Le Meridien Passport to travel - bargain summer rates available

Covered in Le Meridien Summer Passport programme are more than 30 hotels in Europe - including a dozen in the UK- as well as six in North Africa. Asia, too, figures heavily, with 16 options among Le Meridien hotels and partner Nikko Hotels offering discount rates, while travellers have a choice of resorts in the Seychelles as well as six properties in India and regional Le Meridien hotels in the Middle East.

"As well as offering attractive prices, our Summer Passport offers the bonus of guaranteeing room availability at popular destinations during the peak season - this is a major attraction of the programme in a late-booking market such as the Middle East," said Russel Sharpe, Le Meridien senior vice president, sales & marketing, Middle East and West Asia.

"While London is a perennial favourite, deluxe resorts such as Le Meridien Forte Village in Sardinia, our Thailand properties and Morocco hotels are among the most popular summer vacation spots for consumers in the region, and this programme is designed to combine the quality of Le Meridien products with value-for-money rates."

Bargains are also on offer at other popular summer destinations in Cyprus, Monte Carlo, Malta, Portugal and Russia, as well as US cities (Boston, Los Angeles and New Orleans).

In addition, 22 Le Meridien hotels and resorts in the Middle East and West Asia are participating in the programme, offering discounted rates between June 1 and September 31.

Meanwhile, following the success last year of its Ahlan programme, Le Meridien is reviving the scheme for the peak summer travelling months.

Aimed at making Arab travellers feel at home, Ahlan is provided at hotels in popular holiday destinations, and highlights hotels that offer Arabic-speaking staff at reception and on the switchboard, as well as additional Arabic services.

Other value-added services include Arabic newspapers from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait; in-room Arabic satellite television (MBC/LBC, Al Jazira, Egyptian and Arab Sat programmes), plus foreign exchange facilities for all GCC currencies - where available, the scheme includes inter-connecting rooms.

"This summer will be a crucial year to consolidate both our regional and international business, and the combination of the right rates and value-added services specifically targeted at our valued Arab clientele aim to position Le Meridien as the hotel chain of choice," said Sharpe.

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