Le Meridien June 2013

UNLOCK YOUR DESTINATION DISCOVERY, CURIOSITY AND CULTURE EXPLORE AND DISCOVER ASIA-PACIFIC THROUGH A DIFFERENT LENS

02/03 NEW PERSPECTIVES

LE MERIDIEN IS GEARING UP FOR SERIOUS EXPANSION IN ASIA PACIFIC WITH FOUR NEW MILESTONE PROPERTIES SET TO OPEN

DISCOVERY AWAITS

LE MERIDIEN BALI JIMBARAN Overlooking a lagoon opposite Jimbaran Bay on Bali’s southwestern coast, Le Méridien Bali Jimbaran is an idyllic island getaway, with sleek dining and drinking options including Bamboo Chic (Pan-Asian) and the Smoqee Lounge and Sky Bar for cocktails against the backdrop of Bali’s famous sunset.

LE MERIDIEN ZHENGZHOU Perfect for leisure and business – it is adjacent to Zhengzhou eastern new district with a shopping centre and cinema next door – Le Méridien Zhengzhou in Henan will open this August. Stand-outs include the Explore Spa and 11 meeting rooms offer plenty of options for business delegates.

LE MERIDIEN YIXING Opening mid 2013, Le Méridien Yixing is serenely situated in Jiangsu province next to Tai Lake near the picturesque water town of Suzhou, Bamboo Forest Park and Shanjuan cave.

Facilities include an indoor heated swimming pool, a fully equipped gym and a beauty salon.

LE MERIDIEN MAHABALESHWAR RESORT & SPA Due to open in October, Le Méridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa is situated in a hill station in the state of Maharahstra south of Mumbai.

An important pilgrimage site for Hindus – the Mahabaleshwar Temple is nearby – the area is also home to forts and castles.

LE MERIDIEN DHAKA Located between the central business district and Shahjalal International Airport and adjacent to the stock exchange, Le Méridien Dhaka is the perfect location for doing business.

This new landmark for the Bangladesh capital will be ready to open its doors this December.

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SHOW ME BANGKOK ASIA-PACIFIC PHOTOGRAPHERS CAME TOGETHER FOR A WORKSHOP CURATED BY LEGENDARY U.S PHOTOGRAPHER RALPH GIBSON AND EMBARKED ON A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY AROUND BANGKOK DAY AND NIGHT… Le Méridien Bangkok hosted an exhibition, ‘A New Perspective on Photography: A Look Through Bangkok’ last spring. The brand illustrated its support for the Asian photography community by inviting nine photographers from across Asia-Pacific to Bangkok for an intensive three-day workshop led by iconic photographer and LM100 artist Ralph Gibson, whose atmospheric black and white shots are critically acclaimed worldwide.

Each of the photographers attending the Bangkok workshop were recommended

by Le Méridien Unlock Art partners from destinations across Asia Pacific including Thailand, Cambodia, Hong Kong India and China. The nine photographers visited the major attractions of Bangkok such as The Grand Palace, Phukao Tong (Golden Mountain), and the famous street markets in search of inspiration. Using Bangkok’s pulsating background to tell their stories, they discovered a new perspective on photography in a city that is described by Gibson as, “a photographer’s dream come true in real life.”

“What we saw in the mind’s eye is what we wanted to bring home from our travels because these photographs are who we are,” added Gibson.

01 Mural in the Grand Palace by Ralph Gibson 02 Monk’s tattooed back

by Ralph Gibson 03 Flowers by Amit Mehra 04 Ralph Gibson at the workshop 05 Bangkok by night

by Ralf Tooten

04/05 LE MERIDIEN HUB

01 A grand entrance: Le Méridien Taipei 02 Le Méridien Taipei’s resident giraffe

THE ART OF CONNECTION IN KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK AND TAIPEI LE MERIDIEN HUB IS A GATHERING PLACE FOR CREATIVE MINDS, PROVIDING A CREATIVE ATMOSPHERE THAT PROMOTES DIALOGUE, AWAKENS CURIOSITY, AND STIMULATES THINKING THROUGH PHYSICAL COMPONENTS AND PERSONAL INTERACTIONS 01

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03 Lobby transitional portal at Le Méridien Bangkok 04 A KL landmark: Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur 05 Gastro Sentral, a gastro dining experience that offers a fresh and innovative approach to cuisine 06 Zebra-striped carpets add a pop of colour at Gastro Sentral Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur

Le Méridien Hub re-interprets the hotel brand’s lobbies as social gathering places for creative people to converse, debate and exchange. Initially launched in 2011 at Le Méridien Barcelona, The Hub concept is now adding a dash of creativity to lobbies in Kuala Lumpur, Taipei and Bangkok.

