Melia Hotels International has announced plans to expand its luxury portfolio by 40 per cent in the next three years.
One in three hotel openings between 2023 and 2025 will be within the group’s luxury portfolio, which includes the Gran Melia, The Melia Collection, ME by Melia and Paradisus by Melia brands.
The hotel group currently has a presence across 42 countries, and is set to open new properties in Malta, Mexico, Milan, Vietnam and Tanzania.
Gabriel Escarrer, CEO of Melia Hotels International, commented:
“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.
“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 Melia Hotel in Milan will mark the brand’s first Milanese property when it opens in the third quarter of 2023. The hotel will be housed in Palazzo Venezia, a Renaissance building in the city, with preservation of the historic façade and a renovation of the 84 guest rooms, restaurants and rooftop bar by in-house architect Alvaro Sans.
The Melia Collection is also opening a new property in June 2023 in Tanzania. The newly renovated 56-key Ngorongoro Lodge, a Melia Collection Hotel will feature local artwork, neutral tones and traditional designs.
The group also said the property will “heighten Melia’s commitment to sustainability” with Ngorongoro Conservation Area being a protected area and UNESCO World Heritage Site. The hotel will employ local Masaai tribe members and collaborate with Moshi-based NGO Born to Learn.
ME Malta will launch on the island’s eastern coast in St Julians in the second half of 2023. Designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid, the 140-room hotel will include a spa, meeting spaces, culinary offerings and ME by Melia’s signature Radio Rooftop Bar.
The brand will also launch its first hotel in the Portuguese capital in the second quarter of 2024. ME Lisbon will be located close to Parque Eduardo VII.
ME Guadalajara, meanwhile, will open in Q4 2023 as the second ME by Melia hotel in Mexico as well as the brand’s first urban hotel in Mexico. It will comprise 152 rooms and suites, a sky pool and rooftop area.
Paradisus by Melia, which is currently solely located in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, will arrive in Europe next year with Paradisus Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, in January and Paradisus Salinas, Lanzarote, in March. The resorts will be a blend of the brand’s family-friendly luxury approach with the brand’s new all-inclusive concept, ‘Destination Inclusive’ which focuses on incorporating the destination into the holiday experience.
Finally, the hotel group is expanding its presence in Vietnam with the opening of Gran Melia Nha Trang in Vega City in Q2 2023. The hotel will offer 99 beachfront private villas, culinary offerings which blend Spanish cuisine with local ingredients, swimming pools, a beach club, spa and fitness centre.
