HEATHROW regulars asking for Le Meridien (or even the Forte Hotel) should be aware that the property that actually faces the central area tunnel on the north side of the Bath Road last week became a Park Inn, the first in the UK.
Since 2002, when Rezidor SAS Hospitality secured the master franchise agreement for Europe, the Middle East and Africa from US-based Carlson Hotels Worldwide, the company has opened 35 Park Inn hotels and is well on track to have a total of 75 hotels contracted by this year-end.
The brand has aggressive growth projections, aiming to have 150 hotels in operation and under construction by the end of 2006 and plans to become Europe's number one mid-market hotel brand. The former Le Meridien has 880 rooms and 9 suites.
http://www.parkinn.com