AGENTS have been assured bookings with all Le Méridien
hotels are safe following the high-profile break-up of the hotel chain.
Flagship London properties the Grosvenor House and
Waldorf hotels have placed into receivership, with a further nine properties in
the UK and Ireland expected to follow shortly. These 11 properties will pass
into the ownership of the Royal Bank of Scotland and will drop the Le Méridien
brand.
The name will remain on 126 other Le
Méridien properties around the world under a newly created management company.
Although the future ownership of these hotels is still unclear, it is likely
they will be divided between Le Méridien’s main creditors, which includes US
investment house Lehman Brothers, 13 other banks and Hyatt Hotels.