HotelChatter

What We Liked
This particular property's rooms were massive — the video tour above is a standard room. The full-sized sofas were fantastic and surprisingly comfy, and the Graham Downes-designed room decor was chic and modern with little techie touches like the swivel-happy flatscreen, the sleek coffee machine, and the tech panel just above the desk. Also, that wallpaper (or mural) on the wall behind the couch is actually the Paris cityscape. Cool.

What We Didn't Like
We understand that the hotel is brand new and that there wasn't a whole lot goin' on early on a Friday afternoon, but the whole room had a bit of a colder feel to it — maybe it was the grey walls and carpet, but the hotel — particularly the room — seemed just a tad more institutional than homey to us. Also, we (sadly) didn't encounter any of the fabled scents of which we had heard — the place totally had a new-carpet smell.

Finally, we know pink is not for everyone. We liked it — but our positive 'tude about pinkness is fierce and well-documented. Still, the rest of the chain will not have the same color scheme and setup; this is just the prototype for the new "brand experience," not necessarily the mold from which all Le Meridiens will be cast.