Meliá cultivates luxury portfolio with historic hotels and a brand Rafa Nadal Lifestyle

Meliá Hotels International has long known for its hotel portfolio in the business and leisure sectors. In recent years, however, he has plunged his toes into higher -end brands that help him to compete with larger hospitality names.

The Mallorca -based company is not a beginner. It dates back to 1956 when it opened the Altair hotel in the largest city on the Spanish island, Palma.

Today, its scope covers North and South America as well as properties through Europe, Asia and Africa. In recent years, the company has added higher -end properties with a strong local heritage and an existing reputation to its luxury and lifestyle collections. By bringing them to the Meliá family, this type of collection of soft brands helps to complete its network of existing hotels.

“The Freop Hotel Brands take advantage of the narration to create experiences of unique and memorable customers,” explains Daniel Leser, co-founder, president and chief executive officer of Hospitality Advisors. “This approach allows a differentiation of traditional hotel channels and promotes a stronger link with customers, which ultimately leads to the loyalty and recognition of the brand.”

Marks leaning in the premium space

Among its most upscale hotels are the properties of Gran Meliá, often located in historically important or local buildings. These luxury hotels tell a story, something that Gabriel Escarrer, president and chief executive officer of Meliá Hotels International believes that he is a continuous trend with travelers looking for authenticity and deep local connections when traveling.

The list of hotels includes Palazzo Cordusio Gran Meliá in Milan, Villa Agrippina Gran Meliá in Rome and Palacio from Los Duques in Madrid. Some of these hotels also belong to the main hotels of the World Group, yet another indication of their high standards.

Palacio de Los Duques was once the royal residence of the Duke of Grenada and also served as a convent of Santo Domingo. Today, the palace is a virtual artefact museum, some loaned by neighboring museums and reproductions of the art of Diego Velázquez. Its gourmet restaurant Jardin de Los Duques, specializing in the kitchen typical of the capital, is located in the old stables.

The design of the hotel testifies to the history of the building and the city, and that is exactly what the brand wants. There is no skyscraper or properties centered on the airport in the luxury brands of Meliá. The Gran Meliá hotels kiss the narration of the neighborhood in their design.

The Meliá collection

His last brand continues this theme, but the one where the name of the hotel does not directly include the name of Meliá. The Meliá collection is a sweet brand, a bit like the luxury collection with Marriott or Collection Curio with Hilton. These properties have their own identity, but remain connected to the largest Meliá landscape thanks to their booking systems, their loyalty programs and their brand standards. For example, Casa de Las Artes in Madrid belongs to the Meliá collection, but is simply known as Casa de Las Artes.

Escarrer says that the distinctive character and the independent character are essential to decide which hotels integrate well in the collection. The company launched the brand during the end of the pandemic in 2022 when the trip was at a record level and the authenticity and madness on cultural experiences were in the lead.

It represents independent shop properties which benefit from the scope of Meliá, but have their own story to tell like Casa de Las Artes in Madrid. This hotel specializes in the combination of several art forms (fashion, music, cinema, art and literature among others) throughout its design and via many events open to the public. Its rooms mix the contemporary style with the historical nature of interconnected buildings (the indoor swimming pool is an out -of -competition characteristic in such a historic building).

A calendar of weekly events invites the community to poetry readings, fashion shows, musical performances and film screenings (the hotel has its own cinema). Dalí’s lithographs are exhibited, and each piece presents the drawings of Gustave Doré from a historic copy of Don Quixote. Escarrer underlines that this is a type of upper neighborhood immersion, where the hotel is symbolic in the region, but also invites residents to participate.

Another property, Maison Colbert in Paris, is the closest five -star hotel to Notre Dame and constitutes the former residence of Simone de Beauvoir. He is inspired by the conception of the works of the Spanish painter Joaquín Sorolla, who had a strong link with Paris.

Safari travelers will discover the properties of the Meliá collection in Tanzania with the Serengeti Lodge and Ngorongoro Lodge, both near the crater of Ngorongoro. The two properties aim to connect the guests to the sounds of nature and to see the fauna of the park.

The pipeline grows

There are currently more than 10 current projects to extend the brand to destinations such as Albania, Malta and China. On his house in Spain, where the recognition of names is already high, the brand plans to develop in Mallorca and Andalusia. A new complex in Maldives will soon arrive at the Meliá collection.