Launched last December, The Hub at Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur is conceptualized under the name ‘The Art of Connection,’ and is inspired by the cosmopolitan modernity of the capital city and the meeting point of global origins and cultures. As guests step into the lobby, they are greeted by Jonathan Maccabe’s sculpture, ‘Pomacanthus Imperator One’, a high-impact piece that demands to be looked at and immerses guests into the world of Le Méridien. This transition and discovery experience is enhanced by Le Méridien’s signature scent and projection of Souvenirs from Earth, a unique video art installation – both created by Le Méridien LM100 members. The newly launched Hub features Gastro Sentral, a dining experience that aims to nurture guests’ creative appetite that is orchestrated by Executive Chef, Antoine Rodriquez.

“We are thrilled to transform Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur into a creative platform for talents from many fields such as contemporary arts, literary, cuisine and wines,” said Arnaud Champenois, Senior Director, Asia Pacific Brand Management, W Hotels, Le Meridien, St Regis and Luxury Collection. “This Hub will be a new place in Kuala Lumpur for creative minds, where art installations shall inspire, encourage dialogue and provide a New Perspective through innovative programming.”

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CREATIVE ATMOSPHERE: SETTING THE SCENE FOR INSPIRATION 01/ CURATED CONTEMPORARY ART Le Méridien’s award-winning ‘Arrival Experience’ cultivates the right first impression with thought-provoking visuals in high-impact areas such as the concierge desk, reception area and lifts. The Unlock Art Programme, meanwhile, provides guests with access to contemporary cultural centers 02/ ENCOURAGING DIALOGUE The Hub’s intimate coffee-house style seating and styling arrangements foster dialogue, stimulation, contemplation, and interaction. Guests can enjoy illy coffee at the Hub plus snacks and drinks at Le Méridien’s signature bar, Latitude 03/ SIGNATURE EVENTS “New Perspective Events” showcase the best in contemporary art and succeed in engaging guests, local opinion leaders, media and associates into conversations around culture

06/07 LE MERIDIEN NEW DELHI

SEEKING INSPIRATION FROM THE JOURNEYS WE MAKE – A MOVING STORY

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01/ FABULOUS FAIRYTALE Inspired by the images of Thukral & Tagra, LM100 member and visual artist/writer Sam Samore wrote a modern fairytale, ‘Journey on the Space Between’ for the Hub launch at Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur. The book explores the journey in between two realities, two worlds, two cities.

Illustrations by Thukral & Tagra are intricately woven into the story.

02/ SHORT STORIES A metaphor for the traveler’s journey – always in between two cities, two geographies – the third book in the series explores the passage between Kuala Lumpur and New Delhi.

03/ IN-BETWEEN This book is the third of a series for Le Méridien that began with ‘Between Paris and Philadelphia – Five Transformations’ and continued with ‘Between Istanbul and Bangkok – The Key to SomeWhere’.

01 Exterior night shot of Le Méridien New Delhi 02 The one-all day dining restaurant at Le Méridien New Delhi

ACTIVATE ART

03 Arnaud Champenois and Karen Anand 04 A band performs at the hotel’s opening party

LE MERIDIEN NEW DELHI TEAM UP WITH THE INDIA ART FAIR AND POP ART DUO THUKRAL & TAGRA TO DEMONSTRATE ITS COMMITMENT TO VISUAL ARTS Le Méridien New Delhi partnered with the India Art Fair, the country’s premier modern and contemporary art show and the largest in South Asia, this February.

The hotel hosted members of the art fraternity worldwide including 40 speakers and also held the opening party, which included ‘A Culinary Journey – Discovery Experience,’ where guests sampled dishes themed around five different spices.

To mark this creative partnership, the hotel also unveiled an interactive installation

by Indian art duo Thukral & Tagra, where illuminated characters on the lobby floor follow guests’ footsteps as they explore. Renowned for their populist approach, Thukral & Tagra eloquently mix high art with low art, design with formal art standards, and ornate objects with everyday products. Their work comments both on the globalization of consumer culture as experienced in today’s India and the human tendency to dream. The installation for Le Méridien New Delhi embodies the spirit of the duo and provides an engaging experience that transforms the first ten minutes of a guest’s arrival at the hotel.

