Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts is celebrated for its refined European sensibility, elegant design, and dedication to culture and the arts. One standout initiative, Au Soleil, distills the essence of a perfect summer—luxurious leisure, sunlit moments, and a relaxed, stylish approach to travel. Au Soleil recreates the ambiance of a European summer around the world, inviting guests to enjoy the ease and charm of Côte d’Azur living. I recently traveled to northern Germany to experience Au Soleil firsthand at Le Méridien Hamburg on the summer solstice. With only three hours of darkness that night, here’s what I found.
© Marriott International
Entering Le Méridien Hamburg’s lakefront lobby, I was met by a large sundial surrounded by bold yellow and white floral arrangements—an immediate cue that I had shifted not only time zones but mindset. The hotel frames Au Soleil as a playful, liberating concept—Au Soleil Time (AST)—that encourages guests to set aside the clock and savor summer as a state of mind. As the program grows from a seasonal highlight into a year-round celebration, it invites a calmer, more indulgent pace of living.
Au Soleil centers on celebrating travel and discovery in an unforced, graceful way. It asks guests to embrace the relaxed, sun-soaked lifestyle of the French Riviera through small, pleasurable rituals: seaside games, shared plates, and leisurely glasses of rosé. A recent addition to the program, introduced in 2023, is the Sorbet Sidecar. This playful offering pairs scoops of sorbet served in glass cones perched atop a stemless glass of rosé—an inventive combination of two quintessential summer treats.
© Marriott International
On the solstice eve, we slipped into Au Soleil Time with an extended multi-course dinner at the hotel’s top-floor restaurant. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered sweeping views of sailboats drifting across Lake Alster while each course encouraged lingering conversation and an easing of the sense of time. The next morning, rooftop sun salutations welcomed early risers ready to embrace the longest day; others, like me, chose to sleep in. In the afternoon the Sorbet Sidecar cart appeared in the lobby, and the evening culminated in the official AST launch party.
The launch combined signature cocktails with an elegant selection of breakfast-for-dinner dishes—reinforcing the program’s playful rule that time need not dictate how you enjoy a meal. The sun became the evening’s centerpiece from the terrace of Heritage, the hotel’s rooftop bar. Although Hamburg isn’t typically associated with endless sunshine, the day turned brilliantly clear. A vivid sunset unfolded across the lake, shifting from bright oranges to pinks and finally deep purples at dusk. Choosing to celebrate the sun in a city known for cloudy skies felt bold but fitting: Au Soleil proves you can cultivate summer’s warmth and sophistication wherever you are, simply by choosing to embrace it.