Meliá Hotels & Resorts

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Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts Introduces its Most Prestigious Brand, Gran Meliá, to the Puerto Rico Market

• The re-flagging of Paradisus Puerto Rico Resort to Gran Meliá Puerto Rico will be the brand's first entry into U.S. Territory
• The conversion introduces Meliá’s new brand attributes to  the Caribbean

Miami, FL- February 13, 2007 – Gran Meliá, Meliá Hotel’s most prestigious brand, will be introduced for the first time in U.S. territory on May 1.  Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts has made its flagship in Puerto Rico a Gran Meliá, which recently revamped its brand attributes and is initiating new improvements. The brand’s changes reflect the outcome of the company’s research department (I+D+i) which analyzed market trends and new consumer profiles. Based on these results, Gran Meliá Puerto Rico will be able to better respond to the demands of an increasingly important market.

"We are pleased to respond to the needs of the market by bringing Gran Meliá to Puerto Rico. The brand's global reputation for top-notch service and quality will make it an ideal fit for Puerto Rico and a stand-out within its market", said Andre P. Gerondeau, executive vice president of Sol Meliá North America and the Caribbean.

The conversion to a Gran Meliá Puerto Rico, a traditional European Plan (EP) resort, is the result of changes in Puerto Rico's marketplace, as well as Sol Meliá's ongoing strategy to expand the Gran Meliá brand in the Americas. Gran Meliá is Sol Meliá's most luxurious EP brand, aimed at both the high-end leisure and business traveler.

Gran Meliá Puerto Rico will join the Gran Meliá Cancun as the second Gran Meliáresort in the Caribbean. Gran Meliá Puerto Rico is located beachfront on the island's northeastern coast known as Coco Beach, in the town of Rio Grande. The hotel features 486 junior suites distributed among 20 two-story bungalows, 96 suites, 5 The Garden Villas and one Presidential Villa.

Sol Meliá plans to make investments to improve the hotel’s services and décor subsequent to the new, rigorous standards set by the Meliá brand. Gran Meliá Puerto Rico will offer The Level, an exclusive service, more personalized than Royal Service, which will provide the most discerning guests with private areas, exclusive pool and beach areas, personal concierge and other customized services.

Gran Meliá Puerto Rico, which will feature three restaurants, will also revamp its gastronomic offerings with Spanish-Puerto Rican fusion cuisine, a grill and a new Italian restaurant.

The resort will also include Yhi Spa, Sol Meliá’s new spa brand, a sophisticated facility designed for health and wellness. The new spa will feature more than 11,000 square feet offering the latest treatments for body, mind and soul.

"As the leading resort company in the world, Sol Meliá is always at the forefront, continuously seeking new business and growth opportunities. The new property will serve as an important stepping stone of the Gran Meliá brand into the U.S. market,” stated Gerondeau, pointing out that Puerto Rico is a major tourist destination, particularly for the U.S. group and business segments.

“It is a pleasure to welcome the new Gran Meliá to Puerto Rico,” said Terestella González Denton, Executive Director of The Puerto Rico Tourism Company.  “Hotel development and renovation are key to the future of Puerto Rico’s tourism growth and the core of our strategic plan to grow visitors to the island through 2011.  By continually diversifying and upgrading the island’s hotel room inventory, we are in a stronger position to attract an even greater share of the global visitor market to the Puerto Rico experience.”

Gran Meliá hotels are located in major international cities and resorts throughout the world, including Europe, Asia and the Americas. Many of the brand's properties have been recognized by The Leading Hotels of the World and by American Automobile Association (AAA 4 Diamond Award).

As a Gran Meliá, the Puerto Rico resort is uniquely poised to better serve the market, offering more choices and service flexibility to a wider variety of market segments, including the local Puerto Rican market, leisure travelers, and meetings and incentive groups.

Founded in 1956 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Sol Meliá is the world’s largest vacation company.  More than half of the industry leader’s hotels are located in cities, and it is by far the largest hotel chain in Spain, as well as one of the most important in Europe.  Sol Meliá’s portfolio includes more than 350 hotels in 30 countries over four continents, it employs over 32,500 people in its Meliá Hotels & Resorts, ME by Meliá, Tryp Hotels, Sol Hotels, Paradisus Resorts, Sol Meliá Vacation Club and Luxury Lifestyle brands.  For more information and reservations visit www.solmelia.com.