Mideast to get its first Spanish hotel operator

Sol Meliá will become the first Spanish hotel operator to enter the Middle East market when it opens a property in Dubai next year.

The Meliá Dubai will be a five-star luxury hotel and is slated to open at the beginning of next year, the company said.

The hotel will be operated under a management agreement in Al Raffa, Bur Dubai, opposite Port Rashid.

Gabriel Escarrer, chief executive officer of Sol Meliá, said Dubai was “an emerging destination which confirms the company growth aspirations in high potential, dynamic markets”.

The new hotel facilities will include 167 rooms, a spa, several bars and restaurants and a 24-hour coffee shop.

The announcement of the UAE opening for the company comes at a time of expansion around the world, including new openings in destinations such as China, Colombia, Cabo Verde and Crete.

Sol Meliá currently provides more than 300 hotels in 26 countries on four continents.