Things are steadily returning to normal at Le Meridien Al Aqah, the popular East Coast resort, with occupancy hitting 60 percent and expected to rise in the coming weeks. The hotel was forced to temporarily close down as tropical cyclone Gonu approached its shores on 5 June 2007.
By 11.00 am that morning the seas had turned rough and this prompted hotel management to initiate the closure of the beach area and beach restaurants and bars at Le Meridien Al Aqah immediately. As an extra precaution, hotel guests were relocated to other hotels in the neighbouring Emirates and the hotel was closed to public.
“All precautionary measures were taken to protect and safeguard the lives and property of guests and associates. I am delighted to report that no permanent damage was done and once seas calmed down on Friday morning, guests were transported back to the hotel to continue to enjoy a refreshing and rejuvenating experience at Le Meridien Al Aqah,” said Patrick Antaki, general manager, Le Meridien Al Aqah.
Part of the beach has also now been reopened for guests, and water-sports facilities are now up and running. Al Aqah offers a host of activities for the water enthusiast, including adventurous deep sea fishing excursions, snorkelling and diving to name a few.
Guests who had booked to stay at the Le Meridien Al Aqah during the time of closure will not be charged cancellation fees, and guests who were relocated will not be charged for their stay from June 5 onwards.
“The staff at Le Meridien Al Aqah did an outstanding job of providing extraordinary service under the worst possible circumstances, evidenced by the feedback we received from our guests and letters sent to local newspapers commending us for our professionalism. I am confident that they will show that same dedication and commitment as we welcome guests back to the property this summer,” added Antaki.
About Le Méridien
Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts, with its portfolio of more than 130 luxury and upscale hotels in 53 countries worldwide, is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. The majority of Le Méridien properties are located in the world's top cities and resorts throughout Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. In the 2005 Luxury Brand Status Index survey Le Méridien was recognised as one of the top 15 luxury hotel brands. For more information, please visit http://www.lemeridien.com
About Starwood
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 850 properties in more than 95 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®, Sheraton®, Westin®, Four Points® by Sheraton, W®, Le Méridien® and the recently announced aloftSM and ELEMENTSM Hotels. 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 http://starwoodhotels.com
