For townies and foreigners alike, hotel bars and clubs are the place to see-and-be-seen nowadays. Hello, Boom Boom Room. That's why we were psyched to hear about international hotel chain Le Méridien's new lobby concept, unveiled last week. We got the lounge-y lowdown at a chic breakfast presentation at NYC's ABC Kitchen, where we heard from creative types like curator Jerome Sans and chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. You've heard of airport hubs, but hotel hubs? Sounds super un-chic. Mais non, says Le Méridien. Indeed, their spankin' new concept, known simply as the Hub, will be introduced gradually at LM hotels around the world (now open in Barcelona!), and will include a laid-back coffee house vibe by day and a sexy wine bar atmosphere by night. The interior will pull from local artists and designers and will take the usual jet-settery party spots to a new level of cultured luxe. Say goodbye to dime-a-dozen hotel artwork and gloomy, battered public couches–at Le Méridien Hub, traveling becomes a regular, well, first-class, experience.