Meliá Hotels International to Expand Luxury Portfolio in Next Three Years
London, United Kingdom, December 15, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / Meliá Hotels International, the world’s most authentic Spanish hotel brand and the third largest hotel group in Europe, is proud to announce that one in three hotel openings between 2023 and 2026 will be within its luxury portfolio. Bringing Spanish prestige, tradition and flair to its guests in every destination, the family run public company brand offers an unrivalled opportunity to travel in an ethically, socially, culturally and environmentally conscious manner.
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The luxury brand rooted in Mediterranean heritage and born in Palma de Mallorca in 1956, demonstrates its rapid growth, continued success and commitment to the luxury travel industry. This year’s new sustainable leader and first carbon-neutral prototype, Villa Le Blanc Gran Meliá in Menorca, strengthened the brand’s position, which is elevated further with key upcoming luxury hotel openings: Palazzo Cordusio, a Gran Meliá Hotel in Milan, Ngorongoro Lodge, a Meliá Collection Hotel in Tanzania, ME Malta, ME Lisbon, ME Guadalajara in Mexico, Paradisus Gran Canaria, Paradisus Salinas in Lanzarote, and Gran Meliá Nha Trang in Vietnam.
Already the 19th largest hotel group worldwide with a presence across six continents and 42 countries, Meliá’s growth echoes the brand’s key pillars of its Mediterranean legacy, a global and expanding footprint, sustainability, and creating travel experiences to truly discover the destinations.
“In today’s market, luxury and exclusivity can no longer be defined from one perspective, therefore our luxury brands seek to address the world of luxury in different ways. Our mission is to provide conscious travel for an enriching lifestyle”, says Mr Gabriel Escarrer, CEO of Meliá Hotels International. “We have an impressive pipeline and our prime luxury hotels will spearhead our continued upwards trajectory, not just in destinations of Meliá’s roots of the Mediterranean, but further afield to Africa and Asia too,” he adds.
Palazzo Cordusio, a Gran Meliá Hotel in Milan, will be housed in Palazzo Venezia, one of the most iconic Renaissance buildings in the city. Opening in Q3, 2023, the emblematic Palazzo Cordusio sets a major milestone in being Gran Meliá’s first Milanese property and reaffirms Meliá’s strengthening footprint in Italy. The hotel will preserve the building’s cultural prestige with the hotel’s historic façade whilst renovating the 84 guestrooms, restaurants and rooftop bar. In-house architect Álvaro Sans will create elegant spaces and sophisticated interiors to entice gourmand-lovers and cultured travellers.
The most recent brand addition to the hotel group, The Meliá Collection, is also opening a new property next year. Further afield to the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, Meliá will launch its fourth luxury hotel in the African country and its first within the Crater itself – Ngorongoro Lodge, a Meliá Collection Hotel. Opening in June 2023, this five-star lodge will complete the brand’s safari circuit, boast the largest – yet still modest – hotel room offering in the Crater, and heighten Meliá’s commitment to sustainability and respectful exploration of the destination with Ngorongoro Conservation Area being a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site; a rare site where wildlife coexists with semi-nomadic Maasai pastoralists.
The newly renovated 56-key hotel will display local artwork and feature neutral tones and traditional designs, coupled with remarkable views across the surrounding untouched landscape and the Crater, and subtle nods to Meliá’s Spanish heritage via guest experiences and culinary concepts. With considered environmental initiatives such as producing the hotel’s own electricity, solar energy and drinking water, employing local Maasai tribe members and collaborating with the Moshi-based NGO Born to Learn, Ngorongoro Lodge will introduce a cultural and eco-conscious hotel for discerning travellers.
Across the Mediterranean, ME Malta will launch on the island’s eastern coast in St Julians in the second half of 2023, presenting a new social and cultural epicentre for cosmopolitan travellers to discover the latest art, culture, music and fashion in the vibrant city. Designed by world-famous architect Zaha Hadid, it will become a new and profound destination to elevate Malta’s urban landscape – and the second ME by Meliá hotel created solely by the late Dame Hadid, following ME Dubai. The hotel’s 140 rooms and suites, spa and meeting spaces will boast bold yet elegant interiors, accompanied by innovative culinary offerings and ME by Meliá’s signature Radio Rooftop Bar where expert mixologists, professional DJs and exciting events will attract local and international guests. With culture at the core of ME by Meliá thanks to its programme ‘The Culture Collective’, and Malta being the official host of EuroPride 2023, this synergy will bring a momentous drive for the destination.
Another ME by Meliá hotel will launch as the brand’s first in the country, with ME Lisbon opening in Q2 2024. Perched up near Parque Eduardo VII, the hotel arrives as the city’s first luxury lifestyle hotel joining the high-end hospitality scene and marks a further milestone for Meliá’s European expansion.
