SINGAPORE - Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts marks its returns to Singapore after nearly a decade, with the opening of a 191-room hotel in Sentosa on Wednesday (June 8).
The new hotel took over premises formerly occupied by Movenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa at 23 Beach View, a property that is owned by Treasure Resort.
Le Meridien Singapore, Sentosa, is "a conversion project from an existing hotel", Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide said in a statement.
Situated opposite the Imbiah Station on the Sentosa Express monorail, the Le Meridien hotel features 191 guestrooms, including suites with Japanese outdoor private Onsen pool, and a duplex penthouse suite with its own rooftop garden and infinity pool, Starwood said. It also has 243 sq m of function space, with a 198 sq m pillar-less ballroom.
The Le Meridien brand was acquired by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in 2005, and has since undergone a brand re-launch. Starwood told The Straits Times that the "time is right" to bring the Le Meridien brand back to Singapore, in view of its new brand positioning and partnership with Treasure Resort.
"Starwood constantly looks for the right opportunities with the right partners to grow our portfolio here in Singapore, given the country's growing importance as Asia Pacific's business hubs and healthy demands for leisure travels. The re-entry of Le Meridien brand makes sense to us," added Mr Rajit Sukumaran, senior vice-president for acquisition & development at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Asia Pacific.
There were two Le Meridien brand hotels here - Le Meridien Changi and Le Meridien on Orchard Road - before it exited from Singapore about eight years ago, reports showed.
HPL Hotels and Resorts Group took over the management of the Orchard Road hotel and renamed it Concorde Hotel Singapore in 2008, while the former Le Meridien Changi was re-launched as Village Hotel Changi by Far East Organization in May 2004, after a 19-month revamp that cost S$45 million.
Starwood said in the coming months, refurbishment works will be carried out to enhance the facilities at the Le Meridien Sentosa hotel, including two restaurants, a bar and transforming the traditional hotel lobby to a "social gathering place" .
Mr Rodney Tan, chairman of Treasure Resort, which owns the hotel, said: "We're looking forward to working with the conversion team, and hope to cultivate a long and successful partnership with Starwood."
With the opening of the Sentosa hotel, Starwood will have over 90,000 rooms under its stable of brands across Asia Pacific. Of these, 1,455 are in Singapore.
The hotels managed by brands under Starwood here are: Le Meridien Singapore, Sentosa (191 rooms), Sheraton Towers Singapore (420 rooms), The St. Regis Singapore (299 rooms), The Westin Singapore (305 rooms) and W Singapore - Sentosa Cove (240 rooms).
Another hotel is expected to open here next month - Four Points by Sheraton Singapore, Riverview - which will add 476 more rooms to Starwood's growing portfolio.
