Although Le Méridien is now North American-owned, it is not changing its style. On the contrary, Starwood Hotels & Resorts wants to invest in the "French touch". "We certainly don't want to Americanise the brand. Our roots are in Paris, which is a world cultural capital", insists Eva Ziegler, who compares the chain's development to "the Louvre, where buildings from past centuries surround the glass pyramid". But there is no question of "making a Parisian decal" elsewhere in the world. While the article 'Le' will remain part of the name for greater 'francitude', "there will be no more 'bonjour madame' when we answer the phone. Our staff and managers are no longer exclusively French," adds Eva Ziegler.
At Sofitel, the atmosphere is more traditional and hushed. In New York, some of the staff at the check-in desk are French. But everything often happens on the restaurant side, with a menu of very Parisian flavours and a particularly rich wine cellar. In Bangkok, the tone is set right from the entrance with a Lenôtre boutique. In Cairo, the nods to France are more discreet: a buffet of pastries in the lobby in the afternoon, or black and white photos of Paris.
In budget chains, the French touch is mainly found in the restaurants, and more rarely in the design, for reasons of cost. Louvre Hotels has nevertheless taken the gamble of reconciling the two in its new-generation Campanile, entrusting the design of the menu to Pierre Gagnaire and the decoration to Patrick Jouin.
