Le Méridien to become a Marriot hotel

The Le Méridien hotel in St Julians will close on 1 October for an extensive overhaul and reopen next year as the first Marriot hotel in Malta.

The rebranding exercise will happen as part of Marriot’s international takeover of Starwood Hotels & Resorts that owned the Méridien brand.

The company will be investing €25 million on the external and internal infrastructure of the hotel. The Marriot is expected to reopen by summer next year.

Hotel General Manager Alex Incorvaja stated that everything was on track for the hotel to close at the beginning of next week. The closure would allow for a total renovation of the hotel, he added.

“The Marriott chain is one of the strongest brands worldwide in terms of hotel lodgings, and its arrival on the island will definitely be good news for the tourism industry,” he said.  

The renovations will see the increase in hotel rooms to 327, in the hope of offering guests a wider choice of premium rooms and executive suits. Architects Pluprint Periti will be overseeing the project.    

While the hotel is closed, restaurants at The Villa will continue to remain open.   

“This is a very exciting period for the hotel. Having had a great 2018 which follows the previous year’s record results, we are now looking ahead to accelerating this momentum once the hotel reopens as the prestigious Malta Marriott Hotel & Spa next summer,” Incorvaja said. 

The more than 140 employees will be kept on. Some employees were given the opportunity to work at other Marriot hotels around the world.