The Gran Meliá brand grows in Italy

Gran Meliá Ca’ di Dio
620 360 Daniel Fountain
  • 0

Meliá Hotels International has announced the addition of a new five-star hotel in the city of Venice, “a destination that has always been an aspiration for the company”, according to Garbiel Escarrer, Executive Vice President and CEO, Meliá Hotels International.

Escarrer added that “we have waited until we found our dream project: a hotel located on the Grand Canal, in an old hospice, in one of the most idyllic and desired destinations in Europe.”

The hotel will open at the end of 2018 following an extensive refurbishment. It will feature 79 rooms, meeting rooms, a signature restaurant and an all-day-dining restaurant. Its swimming pool, patios and unique views of the Grand Canal and the city of Venice will complement the experience of the most discerning guests.

Gran Meliá Ca’ di Dio will join the growing list of luxury hotels in Venice, one of the world’s most popular international destinations. The hotel will offer the attributes that differentiate Gran Meliá from competitors: the most modern and avant-garde expression of Spanish luxury culture, passion and lifestyle, which have made hotels such as the Gran Meliá Rome and Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques in Madrid international benchmarks of 21st century five-star hospitality.

The hotel is owned by the Salute Hospitality Group and will be managed by Meliá Hotels International for an initial 29 years. The operation also involved Rinascimento e Valori, a hotel consultancy in the Italian market.

New INNSIDE by Meliá in Rome
Meliá Hotels International has just announced a new hotel for the INNSIDE by Meliá brand in Rome, the INNSIDE Porta Maggiore, located in the homonymous square of the old neighbourhood of Esquilino, one of the trendiest districts of the Roman capital. Owned by Salute Hospitality Group, the hotel will open in 2019 and will have 171 rooms, swimming pool, wellness centre and fitness area, two restaurants and different meeting and event facilities.

With these facilities and its central location, INNSIDE Porta Maggiore will focus on the bleisure segment, the Group’s strategic approach to grow in urban destinations. INNSIDE by Meliá, an urban brand with a lifestyle touch, comes to Rome to address the contemporary traveller and offer a different experience. At INNSIDE, guests can linger in lobbies fit for living in, enjoy endless WIFI and a daily offering of soft drinks, think big in creative meeting spaces, get going in 24/7 exercise classes, and relax in Wellness areas.

Daniel Fountain / 06.10.2017

Editor, Hotel Designs

Share

  • 0

Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: I’m a keen cyclist and will happily bore people with copious amounts of cycling chat. My top cycling experience (so far) would have to be riding in the spectacular mountains of Crete.

Work highlights: Charles joined Forum Events in 2022. With a background in publishing, editorial media and events, Charles brings a wealth of experience to his role as Senior Production Manager. Having being involved with SPACE from the outset, he is excited to see the brand grow and develop.

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

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 at SPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.

Together these platforms offer a comprehensive 360-degree service encompassing digital media, print publishing, and live events – providing unparalleled value to advertisers, partners, and readers alike.