Created for the Hub at Le Méridien New Delhi, Thukral & Tagra’s ‘Homosapiens’ explores the intersection of graphic and interior design with populist culture. A field of small logo-like icons is projected on to the center of the white marble floor of the lobby. Arranged in a grid within a rectangular outline the color of pure white light, this field of insignias appears to be a magic carpet, glowing from within and belonging to a Futurist Orientalism. When one enters this field, the pictures begin to scatter and swarm, surrounding the visitor’s feet as if nibbling fish were buzzing with a maniacal energy.

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05 LM100 members Thukral & Tagra and their interactive installlation 06 Illustration by Thukral & Tagra

08/09 LE MERIDIEN RESORTS

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SEEK INSPIRATION FROM BLUE LAGOONS IN NEW CALEDONIA TO UNDISCOVERED BEACHES IN THAILAND, TRIGGER YOUR CURIOSITY AT THESE SUBLIME SPOTS…

01 The beach awaits at Le Méridien Shimei Bay

04 A traditional hut at Le Méridien Nouméa

02 Le Méridien Koh Samui lobby at night

05 Lantern festival at Chiang Mai, Thailand

03 Private saltwater infinity pool at the Ocean Front Pool Villa at Le Méridien Koh Samui Resort & Spa

06 Yoga on the beach at Le Méridien Khao Lak Beach & Spa Resort 07 Longtail boats at Maya Beach near Le Méridien Phuket

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MUST-DO EXPERIENCES: THREE UNMISSABLE SPOTS IN ASIA

05 Strolling along soft white sand beaches, floating in a private infinity pool, sipping cocktails under shady sunloungers… these are the experiences that define a sublime resort getaway. Le Méridien has a host of fabulous hideaways in Asia including Le Méridien Khao Lak Beach & Spa Resort, Le Méridien Koh Samui Resort & Spa, Le Méridien Phuket Beach Resort and Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort in Thailand.

With its quiet spot on Phang Nga Bay, Khao Lak is popular with honeymooners while Koh Samui and Phuket offer the best of both worlds, with serene surrounds that are well connected. Further north, Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort is situated on the banks of the Mae Kok River and surrounded by magnificent mountain scenery, where the stresses of urban life seem a distant memory…

Over in China, Le Méridien Shimei Bay Beach Resort & Spa on Hainan Island is a popular Chinese retreat, while art aficionados have easy access to Shanghai Sculpture Park from Le Méridien She Shan Shanghai.

In India, Le Méridien Jaipur offers accommodation fit for a raj with its palatial feel, while the Indo-European architecture at Le Méridien Kochi in Kerala is a visual delight.

Surrounded by the pristine waters of the South Pacific, Le Méridien Nouméa and Le Méridien Ile des Pins offer a little slice of paradise with a distinctly French flavour.

01/ THE LAGOON AT NOUMEA A UNESCO heritage site, Nouméa, is located on the southern tip of New Caledonia’s main island, Grande Terre.

Forming the largest lagoon in the world, it is surrounded by translucent, blue tropical waters, mountain ranges and long, golden stretches of beach.

02/ KERALA’S FORT KOCHI Kochi was once an obscure fishing village until it became the first European township in India.

Attractions include beaches, palaces and historic churches. Shop for handmade gold jewellery, cotton and silk, spices, antiques, and handicrafts.

03/ SHANGHAI SCULPTURE PARK Located in west Shanghai, this park is home to more than 70 sculptures and is set amid the Sheshan mountains with Yuehu lake as its centerpiece.

The park also houses the Yuehu Museum of Art, one of the best contemporary art museums in Shanghai.

10/11 LE MÉRIDIEN CHINA

01 Le Méridien Xiamen 02 Horizon pool at Le Méridien Shimei Bay 03 Chongqing artist Chen Wenbo 04 Kiki Allgeier, Jérome Sans, Lin Ran and Matthew Everson at Le Méridien Xiamen

CREATIVE JOURNEY IN CHINA

05 Méduse installation

by An Xiaotong 06 An Xiaotong gets creative with Lego

TO OFFER NEW, NEVER-BEFORE TOLD PERSPECTIVES ON CHINA, LE MERIDIEN HAS TEAMED UP WITH SOME OF ITS MOST TALENTED ARTISTS Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts continue to creatively inspire guests with the commission of a short film that explores three Chinese cities and the lives of local artists who live there through the eyes of US film-maker Kiki Allgeier.

