Meliá Spent 36 Uninterrupted Years in Cuba – Now It’s Saying Goodbye

Meliá Hotels International is ceasing all its operations in Cuba on July 24. 

After 36 years of uninterrupted presence, the Spain-based hotelier is saying goodbye to the 34 properties it managed on the island.

In a document submitted to Spain’s stock market regulator, the hotel company owned by the Escarrer family and led by Gabriel Escarrer Jaume was explicit about the reasons:

“This decision is a result of the significant operational, legal, economic, and financial difficulties that have persistently affected, and continue to affect, the environment in that country, effectively and legally preventing a minimal level of operational stability in its activities.”

The statement said the company would make an orderly exit, “adopting the required measures to minimize the impact of the cessation of its services, as well as implementing protocols to ensure transparent communication with employees, suppliers, and customers.”

The company stressed that its departure does not necessarily mean the hotels will stop operating: the properties belong to Cuban state entities, which could continue to operate them under different management.

Meliá’s progressive separation from Cuba began on June 3, when the hotelier announced the cessation of operations in 15 hotels linked to GAESA, the military conglomerate of the Cuban regime.  

That followed an Executive Order by U.S. President Donald Trump, which designated GAESA as a sanctioned entity. Foreign companies were pressured to sever ties with the group June 5, under the threat of being excluded from the U.S. financial system.

The final blow came on July 13, when the U.S. expanded sanctions against the Ministry of Tourism of Cuba and nine additional state entities, leaving Meliá with no palatable options to maintain its remaining hotels.

After a positive rebound post-COVID, Cuba’s tourism industry has collapsed over the past couple of years, as fuel shortages caused blackouts across the island and the supply chain broke down, resulting in uneven and unreliable distribution of food and other supplies to hotels.

Several other hotel chains have reduced or ceased Cuba operations, including Blue Diamond Resorts, Iberostar International, Valentin Hotels and Blau Hotels.

In 2025, Cuba received barely 1.81 million international visitors, the lowest since 2002 and less than half of the record of 4.7 million set in 2018. Hotel occupancy plummeted to 18.9% that same year.

In the first quarter of 2026, the situation worsened even further. Just 328,608 tourists arrived on the island, a decline of over 50% compared to the same period the previous year.

Despite the bleak outlook, Escarrer Jaume did not rule out a potential return when asked if Cuba has a future in tourism, telling a Spanish media outlet: “I believe so, without a doubt.”