Meliá Hotels International on Saturday announced plans to invest over US $60 million in Mexico in 2025. The Spanish hotel group expects to nearly double its presence in Mexico to reach 14 hotels within the next three years.
During the reopening of Meliá’s Casa Maya hotel in Cancún on Saturday, company CEO Gabriel Escarrer said that nearly $50 million of this investment will support the remodeling of its Paradisus hotel in Cancún, with works planned to commence in June.
With the multi-million-dollar renovation, Meliá aims to make Paradisus “the best hotel in the destination by March 2027,” Escarrer said.
Mexico is Meliá’s second biggest investment market after Spain, with over $1.2 billion worth of property investment in the country. Quintana Roo state on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula represents 70% of this value, with a total of 3,000 rooms.
The Casa Maya hotel was one of the early hotels to be built in Cancun, in 1980, and the recently completed $26 million renovation was the result of a partnership between Meliá and the Mexican firm Grupo Protexa.
Around 1,200 construction workers helped to modernize the hotel, and it is expected to directly support 750 long-term jobs, as well as hundreds more indirect jobs.
The architect Álvaro Sans, who managed the renovation, said he aimed to respect the pre-Columbian elements of the original design while adapting the property to today’s needs.
“We opened the building to the sea, creating an amphitheater that connects naturally with the beach,” said Sans during the hotel’s relaunch on Saturday.
Escarrer, Meliá’s CEO, also shared details about the upcoming remodel of Paradisus hotel. The company plans to provide first-class gastronomic offerings, remodel its 800 rooms and deliver top quality experiences for conference groups while maintaining the hotel’s family-friendly atmosphere.
The CEO also emphasized the importance of sustainable development, stating aims to incorporate materials and technologies to help protect the environment, such as those that enhance energy efficiency.
Meliá currently operates eight properties in Mexico, with plans to develop new hotels in the popular destinations of Sayulita, San Miguel de Allende, Guadalajara and Mexico City.
Although Meliá is a publicly traded company, it remains under family control, with the family holding over 51% of the shares.
The importance of public-private partnerships
Escarrer stressed the importance of working closely with Mexico’s state governments to develop its properties.
“The [Quintana Roo] governor has always been proactive in helping us in everything, in speeding up permits and guaranteeing legal security,” Escarrer said during the reopening of the Casa Maya hotel.
Quintana Roo’s Governor Mara Lezama highlighted the importance of hotel investments to strengthen the state’s tourism infrastructure, as well as to support job creation. She also emphasized the government’s commitment to promoting policies that strengthen the tourism sector, attract new investments and create opportunities.
“In this new stage of state tourism, sustainability is a priority, and we are proud that companies such as Meliá Hotels International share this perspective, promoting responsible actions that safeguard our natural resources and enhance the well-being of the local community,” stated Lezama.
With reports from El Economista, El Heraldo de México and Travel Weekly
