A �first� for both parties, Le Meridien and Nikko customers around the world gain greater accommodation choice through the alliance supported by a quick and easy �one-stop� booking service through compatible voice reservation facilities. For the trade, GDS codes for Le Meridien and Nikko Hotels remain FE and NK respectively.

Both hotels� worldwide reservation offices have been trained to cross-sell the joint portfolio of properties.

�We are delighted to be able to announce our partnership with Nikko Hotels International today which gives a dramatic increase of Meridien brand awareness among Nikko customers,� said Bernard Lambert, President and Managing Director, Le Meridien Hotels  Resorts. �Not only are the brands complementary in terms of heritage and values but we plan to strengthen this further and ensure our customers receive a common experience. Building on Nikko�s valued experience, Le Meridien will introduce a tailored service to exceed the expectation of our Japanese guests.�

�This is just the beginning. We plan to share best practices amongst our people and explore common policies and knowledge bases.  Several service initiatives will be implemented to ensure guests enjoy the same high standards at both partner Nikko and Meridien hotels,� he added.

�Nikko and Le Meridien make perfect partners. The hotels belong to the same upscale category and therefore can easily work together,� said Shinzo Suto, Chairman of the Board of Directors, JAL Hotels Company Limited.

�We know that we can confidently sell either brand to our customers and they are guaranteed to experience the same high quality of product and service. We look forward to a long and rewarding partnership with Le Meridien,� he added.

�The strategic alliance is a fast, efficient way to exploit synergies between companies and in particular tap in to each other�s distribution channels. This, and delivering consistently superior service to customers, is where the battle for market dominance on a global scale will be won,� added Mr. Lambert.

The new alliance, which involves 125 Le Meridien Hotels (nearly 35,000 rooms) and 22 Nikko Hotels International (over 9,000 rooms), leverages the two company�s recognized and complementary geographic strengths, Europe and Japan respectively.

Through Nikko Hotels, Le Meridien will be able to offer its own customer-base more accommodation options in key Asia-Pacific destinations such as China and Hong Kong - as well as some destinations in the Americas where Le Meridien has no presence, such as Mexico City and San Francisco.

Nikko Hotels, in turn, will not only benefit from Le Meridien�s 47-strong hotel network in Europe but also being able to sell to Le Meridien�s distinguished customer base around the world, in areas such as Africa and the Middle East.

A joint tactical programme is under way, including the co-production of marketing materials such as brochures. Furthermore, Le Meridien�s Directory 2000 will feature Nikko Hotels International outside of Japan, in addition to its 125 own hotels. Nikko Hotels will, in turn, feature Le Meridien hotels and resorts outside of Japan for the first phase of the partnership.
Plans are underway to ensure that, where possible, customers benefit from frequent flyer and guest loyalty programmes that recognise each other�s members. From day one, the guests of both chains will be treated with the same warm welcome.

Gerry Robinson, Chairman, Granada Group plc, concludes: �We have always said that acquisition and strategic alliance were preferred routes to grow Le Meridien�s business. Strategic alliances have worked well in other areas of the Group. I have supported the alliance with Nikko Hotels International since the earliest stages and am delighted that this significant partnership has now come to fruition.