Meridien Jurgen Bartels

MINNEAPOLIS, London-based independent luxury hotel group Le Meridien announced today that Minneapolis will be the first U.S. location of its anticipated Art + Tech design product. This announcement was made at a joint news conference held by Juergen Bartels, chief executive officer of Le Meridien and Jim Graves, CEO of Graves Hospitality Corporation, the developers, owners and operators of the project, located on the vibrant new Block E development in Minneapolis' new downtown theatre, entertainment and business district.

The Art + Tech by Le Meridien at Minneapolis will showcase all standard Art + Tech design concepts and amenities throughout its public spaces and 255 guest rooms when it debuts this November. Strategically positioned in Minneapolis' thriving entertainment district, this new hotel will feature 15,000 square feet of meeting space, a sleek restaurant offering contemporary cuisine, a fashionable street-level bar and comprehensive fitness center.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with Le Meridien to bring the industry's most exciting new product to my hometown, Minneapolis," Graves remarked. "Art + Tech by Le Meridien will provide our visitors with cutting edge luxury accommodations, bringing an added element of innovation and surprise to the Block E project."

Art + Tech by Le Meridien was conceived by Bartels, an internationally- renowned hotelier, on the philosophy that today's upscale traveller demands substance and comfort in a hotel, and has become tired of similar looking, interchangeable room products offered by competitor upscale hotel chains. After interviewing a variety of interior designers to bring his vision to reality, Bartels selected London museum designer Yvonne Golds of Real Studios for the prototype at London's Russell Hotel in November 2001. Today, Art + Tech by Le Meridien is being partially incorporated into such traditional landmark properties as Le Meridien's Grosvenor House in London, and several hotels, including the Minneapolis project, will be entirely comprised of Art + Tech. Of Le Meridien's 40,000-plus rooms, some 5,000 will be transformed into Art + Tech during the next three years.

Design and substance components include:

  • Backlit photographs, commissioned for Le Meridien, take inspiration from the culture, lifestyles and galleries of each local hotel market.
  • Glass-etched, handcrafted headboards are one of the most unusual and dramatic focal points in each room
  • Wall-mounted, 42" plasma screen televisions with in-room entertainment systems provide music, video and hotel information on demand. Plasma screens also provide high speed internet access.
  • Specially designed beds (in many cases, electronically-controlled), provide the ultimate sleep experience.
  • Bathrooms feature freestanding shower towers with multiple body jets and glass screens. Some bathrooms will feature steel circular showers or Victorian style roll-type baths.
  • Specially-commissioned amenities include luxury toiletries and an exclusive, 100-gram bar of Hermes soap.

"The Art + Tech Hotel by Le Meridien at Minneapolis will introduce the United States to a dramatically different style of hotel product offering an experience never seen before in a global luxury hotel group," remarks Le Meridien Chief Executive Officer Juergen Bartels. "We look forward to continuing to expand Art + Tech in other strategic markets as we move forward with our aggressive expansion plans for Le Meridien both here and abroad."

Graves Hospitality Corporation is dedicated to the development and management of unique high-end destination oriented lodging properties in strong metropolitan markets. In addition to the Art + Tech Hotel by Le Meridien at Minneapolis, Graves Hospitality Corporation plans to partner with Le Meridien on future Art + Tech hotels in the United States. Established in 1979 by James J. Graves, Graves Development has developed, constructed and provided management services to more than 85 properties over the past 20 years.

Le Meridien is a global hotel group with a portfolio of 145 luxury and upscale hotels (41,630 rooms) in 55 countries worldwide. The majority of it properties are located in the world's top cities and resorts throughout Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. The company also enjoys a strategic alliance with JAL-owned Nikko Hotels, providing loyal guests access to an additional 42 properties around the world. Headquartered in London, the group was purchased by Nomura International plc's Principal Finance Group in July 2001 and merged with Principal Hotels, acquired by Nomura in February 2001. Bartels was appointed CEO in July.

Katie Meyer
+44 207 301 2410
Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts