Meliá Cuba to open seven new hotels by 2020

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The company will operate 2,145 new rooms in Cuba by the end of 2018.

Meliá Cuba has added five new hotels with 409 rooms to its portfolio on the island of Cuba during the first quarter of 2018.

The hotels are located in the cities of Cienfuegos (Hotel La Union, Hotel Jagua and Hotel Meliá San Carlos) and Camagüey (Hotel Colón and Gran Hotel) and represent a new style of hotels for Meliá in Cuba: all are small to medium-size, set inside historical buildings in upmarket locations.

By the end of 2018, the firm will also have opened two new flagship hotels in Varadero and Cayo Santa María. The Meliá Internacional, Varadero, will have 934 rooms and the Paradisus Los Cayos, Cayo Santa María will have 802 rooms. This will take the total of new, ‘superior’ quality rooms opened by Meliá Hotels International in Cuba during the year to more than 2,145.

The Spanish hotel group is also set to open Hotel INNSIDE Camagüey, as well as three hotels in the city of Trinidad before 2020 as part of an ambitious expansion plan.

The properties in Trinidad will include Meliá Trinidad, Meliá Punta Ancón and the Sol House Ancón, which is the result of the conversion of the current Hotel Ancón.

Wider Cuban Tourism Strategy

Meliá Hotels International says it has aligned its plans with the wider Cuban strategy to diversify its tourism industry, offering prestigious hotels with familiar brands in historic cities, along with exciting tours and experiences.

It’s also aiming to help increase the number of visitors to these areas and to prolong average length of stay, ultimately helping to raise profile of these destinations to a wide range of tourists.

Gabriel Escarrer, Vice President and CEO of Meliá Hotels International, said: “Within the framework of our strong commitment to helping improve Cuban tourism, we have the opportunity to promote unique cities with exceptional tourism potential, such as Cienfuegos, Camagüey, Santiago de Cuba, or Havana. This guarantees the internationally acknowledged Meliá service and quality standards from the east to the west of the island. The hotels in the new destinations, which are already in operation, will take on our Meliá brand (Meliá La Unión, Meliá San Carlos, Meliá Colón, Meliá Gran Hotel) and INNSIDE by Meliá brand (INNSIDE Cienfuegos Jagua and INNSIDE Camagüey) once they have been fully adapted to the brand standards.”

Francesc Camps, Deputy Managing Director of Meliá Cuba, said: “The new hotels will provide us a chance to show our commitment to the development of balanced and sustainable tourism in Cuba and to demonstrate the value that our brands can add. These hotels in heritage cities are well integrated with the cultural and social fabric of their destinations, and give us a chance to provide travellers with experiences focused on discovering more about the local culture and heritage.”

Katy Phillips / 06.04.2018

Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand. During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.

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Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher atSPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.
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