Presented at Le Méridien Xiamen this March, the thought-provoking film, ‘Shanghai, Chongqing, Xiamen Through the Eyes of Kiki Allgeier’ examines what it means to be an artist in China in the 21st Century and represents the latest instalment of the brand’s groundbreaking event series ‘A New Perspective’.

These events demonstrate that Le Méridien’s hotels and and resorts are not only simply a place to stay but also an inspiration, unlocking a world of interactive art and cultural experiences in each destination.

The New York–based filmmaker embarked on her seven-day ‘Creative Journey’ this March, and her captivating video montage is a creative exploration of China with local artists Liu Jianhua in Shanghai, Chen Wenbo in Chongqing and Lin Ran in Xiamen. The completed film will be screened at Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts across China later this year.

Le Méridien’s ‘A New Perspective’ event series has previously explored contemporary Indian art, a photographic study of Bangkok captured by nine photographers across Asia-Pacific, and a project by Paris-based Chinese artist An Xiaotong creating Lego artworks inspired by her visits to Le Méridien hotels in Hainan, Paris and Istanbul.

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INSPIRATION JOURNEY IN CHINA: LE MERIDIEN SHIMEI BAY TAKES CENTRE STAGE 01/ HAINAN CALLING Celebrated Chinese artist and LM100 Member An Xiaotong embarked on Le Méridien’s inaugural ‘Creative Journey’ in Asia at Le Méridien Shimei Bay Beach Resort & Spa on China’s Hainan Island last February.

02/ FINDING INSPIRATION During her artistic journey at the unique beachfront resort, An Xiaotong created striking pieces inspired by her week on the Hainan Island coast that captured the beauty of the hotel, local people, the surroundings and Hainanese culture. The artist revealed her inspirations during a chic unveiling ceremony in the hotel lobby, .

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03/ A WATERY INSTALLATION An Xiaotong’s iconoclastic artwork is a jellyfish-themed installation entitled Méduse. The giant mural measures 5 x 2.5 metres and is made up of around 400,000 Lego bricks. As an LM100 member, a selection of Xiaotong’s cityscape artworks are on display at Le Méridien hotels worldwide.

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BONJOUR BALI Guests at the newly-opened Le Méridien Bali Jimbaran are taken on an inspiring culinary journey by chef Paul Lewis, who gives lost Balinese dishes a contemporary twist at the hotel’s Bamboo Chic restaurant, and creates inventive southeast Asian fusion cuisine at Smoqee Lounge and the Sky Bar. Asked to define his culinary approach Paul says, “I try to let the raw ingredients shine through and keep things simple and uncomplicated”.

Paul’s video, ‘Taste of Discovery’, provides viewers with a flavor of the local area by exploring local markets and organic farms. For more, visit: http://tinyurl.com/c8njajk

PORK HOCK RECIPE BY PAUL LEWIS INGREDIENTS: One boneless pork hock from 80-100kg pig MASTER STOCK: Soy sauce 1 litre light, 100ml dark Water 300ml Cinnamon sticks 5gr Star Anise 3gr Dry orange skin 2gr Garlic, whole, 2 pcs Spring onion 3 gr Rock sugar 500gr Combine pork hock with master stock. Place dry spices in a muslin cloth, bring to boil then simmer.

Place in oven at 72 degrees for approximately 36 hours.

DRESSING: Plum sauce 225gr Rock sugar 150gr Coriander 100gr Garlic 100gr Red chilli 300gr Bird’s eye chilli, chopped, 75gr Ginger, chopped, 300gr Combine all ingredients except coriander and chili, bring to boil until coating consistency then add remaining ingredients. Remove

from heat and allow to cool.

PICKLED VEGETABLES: 1 shaved carrot, 1 shaved cucumber, 1 radish, 1 baby radish, 200ml vinegar, 200gr sugar, coriander root and anise seeds.

Thinly shave all ingredients, place in bowl with warm vinegar, sugar, coriander root and anise. Check the balance of sweet and sour, pour over the vegetables and cool.

MANTOU Hong Kong flour 600 gr Sugar 105 gr Yeast 12 gr Baking powder 6 gr

Add yeast with a teaspoon of sugar and water then combine all ingredients. Add enough water to combine the dough so it’s not sticky. Roll out, steam, then deep fry the bread.

To assemble the dish, deep fry the pork hock until crispy, coat with reduced master stock and cover with the rock sugar sauce. Garnish with pickled vegetables and serve with mantou.