Melia to Expand into Cienfuegos, Trinidad and Camaguey

Meliá to expand Cuba presence eight new hotels

The Spanish chain wants to help promote multi-destination holidays on the largest island in the Caribbean in conjunction with Cuban hotel groups Gran Caribe, Cubanacan and Islazul.

The group will assume responsibility for the hotels in, starting a transitional process in their management which will be completed by January 1, 2018.

Meliá will manage the 56-room San Carlos Hotel and the 49-room Union Hotel in the historic centre of Cienfuegos.

The company will also manage the Jagua Hotel in the same city, operating 173 rooms under the INNSIDE by Meliá urban lifestyle brand.

The chain will renovate and manage the 279-room Ancon Hotel under Sol House brand in Trinidad, as well as a new 102-room hotel operated under the Meliá brand.

Meliá will start working with the Islazul hotel group to manage three hotels in Camagüey, two of them in the historic centre of the city – the 72-room Gran Hotel and the 58-room Hotel Colón. The INNSIDE by Meliá brand will be applied to the 142-room Hotel Camagüey after renovation.

Meliá vice president, Gabriel Escarrer Jaume, said: “These eight hotels are an important challenge which we face with great enthusiasm and responsibility, given that we are also taking on a commitment to strengthen the multi-destination holiday segment, guaranteeing the service and quality of the Meliá, INNSIDE, and Sol House brands from the east to the west of the island.”

The agreement between Meliá Hotels International and the aims to promote organised multi-destination holidays that already include several towns and cities on the island, while at the same time adding new destinations, one of the objectives of a Cuban tourism strategy which seeks to enhance the visibility of a number of cities and regions with huge potential for quality tourism.

The plans emerged at the company reported first quarter revenues rising by 5% year-on-year to €420.3 million although profits fell by 8% to €20.4 million as Easter fell outside the first three months of the year.

With the Easter holiday period falling in April this year, the company expects a more positive impact in the second quarter of 2017.

by Phil DaviesMay 12th 2017, 14:05

http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/279086/melia-to-expand-cuba-presence-eight-new-hotels