Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts Expands Into Vietnam

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(News Source:  Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide)

(SAIGON, VIETNAM) -- Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts continues its expansion momentum in Asia-Pacific, announcing the signing of its first hotel in Vietnam : Le Méridien Saigon. Owned by Tien Phuoc & 990 Company Limited, Le Méridien Saigon will offer a European flair, and sophisticated, environment designed to appeal to the creative guest in Ho Chi Minh City's bustling central business district.

"We are thrilled to announce the signing of Le Méridien Saigon as this marks the entry of Le Méridien brand into Vietnam and further strengthens the position of Starwood as one of the largest international upscale hotel chains in the Indochina and Thailand region," said Miguel Ko, Chairman and President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Asia Pacific. "Vietnam is amongst the fastest growing nations in Southeast Asia and in the world and has been experiencing strong leisure and business travel within and into the country.  The growing demand presents us with tremendous opportunities to better serve the needs of travelers," Ko added.

Starwood also recently announced the launch of a dedicated customer toll free number for Vietnam.  Starwood is the first international hotel group to introduce a toll free reservation and enquiry hotline : 1206 5111 for customers in Vietnam.  The calls are also answered by native Vietnamese associates.  The launch of the Vietnam customer toll free number is timely as Starwood builds their foundation for its growing portfolio of hotels and resorts in Vietnam

"Le Méridien is delighted to invite guests to embark on a voyage of discovery in Ho Chi Minh City. A former French colony, Ho Chi Minh City has a vibrant art and cultural scene and is a great fit with Le Méridien brand, which is committed to providing guests with an interactive and culturally enriching experience," said Eva Ziegler, Global Brand Leader, Le Méridien.

Scheduled to open in July 2012, Le Méridien Saigon is part of a mixed-used 22-storey tower comprising of the hotel and office space. The hotel will feature 350 guest rooms, 4 restaurants and bars, a health club, an outdoor swimming pool, spa and close to 800 square meters of meeting space.

Located on Ton Duc Thang Street, in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City and along the Saigon River, Le Méridien Saigon will be within walking distance to the commercial and entertainment districts of the city and about a 45-minute car ride (about 7 kilometers) from Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

Vietnam is part of Southeast Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia and Ho Chi Minh City is on the southern tip of the country. A French colony from 1859 to 1954, Ho Chi Minh City, then known as Saigon, was laid out in rectilinear fashion with wide, tree-lined avenues and park which you can still see in the city today, along with historic French colonial buildings.

Le Méridien currently operates 26 properties in Asia Pacific.

This latest Le Méridien announcement highlights the significant development of the brand in Asia Pacific. In 2008 and 2009, Le Méridien opened a new resort in China: Le Méridien Shimei Bay Beach Resort & Spa and three new properties in Thailand: Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort, Le Méridien Chiang Mai Resort and Le Méridien Bangkok.

In the next 3 years, the brand will open 5 new properties in Asia-Pacific: Le Méridien Chongqing, Nan'an, Le Méridien Xiamen, Le Meridien Qingdao, Le Méridien Taipei and Le Méridien Saigon.

Le Méridien, the French-born hotel brand currently represented by 105 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 revitalization, which included appointing a full-time Cultural Curator - French arts-provocateur Jérôme Sans - and transforming 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 Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Shimei Bay (China), will open in Dallas and Philadelphia in the coming months, and has recently signed new hotel deals in Taipei, Xiamen, Chongqing Nan'an, Qingdao (China) and Saigon (Vietnam).

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