The hotel union between the tennis player Rafael Nadal and the hotel company Meliá Hotels International continues to develop. The Zel hotel brand will add four new properties this year (two in Spain and two in the Caribbean), thus confirming the objective of opening around 20 establishments in the coming years.
The forecasts of the hotel company run by Gabriel Escarrer include opening a new hotel in the heart of Madrid’s Gran Vía with the help of Rafa Nadal. In this way, it will compete with the Pestana CR7 Gran Vía hotel, owned by fellow athlete Cristiano Ronaldo.
Zel, the brand that the Balearic hotel company Meliá launched last year together with the tennis player from Manaco, is thus preparing to arrive in the main tourist capitals of the world, especially where the tennis player has had great success.
As reported by the CEO and president of Meliá, Gabriel Escarrer, to Europa Press, of the four openings planned for this year, two will take place in Spain: one in Tossa de Mar (Gerona) and another in the area around Madrid’s Gran Vía. Two more hotels in the Caribbean will be added to these (Zel Sayulita and Zel Punta Cana).
The first of the hotels that emerged from this alliance between Nadal and Escarrer to open its doors was the Innside Cala Blanca, in Palmanova (Mallorca), inaugurated last July with 165 rooms.
New hotels in the Caribbean
The New Brand of Vacation Hotels “With a Mediterranean Essence” Started Operating in Summer 2023, and was born with the goal of achieving it in 20 five years in the main world regions of Europe, the Middle East, Asia and America. This 50/50 joint venture between Meliá and Rafael Nadal has the main objective of growing with new projects, adding strategic partners along the way.
The majority of the brand’s hotels will be existing hotels that will be transformed (80%) and the remaining 20% will be newly built establishments. As announced in their presentation, 80% of the portfolio of this new brand plans to focus on vacation tourism and the remaining 20% will be based in cities with a strong tourist component: Madrid, Paris, London or New York.
The joint venture of Mallorcan origin aspires to very strong international growth that allows it to capitalize on its Mediterranean character as its main hallmark. The first hotel to open teaching in Mexico will be the Zel Sayulita, a new establishment located in the state of Nayarit, which will mark an important milestone in the brand’s growth strategy worldwide.
In parallel with Zel Sayulita, Meliá Hotels International has also announced the addition of a new ME by Meliá hotel in the same Mexican town, which will become the third of this luxury lifestyle brand in Mexico, after ME Cabo and the future ME Guadalajara.
