Le Méridien opens doors next year

Le Méridien Dhaka, a new five-star hotel with a focus on business travellers, is set to open doors to visitors by July next year.
Best Holdings Limited (BHL) -- a concern of Metro Group, one of the prominent realtors in the country -- is the owner of the hotel, while the day-to-day operation of the hotel has been handed over to Starwood Hotels. Starwood operates the La Méridien brand globally.
“This new hotel, which will be operated by the world's largest hotel company and one of the most recognisable hotel brands, will significantly upgrade the options for business travellers to Dhaka,” said Amin Ahmad, chairman and managing director of BHL.
BHL signed a deal for 20 years with Starwood, which can be extended by further 10 years, he said.
“The building has already been erected; works are ongoing in the interiors. We are planning to inaugurate the hotel on April 14, which is the first day of the Bangla calendar. However, it won't cross the July deadline we have set for starting commercial operation.”
The construction of the 300-room luxury hotel in Nikunjo, just beside the airport road, would cost BHL around Tk 750 crore, of which Tk 460 crore is to be raised by IDLC Finance Ltd.
The deal was signed by Amin Ahmad and Selim RF Hussain, CEO and managing director of IDLC, on June 13.
“IDLC is delighted to partner with Metro Group in this exciting project and also believes the hotel will boost the economic activity in Dhaka city,” said Hussain.
The hospitality sector in Bangladesh has been booming in recent years, with three five-star hotels having opened in the past six years, fuelled by the increase in business travellers for the garment and telecom industries.
According to industry analysts, Dhaka currently has around 1,300 five-star rooms, which are occupied fully only during the winter. However, an average occupancy of around 75 percent is sufficient to keep the businesses profitable.