Following its launch last year as a brand extension for Le Meridien, the luxury hotel group's Art + Tech design concept is winning accolades from both owners and travelers worldwide.
According to president & chief operating officer, Richard Mahoney, a number of new hotel developers were opting to include the lifestyle room design in new projects in Asia and Europe - while Art + Tech would debut in the Middle East next year.
Meanwhile, in the Middle East, one wing of the 200-room extension at Le Meridien Dubai will be devoted to Art + Tech rooms, and the group's first boutique property at the Helipolis CityStars development will also include elements of the design.
Mahoney said around 20 confirmed deals were under development, and the Middle East and West Asia would play a key role in global expansion. “Generally, we have a good presence in the Middle East with new hotels opening in Luxor, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this year, while India represents a key growth area for us with up to a dozen projects in the works,” said Mahoney.
Art + Tech is a design concept that combines minimal décor with enhancements of the three essential elements of any hotel room - the bed, bathroom and television. The latter is a top of the range, wall-mounted 42-inch plasma screen with video and music on demand, while other technology additions include modems and ISDN lines for high-speed Internet access.
The bed is also high-tech, NASA-designed and electronically controlled by four motors to enable varying head, neck, back and knee positioning, while doubles have separate controls for individual requirements, and all come with white duvets and feather or anti-allergic pillows.
In the bathroom, the freestanding shower tower includes shower and body jets, as well as luxurious amenities such as Hermes bath soaps. The rooms combine strong colors and simple lines with local artworks.
Around 5,000 A+T rooms are planned in the first phase in hotels in the UK, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, North America and the Middle East, starting with Le Meridien's prime sites in London where one floor is already in operation at Le Meridien Russell and the Cumberland is currently being transformed to open at the first Art + Tech hotel next April. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
