Gran Meli'a Enters Puerto Rico Market

Re-flagging of Paradisus Puerto Rico Resort to Gran Meli'a Puerto Rico will be the Meli'a Hotel's fi

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. October 14, 2008

SAN JUAN, PR, February 14, 2007. Gran Meli'a, Meli'a Hotel's most prestigious brand, will be introduced for the first time in U.S. territory on May 1. Sol Meli'a Hotels & Resorts has made its flagship in Puerto Rico a Gran Meli'a, 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 Meli'a 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 Meli'a 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 Meli'a North America and the Caribbean.

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

Gran Meli'a Puerto Rico will join the Gran Meli'a Cancun as the second Gran Meli'a resort in the Caribbean. Gran Meli'a 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 Meli'a plans to make investments to improve the hotel's services and d'ecor subsequent to the new, rigorous standards set by the Meli'a brand. Gran Meli'a 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 Meli'a 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 Meli'a'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 Meli'a 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 Meli'a 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 Meli'a to Puerto Rico,' said Terestella Gonz'alez 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 Meli'a 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).

As a Gran Meli'a, 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.