Further afield, ME Guadalajara will open in Q4 2023 as the second ME by Meliá hotel in Mexico as well as the brand’s first urban hotel in Mexico. The brand will bring its unique style, personality and luxury lifestyle approach to one of the most cosmopolitan and cultural cities in the country. ME Guadalajara will comprise 152 rooms and suites, as well as a sky pool and signature rooftop area. In line with other global ME hotels, it will also offer a wide range of outstanding dining experiences.
Paradisus by Meliá, Meliá Hotels International’s fourth luxury brand, and currently solely located in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, marks significant news in 2023 with its inaugural European openings: Paradisus Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, in January and Paradisus Salinas, Lanzarote, in March. These resorts will be a blend of the brand’s signature family-friendly luxury approach with Paradisus’ new concept, ‘Destination Inclusive’. A concept that elevates the ‘all-inclusive’ notion to a new level, ensuring that the destination is now an essential part of the holiday experience. Each guest will be able to have a fully unique, immersive and authentic taste of the locality and embrace natural experiences through each resort’s sustainable design and philosophy. Paradisus Salinas will be housed in a building designed by Spanish architect Fernando Higueras, which is part of Lanzarote’s artistic and cultural heritage. The luxury resort will enable guests to discover the island’s culture, explore its natural beauty and delve into a holistic experience.
Exclusive destination experiences include Yoga Masterclass by a cenote – a natural crystal waters lagoon in Mexico – or guided tours through Lanzarote’s most iconic spots designed by artist and nature activist Cesar Manrique will be included for guests who choose to upgrade to the brand’s ‘Reserve’ or Niktè’ top rooms and suites. Paradisus’ The Reserve offers an alternative to the main hotel and instead, is a separate adult-only oasis offering a unique and superior experience, with the most exclusive suites, lounges, private areas and selected restaurants with signature and local cuisine. There is also another equally extraordinary category, the Nikté Superior Upgrades, ideal for families looking for experiences regardless of age, with fully customisable activities for each member of the family.
Heightening the hotel brand’s presence in Asia has been of equal calibre this year, and Meliá is already set to become one of the largest international hotel brands in Vietnam. The forthcoming opening of Gran Meliá Nha Trang in Vega City, Vietnam, in Q2 2023, will reaffirm Meliá’s position in the region and luxury market. Designed to become a symbol of modern architecture, the ultra-luxury hotel’s 99 exclusive beachfront private villas offer elevated space and privacy, with guest experiences pivoting around gastronomy and wellbeing. Meliá’s signature Mediterranean roots are seen through the culinary offering blending Spanish cuisine with local ingredients, accompanied by swimming pools, a Beach Club, a spa and fitness centre for undisturbed escapism.
Across the existing and upcoming portfolio, sustainability is a key component and Mr Escarrer has always encouraged corporate responsibility and sustainability across Meliá’s social, economic and environmental pillars. Having led the S&P’s Global sustainability ranking in 2019 and 2020, Meliá was named the most sustainable hotel company in Spain and Europe for the third consecutive year in 2021, and Villa Le Blanc Gran Meliá set new standards for the group’s ongoing eco-commitment. Since its launch this summer, the hotel has received several awards such as the Rethink Award for the best hotel sustainability and rehabilitation project from the Habitat Futura Group, and has been acknowledged as the Best Sustainability initiative in the Balearic Islands, setting a benchmark for hotel-efficiency and decarbonisation in the Biosphere Reserve destination.
Mr André P. Gerondeau, COO of Meliá Hotels International, says “Following the success of Villa Le Blanc, we are delighted to have this level of growth and positioning in the luxury market. We are proudly and deservedly becoming one of the main players in the HNW and UHNW space, and simultaneously reaching all corners of the planet.”
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About Meliá Hotels International
Founded in 1956 in Mallorca (Spain), Meliá Hotels International operates more than 380 hotels (portfolio and pipeline) throughout more than 40 countries, under the brands Gran Meliá Hotels & Resorts, Paradisus by Meliá, ME by Meliá, Meliá Hotels & Resorts, The Meliá Collection, INNSiDE by Meliá, Sol by Meliá and Falcon’s Resorts by Meliá, plus a wide portfolio of affiliated hotels under the “Affiliated by Meliá” network. The Group is one of the leading companies in resort hotels worldwide, while also leveraging its experience to consolidate the growing segment of the leisure-inspired urban market. Its commitment to responsible tourism has led the Group to become the most sustainable hotel company in Spain and Europe, according to the last S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (Silver Class). It also has ranked seventh in the Wall Street Journal’s list of the 100 most sustainably managed companies in the world (and the leading travel company) and is the only Spanish travel company included in the list of “Europe’s Climate Leaders 2021” by Financial Times. Meliá Hotels International is also included in the IBEX 35 Spanish stock market.
