Luxury Hotels Atlas / The Maison / Le Méridien
Le Méridien hotels
French café culture and mid-century design carry forward a hotel idea born of air travel.
Le Méridien brings a French-born sensibility to city hotels and resorts, with a history closely linked to air travel. Air France launched the brand in 1972 with the large Méridien Étoile in Paris, creating a familiar base for crews and passengers before the collection passed through other owners and joined Marriott.
26 Le Méridien hotels in 17 countries on the Luxury Hotels Atlas (1 not open yet), each placed on the six LHA Tiers.
- Owned by Marriott International
- Worldwide: More than 100 hotels across 35-plus countries
- On the atlas: 1 Core Luxury, 15 Accessible Luxury, 10 Near Luxury
History
Le Méridien’s name recalls the lines of longitude, an appropriate image for a hotel family created by Air France. Its early international network served people moving regularly between countries and time zones. The brand’s later design direction continues to draw on that mid-century world of travel.
Timeline
- 1972 — Air France establishes Méridien Hotels, opening the 1,000-room Méridien Etoile (now Le Méridien Paris Arc de Triomphe) in Paris to house its flight crews and premium passengers, with the airline handling promotion and reservations directly.
- 1974–1978 — The chain expands rapidly to 10 hotels across Europe and Africa within two years, then 21 hotels spanning the globe within six.
- 1994 — Facing a $1.6 billion annual loss and government pressure to privatize, Air France sells its 57.3 percent stake in Méridien for $207 million to the UK's Forte Group, ending an 18-month bidding battle that also involved Kempinski and Accor.
- 2003 — The chain is rescued from a debt crisis after passing through additional ownership changes following the Forte sale.
- 2005 — Starwood Hotels & Resorts acquires Le Méridien to strengthen its international luxury presence.
- 2016 — Marriott International completes its acquisition of Starwood, folding Le Méridien into its global portfolio as a design-focused, midcentury-modern-inspired brand.
The houses to know
- Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa, Thilamaafushi Island, Maldives — Thilamaafushi means island surrounded by a vast lagoon, and on 1 September 2021 it became the first Le Méridien in the Maldives.
- Le Méridien Mexico City Reforma, Mexico City, Mexico — The green-glass tower gives Le Méridien a base on Mexico City’s Paseo de la Reforma.
- Le Méridien Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia — The brand's design-forward entry into a city built for it, 216 rooms that lean into Le Méridien's 1960s jet-set aesthetic.
- Le Méridien Phuket Mai Khao Beach Resort, Phuket, Thailand — A 255-room beach resort on Phuket's quieter northern shore, minutes from the airport and the island's last undeveloped stretch of sand.
- Le Méridien Indianapolis Hotel, Indianapolis, United States — A hotel has stood on this Indianapolis corner since 1858, when architect Francis Costigan built the four-story Oriental Hotel here.
- Le Méridien Downtown Fort Worth, Fort Worth, United States — The hotel is in Fort Worth, United States.
- Le Méridien Cyberport Hotel, Hong Kong, Hong Kong — The hotel is in Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
- Le Méridien Seoul, Myeongdong, Seoul, South Korea — The hotel is in Seoul, South Korea.
- Le Méridien Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan — The hotel is in Taipei, Taiwan.
- Le Méridien Taichung, Taichung, Taiwan — The hotel is in Taichung, Taiwan.
Newest openings
- Le Méridien Melbourne — Melbourne, Australia — opened 2023.
- Le Méridien Phuket Mai Khao Beach Resort — Phuket, Thailand — opened 2023.
Opening next
- Le Méridien Penang — George Town, Malaysia — The project has been announced; further details have not been confirmed in the sources reviewed.
Every Le Méridien hotel on the atlas
United States
- Le Méridien Downtown Fort Worth — Fort Worth · Accessible Luxury
- Le Méridien Indianapolis Hotel — Indianapolis · Accessible Luxury
- Le Meridien Boston Cambridge — Cambridge · Near Luxury
- Le Méridien New Orleans — New Orleans · Near Luxury
- Le Meridien New York Central Park — New York City · Near Luxury
- Le Méridien Tampa, The Courthouse — Tampa · Near Luxury
- Le Meridien Washington, D.C., The Madison — Washington, D.C. · Near Luxury
China
- Le Méridien Hangzhou, Binjiang — Hangzhou · Accessible Luxury
- Le Méridien Shanghai, Minhang — Shanghai · Accessible Luxury
- Le Meridien Shaoxing Yuecheng — Shaoxing · Accessible Luxury
Taiwan
- Le Méridien Taichung — Taichung · Accessible Luxury
- Le Méridien Taipei — Taipei · Accessible Luxury
Algeria
- Le Méridien Oran Hotel & Convention Centre — Oran · Near Luxury
Australia
- Le Méridien Melbourne — Melbourne · Accessible Luxury
Austria
- Le Méridien Wien — Vienna · Near Luxury
France
- Le Méridien Nice — Nice · Near Luxury
Hong Kong
- Le Méridien Cyberport Hotel — Hong Kong · Accessible Luxury
India
- Le Royal Méridien Chennai — Chennai · Accessible Luxury
Italy
- Le Meridien Visconti Rome — Rome · Near Luxury
Malaysia
- Le Méridien Penang Airport — Bayan Lepas · Near Luxury · Opening soon
Maldives
- Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa — Thilamaafushi Island · Core Luxury
Mexico
- Le Méridien Mexico City Reforma — Mexico City · Accessible Luxury
New Caledonia
- Le Méridien Ile des Pins — L'Île-des-Pins · Accessible Luxury
South Korea
- Le Méridien Seoul, Myeongdong — Seoul · Accessible Luxury
Thailand
- Le Méridien Phuket Mai Khao Beach Resort — Phuket · Accessible Luxury
Turkey
- Le Meridien Istanbul Etiler — Istanbul · Accessible Luxury
Open The Maison in the atlas for Le Méridien's full dossier, with prices and maps.