Spanish Hotel Chain Ratifies Leadership in Cuba

(Hospitality Business News) Spanish hotel chain Sol Melia ratified in 2010 its leadership in the Cuban tourist industry with the opening of its 25th hotel, the  Meliá Buenavista, in Santa Maria Key, and now runs 21 percent of the Cuba’s lodgement capacity.

 President of Sol Melia Cuba Operation Gabriel Garcia said the Spanish chain is interested in expanding its operations in Cuba, where 31 percent of the four and five star hotels are run by them.

In 20 years of operations Melia has lodged over 50 million tourists in Cuba and has contributed some 3.7 billion dollars.

He said that 30 percent of the two million visitors a year to Cuba prefer to stay at the Melia hotels.

The chain has received several international and domestic awards for the quality of its services, especially for the work of its best hotels that include Melia Cohiba in Havana, Meliá Varadero and Tryp Península Varadero in that beach resort, among others.

On May 10, 1990, Melia started its operations in Cuba with the opening of the Sol Palmeras in Varadero. Nowadays it has 10,444 rooms throughout the country.