LE MERIDIEN PRESENTS ‘‘ONE NIGHT’’ - Hotels in Monte Carlo and Miami Kick Off the New Signature Event Series, Le Méridien Hotels Are Transformed Into Works of Art

On October 24, Le Méridien launched ONE NIGHT -- a new series of signature events in existing properties worldwide, designed to illustrate the brand’s new positioning. This global event initiative follows FIRST NIGHT, an original event series designed for new Le Méridien hotels worldwide to showcase the new face of Le Méridien since it was acquired by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc on November 1, 2005.
FIRST NIGHT events took place at Le Méridien San Francisco (November 2006) and Le Royal Méridien Shanghai (December 2006).
Focused on transforming Le Méridien into a leading-edge lifestyle brand that attracts the creative guest by providing a CHIC, CULTURED, DISCOVERY experience, the brand has appointed a Cultural Curator, Jérôme Sans. Sans, a Paris-based arts provocateur, is responsible for creating relationships with leading-edge artists, and forward-looking contemporary museums and galleries worldwide. The creative guest is engaged through these curated experiences.

‘‘Le Méridien’s goal is to ultimately become the preferred place for creative people by offering this audience an opportunity to be culturally stimulated through new perspectives on art, architecture, fashion and cuisine” said Eva Ziegler, Senior Vice President, Le Méridien. “By involving non-traditional, contemporary artists around the globe, Le Méridien provides curated experiences that are stimulating and relevant for people that are creative or are inspired by creativity.’’

The first ONE NIGHT celebration kicked-off at Le Méridien Beach Plaza in Monte Carlo.

During the event, Le Méridien introduced the brand’s latest programme - LM100TM, a group of cultural innovators, curated by Jérôme Sans and chosen from the fields of art, architecture, cuisine, design and fashion -- Le Méridien’s passion points.
LM100 members will create projects and interactive initiatives for Le Méridien hotels and will propose other established or emerging talents that reflect the brand’s core values of CHIC, CULTURED, DISCOVERY.

Additionally, ONE NIGHT Monte Carlo featured a photo exhibition by Ralph Gibson, a member of LM100 and a famed American photographer, whose images often incorporate erotic and mysterious undertones, building narrative meaning through contextualization and surreal juxtaposition.

Ralph Gibson, having a spent many years working with such legends as Helmut Newton in the South of France exemplifies glamour and beauty of the French Riviera in his work. Gibson’s latest project, a collection of portraits of the first LM100 members, has been featured during the ONE NIGHT event.

Le Méridien Beach Plaza in Monte Carlo illustrates Le Méridien’s new initiative – a transformed arrival experience, one element of which, the transitional portal, will showcase Ralph Gibson’s artwork.

On December 2, 2007 ONE NIGHT event series will travel to Le Méridien Sunny Isles Beach in Miami, showcasing another element of the new arrival experience, UNLOCK ARTTM programme, curated by Jérôme Sans.

UNLOCK ART is designed to reinforce Le Méridien brand through new partnerships, transform the guest’s experience long-term, and give guests an opportunity to obtain a different point of view and see the hotel location through a new pair of eyes.

ONE NIGHT MIAMI will take place on December 2, 2007, the weekend prior to Art Basel Miami Beach, a leading cultural event, combining an international art show with an exciting programme of special exhibitions, parties and crossover events including music, film, architecture and design.

Sam Samore, a member of LM100 and a featured artist in the 2007 Art Basel Miami Beach, will transform the hotel’s transitional portal into a work of art, as well as design keycards as a part of the UNLOCK ART programme. Samore, creator of large-scale photographic works, is also known for his writing, mainly his radical retelling of traditional stories and fairy tales. Samore’s book of fairytales, specifically written for Le Méridien, will be launched during the ONE NIGHT Miami event.

During ONE NIGHT, Le Méridien Sunny Isles Beach will unveil its UNLOCK ART programme through a partnership with The Moore Space, a non-profit contemporary art space, known for exhibiting a variety of cross-disciplinary exhibitions, performances, artists and curators residencies and public programs which reflect the state of contemporary art today: new forms, new voices and new thought. Through UNLOCK ART, guests of Le Méridien Sunny Isles Beach will gain complimentary access to The Moore Space by showing Sam Samore-designed keycard.

As part of the UNLOCK ART PROGRAMME throughout 2006 and 2007, Le Méridien has partnered with several creative contemporary cultural centres located in some of the world’s most dynamic cities, such as Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Shanghai, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) in San Francisco, and Nouveau Musée National de Monaco (NMNM) in Monte Carlo.

By the end of 2008, every Le Méridien hotel will launch the UNLOCK ART Programme and partner with a leading, progressive and forward-thinking cultural institution.

In 2008, Le Méridien plans on extending the ONE NIGHT event series to Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, with events in Dubai and Shanghai.

The FIRST NIGHT series for Le Méridien new hotels will also continue in 2008 with opening celebrations in cities around the world.
Le Méridien brand, currently represented by approximately 120 properties in 52 countries, was acquired by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in November 2005. With close to 90 percent of its properties located in Europe, Africa, 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-branded hotels within the next five years, concentrating in the U.S., Latin America, and Asia-Pacific, including destinations such as India, Thailand and China.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 890 properties in more than 100 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood® Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft(SM), and Element(SM). Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com/pressclub

tags: branding, le-meridien, one-night, starwood, launch, monte-carlo, miami, jerome-sans, hotels, resorts, hospitality