Landor to rethink Le Méridien

Forte Group has appointed Landor Associates to undertake a worldwide review of its four-star Le Méridien brand, which is being grown from its current 110 hotels.

The Le Méridien chain will be “revitalised” for the corporate and leisure markets through a strengthening of the existing Continental-style branding. Its graphic identity and signature will be redesigned, although the name will not be changed.

“Our initial brand strategy was established over 25 years ago and Le Méridien is now into a very active development phase with plans to open one major hotel every month,” says Le Méridien marketing director Alain Brière.

“We will be looking at everything from the identity to the experience of staying in a hotel. Le Méridien has an existing set of brand guidelines which we will be reviewing,” says Landor executive client director Jane Simmonds.

Landor’s London office makes its first presentation to the Le Méridien board next month and expects the redesigns to be complete before the end of the year.

“They are very ‘European’ hotels, even in the Far East and the US, which is part of their heritage and appeal. They also have quite an estate out there which is an amalgam of various architecture,” adds Simmonds.