DOHA • Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide and Al Muttahed opened three towers of the 'all suites' eight-tower Le Méridien Hotel in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The additional five towers are expected to open by the end of 2009. A total of four towers will be an 'all suites' hotel and the remaining four towers will be sold as vacation ownership by the owning company Al Muttahed.

The 'all suites' hotel will feature three different types of luxurious suites such as Executive Suites, Diplomatic Suites and the Royal Suites. The 95 sq metre Royal Suites possess the largest floor space of all suites, having two separate bedrooms, a spacious seating area, three bathrooms and a kitchen. Each tower will consist of an average of 165 suites making it a grand total of 1,320 elegantly positioned suites. All suites are designed by the renowned Richmond International in London with an exquisite combination of classic and modern design complimented by an extra touch of Islamic patterns.

The new property is connected to the Haram, an inviolate zone with sanctuaries, by a 1,700-meter tunnel which is only a ten-minute trip with round the clock shuttle service. The hotel's unique location provides easy access to holy places in Makkah such as Mena, Muzdalifah and Arafa.

Le Méridien will open its third restaurant offering specialties from the Gulf area next year.