Starwood’s Le Meridien Debuts in Algeria

Oran (Algeria) – 8 June 2012 – Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced the debut of the first Le Meridien hotel in Algeria with the opening of Le Meridien Oran Hotel & Convention Centre. Owned by Sonatrach, the hotel is part of a mixed-use development, which includes an adjacent conference and exhibition centre, an esplanade and an oceanfront promenade. Located on Algeria’s north-western Mediterranean coast, Le Meridien Oran sits on a cliff offering breathtaking views of the Mediterranean.

“We are proud to partner with Sonatrach as we introduce the Le Meridien brand to Algeria,” said Roeland Vos, President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa & Middle East. “This spectacular new hotel allows us to showcase Le Meridien brand’s contemporary lifestyle and sophisticated origins in the city of Oran and further underlines our commitment to continued expansion in the region.”

Designed by Rockwell Group Europe (RGe), Le Meridien Oran features 254 guest rooms and 42 suites, combining contemporary design with Algerian heritage and Le Meridien brand amenities. The hotel’s signature spa, inspired by European spa traditions, comprises eight treatment rooms, a jacuzzi, Turkish Hammam, an outdoor pool and fitness centre, offering endless ocean views.

Le Meridien Oran also features an all-day dining restaurant with an open kitchen, a chic lounge bar with inspiring sea views, the city’s first authentic Italian restaurant as well as a lobby bar serving Illy coffee and tea from around the world.

Le Meridien Oran Hotel & Convention Centre houses the largest meeting facilities in North Africa with nearly 9,000 square metres of flexible meeting and event space, including two ballrooms, a pre-function area and 23 meeting rooms. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology the convention centre houses an auditorium that can seat up to 3,000 seated guests and features the largest mural fresco in the world. Created by Algerian artist Tewfik Boumedhi, the 2000-metre-long façade is made of 51,000 tiles and depicts the Southern Mediterranean culture in Arab-Moresque art.

“Le Meridien has long had a presence in Africa, and the opening of Le Meridien Oran is a key milestone as we celebrate the brand’s strongest portfolio and performance levels in its history,” said Vincent Gillet, Global Brand Leader, Le Meridien and W Hotels Worldwide. “Since being acquired by Starwood more than six years ago, Le Meridien has undergone a comprehensive brand re-launch, and we are proud that Le Meridien Oran showcases many elements of the new Le Meridien brand direction.”

Le Meridien Oran offers the signature Le Meridien arrival experience, curated by Jerôme Sans, the brand’s cultural curator since 2006. Upon arrival, guests are greeted to giant lanterns, soaring ceilings and an inspirational, thought-provoking artwork designed by RGe depicting a profile of Oran’s coastline on steel plates.

The hotel also features the newly-developed Le Meridien Hub experience, which re-interprets the traditional lobby into a social gathering place for creative people to converse, debate, and exchange. Le Meridien Hub offers both guests and locals a creative atmosphere where contemporary, curated artwork sets the environment.

Le Meridien Oran Hotel & Convention Centre is now accepting reservations. For further information and to book, visit www.lemeridien.com/oran

Starwood now has three hotels in Algeria including the Sheraton Oran Hotel & Towers in Oran and the Sheraton Club des Pins Resort & Towers in the capital city, Algiers.

About Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts
Le Meridien, 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. With close to 80 of its properties located in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Le Meridien provided a strong international complement to Starwood’s then primarily North American holdings at the time of purchase. Since then, Le Meridien 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 Jerôme Sans – Le Meridien transformed numerous guest touch points, thus bringing unique and interactive experiences to its guests. Plans call for dynamic expansion of Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts within the next five years, concentrating in the U.S., Latin America, and Asia-Pacific markets, including destinations such as India, Thailand and China. Le Meridien recently opened new hotels in Arlington (Virginia, USA), Istanbul, Coimbatore (India), Koh Samui (Thailand), and Taipei, 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 www.lemeridien.com.

Media Contact:

Jenni Benzaquen
Director Public Relations, Starwood Europe, Africa & Middle East
+32 2204 5494
jenni.benzaquen@starwoodhotels.com