• Gabriel Escarrer described a record year of growth with more than one new hotel every two weeks in 2013
  • 2014 will also see more growth and the opening of iconic hotels such as the Meliá Vienna in Austria and Gran Meliá Xian in China

At the FITUR tourism trade fair in Madrid, Gabriel Escarrer, Vice Chairman and CEO of Meliá Hotels International, presented this morning the most ambitious and global growth plan in the history of the company. With an average of more than one hotel signed every two weeks during 2013, and operations currently for the first time in 40 countries (as a result of new markets opened recently), Meliá has ended a triumphant year of growth reinforcing its position as a leading management company in the international hotel industry.

Meliá Hotels International currently has 54 hotels pending opening: 25 in Europe, Middle East and Africa, 20 in the Americas, and 9 in Asia-Pacific. International growth will continue in 2014 with a strong focus on emerging nations and the development of key partnerships, such as in China where the company is growing together with Greenland and Jin Jiang, two of the country's most important travel groups. The company also continues to expand operations in traditional markets and aims to reinforce its leadership in the resort hotel business with growth in the most attractive beach destinations throughout the world.

Another aspect highlighted by the Meliá CEO is the increasing value generated through innovation in guest experience, a key factor differentiating the company's hotels from their competitors. The company is working hard to position its hotels amongst the best in the world, adding innovative concepts in food service, leisure, entertainment and wellbeing that enhance the guest experience, and working with prestigious international partners such as the well-known chefs Martin Berasetegui and the Torres Brothers, or recognized brands such as the Wave House, Nikki Beach, Cappuccino and Dry by Javier de las Muelas, amongst others.

An example of this is the successful "Calvià Beach" project in the mature beach destination of Magaluf, Mallorca, in which Meliá Hotels International is renovating its hotels and creating high value products such as the Sol Wave House (with the first Wave House in Europe and the first Tweet Experience Hotel in the world), Sol Katmandu Park & Resort (hotel with an integrated theme park) and in 2014 the luxurious new ME Mallorca. Recognition has already been received from public opinion, with four of the company's hotels in Magaluf appearing in Tripadvisor's Top 5 hotels for the destination.

Amongst the new features for 2014, in addition to the ME Mallorca, Escarrer also announced that the company will take its premium cutting-edge ME by Meliá brand to the island of Ibiza, with the total refurbishment of the old S'Argamassa hotel into a luxurious designer hotel.

This year the company will also open long-awaited hotels, such as the ultramodern Meliá Vienna, the company's first hotel in Austria, located in the tallest building in the country and designed by Dominique Perrault, or the Gran Meliá Xian, an example of Asian luxury in one of the largest cities in China. Other hotels to open this year include the Meliá Jinan (China), Meliá Danang (Vietnam), Meliá Jamaica, Meliá Paulista and TRYP Belo Horizonte (both in Brazil), Innside Wolfsburg (Germany) and Meliá Dunas (Cape Verde), amongst others.

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