Le Méridien Koh Samui Resort & Spa partners with Nakari-Huathanin shrine to unveil unlock art programme (Thailand)
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Le Méridien Koh Samui Resort & Spa partners with Nakari-Huathanin shrine to unveil unlock art programme (Thailand)
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Category: Asia Pacific - Thailand
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2011-11-07
Celebrated Artists Sam Samore, Yan Lei and Hisham Baroocha Create Exclusive Artwork for Le Méridien Koh Samui Resort & Spa’s Keycards Which Grant Guests Preferred Access To Nakari-Huathanin Shrine
Le Méridien Koh Samui Resort & Spa today announces that Nakari-Huathanin Shrine has been selected as the hotel’s official UNLOCK ART™ partner. UNLOCK ART™ consists of two unique components— preferred access to Nakari-Huathanin Shrine and a room keycard that doubles as artwork and is part of a collectible series.
“Le Méridien brand aims to reinterpret the hotel experience, with a goal of breaking the mold and awakening our guests’ curiosity,” said Lyndon Ellis, general manager of Le Méridien Koh Samui Resort & Spa. “UNLOCK ART™ is a unique programme that reimagines the keycard—a hotel convention—as a collectible piece of art and provides special access to cutting-edge cultural organizations around the world, such as Nakari-Huathanin Shrine.”
Open since last month, Le Méridien Koh Samui Resort & Spa is a chic and intimate resort on exclusive Lamai Beach with a unique blend of stylish amenities, luxury services, an inspiring atmosphere and rich, cultural experiences that offers guests a new perspective. Le Méridien goes beyond the traditional five-star hotel experience by inviting guests to discover more than just a new destination. With a focus on fusing contemporary art and cuisine with the local culture, Le Méridien helps guests experience travel with a new perspective and discover the world in an entirely new way.
UNLOCK ART is Le Méridien’s worldwide program that weds together the brand’s LM100TM tastemakers and artists with local cultural institutions near each hotel and resort. Upon arrival, guests are presented with an artist-designed key card that offers access to more than just the hotel room. Le Méridien Koh Samui keycards have been created by LM100TM members Sam Samore, Yan Lei and Hisham Baroocha. The unique key cards – collector’s items in themselves – grant guests preferred access to one of Koh Samui’s most treasured cultural institutions – the Nakari-Huathanin Shrine.
Constructed at the turn of the 18th century, the Nakari-Huathanin Shrine uniquely functions as both an Islamic Mosque and a traditional Thai Temple, and was one of the first places where these religions united harmoniously. In fact, the shrine helped establish Samui as a peaceful paradise where people of different religions could co-exist in peace. The UNLOCK ART key card gains visitors admission into the shrine, along with a complimentary gift of fruits to present as an offering to Guan Yu, a famed warrior who was a prominent general of the Shu Kingdom in the 3rd century. He is revered for his bravery and accomplishments, and is worshipped throughout China as a guardian.
Launched in 2007, Le Méridien’s LM100 is a group of cultural innovators and artists who define and enrich the guest experience at Le Méridien. The group comprises a global array of visionaries, from painters to photographers, musicians to designers, chefs to architects. LM100 artists help develop each sensory aspect of the guest experience from arrival to departure, creating interactions with scent, sound and visuals. Le Méridien Koh Samui’s UNLOCK ART program features the designs of LM100 artists Sam Samore, Yan Lei and Hisham Baroocha.
About Le Méridien Koh Samui Resort & Spa
Inspired by Koh Samui’s timeless beauty and diverse cultural influences, Le Méridien Koh Samui Resort & Spa features an intimate selection of 77 stylish suites and villas with design and layout inspired by fengshui principles. The resort is an idyllic enclave on exclusive Lamai Beach – on the eastern side of the island away from busy Chaweng beach, but with equally close proximity to the airport and island attractions. Le Méridien Koh Samui Resort & Spa features three culinary experiences: Latest Recipe an all-day restaurant featuring local and international flavors; the chic lobby lounge bar Latitude 9; as well as the hotel’s poolside Plunge Bar. For guests seeking retreat, Le Méridien Koh Samui offers the world-class luxury Le SPA with 5 private suites and a holistic mix of ancient and modern treatments. A main focal point of the resort is the 224-meter floating ocean pier over the Gulf of Thailand, a unique and inspired venue for private dinners, celebratory cocktail parties, and intimate receptions.
About Le Méridien
Le Méridien, the Paris-born hotel brand currently represented by 104 properties in 50 countries, was acquired by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) in November 2005. Since then, Le Méridien has gone through a brand re-launch, which included appointing a full-time Cultural Curator – French arts-provocateur Jérôme Sans – and transforming numerous guest touch points, thus bringing unique and interactive experiences to its guests. With close to 80 of its properties located in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Le Méridien provides an international complement to Starwood’s strong North American portfolio. Plans call for dynamic expansion of Le Méridien hotels and resorts within the next five years, concentrating in the U.S., Latin America, and Asia-Pacific, including destinations such as India, Thailand and China. Le Méridien recently opened new hotels in Dallas, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Shimei Bay (China), Xiamen (China), Chongqing Nan’an (China), Qingdao (China) and Taipei and recently signed a new deal in Coimbatore, India.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1058 properties in 100 countries and territories with 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft®, and Element SM. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts.
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