Meliá Hotels International, through its Portuguese subsidiary Ilha Bela, has opted to immediately end the management and marketing of several establishments in Cuba, as well as the assignment of use of its hotel brands on the island. The measure affects 15 hotels and occurs in a geopolitical context marked by the United States' ultimatum, which set June 5 as the deadline to sanction foreign companies with activity in the Caribbean country linked to Gaeasa, a state military conglomerate.
As communicated to the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV), this resolution, already conveyed on May 26 to the ownership of said establishments and confirmed today, obeys and is a consequence of a combination of unforeseen circumstances beyond the management or operational capacity of Ilha Bela.
Specifically, the affected hotels are the following: Gran Hotel Bristol Habana Vieja Member of The Meliá Collection, Innside Catedral Habana, Meliá Buena Vista, Meliá Cayo Santa María, Meliá Jardines del Rey, Meliá Las Dunas, Meliá Península Varadero, Paradisus Los Cayos, Paradisus Princesa Mar, Paradisus Río de Oro, Paradisus Varadero, Sol Caribe Beach, Sol Cayo Santa María, Sol Río de Luna y Mares, and Sol Varadero Beach.
The hotel chain has emphasized that the effect of this measure is "limited," given that most of the establishments currently remain closed and inactive due to energy problems and the drop in demand that the Republic of Cuba has been experiencing.
Nevertheless, Ilha Bela is implementing specific plans to carry out an orderly exit and disaffiliation from these hotels. In parallel, the necessary protocols are being applied to transparently inform suppliers and clients, as Meliá has indicated.
Another Spanish hotel company, Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, has also decided to withdraw from the island, ceasing operations at a total of 12 hotels after disassociating from the Gaviota chain.