Beyond the sweet brand focused on luxury, the largest pipeline consists of 69 projects in all its brands. This year, me Málaga, me Lisbon and Innside Elounda in Greece will open. These are only 20 properties that it plans to open in 2025.

The United States, however, remains fertile soil for growth. There are two open properties now: Meliá Orlando and Innside New York Nomad. Escarrer says that the United States is an outgoing market important for its brand, but in the context of the expansion strategy, it wishes to grow on the domestic market.

“We are actively looking for opportunities to develop in the key” gateway cities “in the United States, such as Miami and New York, as well as in destinations with a strong component ‘` Bleisure’ ‘, an area where we particularly excel “, adds Escarre, referring to the trend of businesses of mixing travelers and leisure during the same trip.

How does the football star Rafa Nadal integrate into the expansion of the Meliá brand?

A partnership with the Spanish super-athlete Rafael Nadal and Meliá led to Zel, a concept of hospitality which “mixes Mediterranean values ​​and the lifestyle”, explains Escarrer. This brand mixes relaxation, sport and physical shape in a single station while focusing on improving “social connection”.

Inspired by Mediterranean houses, Zel hotels target the relaxed but active lifestyle. Its first hotel opened its doors in Mallorca in 2023 with a second in Costa Brava, in Spain the following year. At the end of last year, Zel Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic opened with more planning for Sayulita in Mexico and Vlora, Albania, marking its expansion in non -Spanish territory.

Does the luxury segment become overcrowded?

Recent McKinsey Research Underlines the fact that certain segments of the luxury travel market develop quickly to meet demand. This is, in part, due to an “expansion base of budding luxury travelers with a net value between $ 100,000 and $ 1 million, many of which are younger and more and more willing to spend larger actions from their wealth in high -end travel options.”

According to least, however, hotel brands should focus on differentiation, not just addition. He maintains that the entire accommodation industry, including the luxury segment, is “well overcrowded” with brands, which could lead to a certain confusion between travelers and a diluted brand identity. He thinks that a wise strategy should be to improve existing brands to meet the specific needs of customers rather than create new ones. This approach not only clarified consumers, but also strengthens brand resilience in a competitive market, he adds.

However, the exploitation of multiple and diverse brands allows hotel groups to please a wider range of travelers and grasp a wider range of the market, the budget concerned about luxury travelers, says less.

Meliá’s approach follows just online with these recommendations. It was missing a larger piece of the high -end luxury segment, which it is developing now. It also provides differentiation by adding recognized historical properties to its collections rather than launching new brands where it had to start from scratch.

Luxury means different things for different travelers

McKinsey’s study underlines that not all luxury travelers are rich. An increasing number of brands may seem dizzying, but less said that it gives a wider range of options for different travel styles and budgets.

People are looking for more than just staying where to stay, but also a brand with which they can identify, which is why differentiated products can make sense, adds less. Whether it remains somewhere affiliated with a famous athlete or in a historic palace, the consumer finds himself with more choices.

Escarrer thinks that there is a lot of space for expansion and rather sees the biggest challenge for hospitality to be sustainability. He says that the main responsibility should generate a positive impact on destinations, which the brand does with its Menorca property.

Villa Le Blanc Gran Meliá in Menorca became the brand’s prototype in 2022 to maximize efficiency and environmental responsibility. It was also the first large luxury hotel on the island, and at the end of last year, finished the last stage to become a “net zero” hotel. S&P then recognized Meliá’s as the most sustainable European hotel company in 2024.

“Sustainability has become more and more important for travelers when choosing a hotel, with important figures indicating that they have priority and are ready to pay more for ecological accommodation,” said less. “The implementation of sustainable practices can improve the reputation of the brand of a hotel, attracting travelers aware of the eco and create a competitive advantage.”

More Forbes

ForbesFree hotel breakfast, wine tastings and Gwyneth Paltrow’s sleep adviceBy Ramsey QubeinForbes5 Andaz ways celebrates young luxury by individuality and local cultureBy Ramsey QubeinForbesMarriott targets Latin America with 50% + planned luxury growthBy Ramsey Qubein