Business is good at Spanish hotel chain Meliá Hotels International, which brought news of a growing portfolio to a recent lunch event in Vancouver.
Tabling the information at the Teahouse in Stanley Park was Tony Cortizas (pictured), VP of Global Strategy for the hotel group. Meliá is one of the largest hotel companies in the world with more than 380 properties in 40 countries. Those numbers continue to grow, as indicated in the presentation.
For instance, the Meliá Serengeti Lodge opened its doors for the first time in December. It is located in the Serengeti National Park on the western border of Lake Victoria, a World Heritage Site. It is the first state-of-the-art, sustainability focused hotel for the company.
Initiatives include a bottling plant for producing still and sparkling water served in glass bottles; an on-site incineration plant in the kitchen; a solar panel farm that generates 45% of the energy needs; and F&B participation for the local community.
Upcoming in December 2018 will be the opening of the Grand Reserve at Paradisus Palma Real in the Dominican Republic. It will feature 288 expansive suite-style accommodations, including swim-up suites. The resort will also offer seven restaurants and bars, a full-service spa by Natura Bissé, a Beach Club with access to Bavaro beach, a family friendly kids club and aqua adventure park, plus a top-flight fitness facility.
Also making news for Meliá is the signing of an agreement with Chengdu Renju Tourism & Hospitality LTD to build and open the Gran Meliá Chengdu in China. When it opens in 2021, Gran Meliá Chengdu will be the third Gran Meliá property to open in China, and the group’s 11th property in the China market.
The property will feature 270 guest rooms, an international dining room, a Chinese restaurant with private dining room, a specialty restaurant and a lobby bar. Gran Meliá Chengdu will also have a strong MICE component, with meeting venues and facilities available to guests.
Sustainability efforts by Meliá will take another significant step when all single-use plastics are eliminated at all of its hotels by the end of 2018. That means more than 22 million plastic bottles and more than 15 tonnes of CO2 emissions generated by waste disposal per year will be eliminate in 2019.
Wellness for the environment paves the way for wellness within. Guests at Meliá Madrid Serrano can now consult their own Sleep Concierge for help in getting the sleep they deserve. The personalized Sleep Haven Suites at the Meliá Madrid Serranoa have white noise machines, personalized lighting/heating systems and a personalized self-care tool kit to take home.
The Paradisus Playa Mujeres luxury hotel will be the fifth Paradisus branded property in Mexico when it opens. Located 35 minutes from Cancun International Airport, the resort is situated on the seafront, in close proximity to the Isla Mujeres. There is easy access to thriving bars, restaurants and shops, as well as a golf course designed by Greg Norman. www.melia.com