Spanish hotel chain Meliá to shutter hotels in Cuba in latest blow to island’s tourism sector
Meliá said the move affects roughly half its Cuban capacity and comes as other foreign hotel operators also pull back from the island.
- Spanish hotel group Melia announced on Wednesday, June 3, it would immediately cease managing 15 hotels in Cuba, following Asian chain Archipelago International's exit earlier this week as international operators depart the island.
- These departures occur just days before a Friday deadline set by Washington for foreign companies to end business dealings with entities controlled by GAESA or face potential sanctions.
- Official figures cited by Directorio Cubano show a 56% drop in visitor arrivals during the first four months of 2026, while Melia reported a 68% drop in annual profits.
- Melia CEO Gabriel Escarrer recently acknowledged the island's situation is "hard" and "unsustainable," forcing the company to concentrate tourists in fewer hotels due to falling demand.
52 Articles
52 Articles
For more than three decades the Spanish chains have played a fundamental role in the tourism development of Cuba. The opening of hotels managed by groups such as Meliá, Iberostar or Barceló, among others, allowed the island to modernize its hotel plant and make it a leading destination for international tourism. The recent decision of several Spanish companies to abandon the management of much of the hotels shows the collapse that the country is…
Spanish Tourism Giant Meliá Abandons Nearly Half Its Hotels in Cuba
The international hotel chain Meliá, based in Spain, announced it would stop operating 15 of the 34 hotels it currently administers in Cuba. The post Spanish Tourism Giant Meliá Abandons Nearly Half Its Hotels in Cuba appeared first on Breitbart.
Read about Il Fatto Quotidiano.it: sanctions Trump against Cuba, Melià and Iberostar abandon dozens of hotels, Iberia suspends flights. Tourism collapsed by 55.8%.
US pressure hits the tourism sector, already weakened by the energy crisis
The Trump administration's offensive in Cuba is minimizing the presence of Spanish companies on the island, with the tourist industry as the most affected sector.The political and humanitarian chaos that Havana is experiencing and the threats from the United States, which does not rule out military intervention, have forced the big hoteliers to retreat without precedent.Continue reading...
Two days after the end of the deadline given by the U.S. for foreign companies to break their ties with the economic-military conglomerate Gaesa of Cuba, companies from several countries that have invested in Cuban soil for decades have announced the closure or substantial reduction of their activities on the communist island — a measure that analysts estimate to have a devastating potential on the Havana economy. Exclusive material for subscrib…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 47% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
