Le Meridien; innovative & not-genuine
The Hale Crew
The new program is being led by the expertise of Fritz Storm, the 2002 World Barista Champion and trainer of several high placing World Barista competitors—including Fabrizio Ramirez who finished 2nd and Miki Suzuki who finished 4th in the 2012 WBC. The new program will complement 100 locations where the lobbies have been transformed into hubs that provide a more coffee shop-like atmosphere.
The disappointing part of all this is that Le Méridien has partnered with Illy to provide the program’s coffee. If the focus was truly on elevating the coffee experience as well as creating a more personal interaction about the city where each hotel is located, it would have been great if they worked with local or regional roasters. Instead they’ll be providing a bland coffee that many other hotels (and grocery stores) already offer.