The Spanish hotel chain Meliá Hotels International
target="_blank"> announced on Wednesday that it will immediately cease management of 15 hotels in Cuba belonging to the military conglomerate GAESA, amid the economic, energy, and operational deterioration the country is experiencing.According to the company’s report to Spain’s National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) and
as cited by the Spanish newspaper El País, the decision was made by its Portuguese subsidiary Ilha Bela “in light of the events and circumstances occurring in the geopolitical social, legal, and economic context of the Republic of Cuba.”Meliá, recognized as the foreign hotel chain with the greatest presence on the island and with 34
assets in the country, specified that it will stop providing management and marketing services, as well as granting the use of its brands at 15 hotels controlled by the Business Administration Group S.A. (GAESA), the business conglomerate of the Cuban Armed Forces (FAR).The affected hotels are: Gran Hotel Bristol Habana Vieja Member of The Meliá Collection; Innside
Catedral Habana; Meliá Buena Vista; Meliá Cayo Santa María; Meliá Jardines del Rey; Meliá Las Dunas; Meliá Península Varadero; Paradisus Los Cayos; Paradisus Princesa Mar; Paradisus Río de Oro; Paradisus Varadero; Sol Caribe Beach; Sol Cayo Santa María; Sol Río de Luna y Mares; and Sol Varadero Beach.In the statement sent to the CNMV, the company asserted that the decision “has been taken with a
profound sense of corporate responsibility” and is due to “a combination of unforeseen circumstances outside Ilha Bela's management or operational capacity,” which have significantly impacted “the operations, legality, and security” of service provision in those hotels.Meliá also acknowledged that the vast majority of the hotels included in the measure “
are currently closed and inactive.”As early as May, Meliá had reduced its operations in Cuba to the point of rendering approximately
50% of its hotel capacity on the island out of service. This measure was implemented gradually during the first quarter of the year, and, as the company itself acknowledged in its financial results, was a response to the energy crisis, fuel shortages, and reduced international air connections.The departure of the Spanish chain comes just a day after Iberostar announced a similar decision,
="_blank">ceasing operations at 12 of its 18 hotels in Cuba.In recent weeks, other foreign chains linked to luxury tourism and resorts have also withdrawn from
Cuba. Among them are Canadian Blue Diamond Resorts and the target="_blank">Asian Archipelago International, which operated under the Aston brand at hotels such as Grand Aston La Habana, Grand Aston Varadero, Grand Aston Cayo Paredón, Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas, and Aston Costa Verde.The exit of these international chains represents a new blow to one of the strategic sectors of the
Cuban regime, which for years prioritized hotel construction under GAESA's control, even amid the deterioration of basic services and the deep economic crisis faced by ordinary citizens.