opened new hotels in Istanbul, Coimbatore (India), Koh Samui (Thailand), Taipei, and Philadelphia, 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 http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lemeridien.com&esheet=50185490&lan=en-US&anchor=www.lemeridien.com&index=1&md5=71d7bb631624c27b460a22a26176e666.

About Makyol Construction Industry Tourism and Trading Co. Inc.

Listed among the world’s leading construction companies, Makyol was founded in 1965. With heavy construction- infrastructure (highways, airports, metro projects, tunnels, bridges, dams, etc.), tourism investments, commercial and residential real estate developments to be found amongst its portfolio, Makyol successfully carries out large scale projects in 7 countries internationally. Following the much anticipated Le Méridien Istanbul, Makyol intends to expand its portfolio with further hotel investments both domestically and internationally. Makyol’s tourism investments also include Mövenpick Hotel Istanbul, Doria Hotel Bodrum and KaÅŸ Marina. For further information please visit http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.makyol.com.tr&esheet=50185490&lan=en-US&anchor=www.makyol.com.tr&index=2&md5=deb813fdf72949d7d5fdb65b249b1f97

Source: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Press Contact:

Jenni Benzaquen
Director Public Relations – Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Europe, Africa & Middle-East
t +32 2 204 5494
Jenni.Benzaquen@starwoodhotels.com

 

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