Sol Melia Hotels History

The Grupo Sol Meliá is the largest resort hotel company in the world and Spanish market leader in both the urban and the holiday and the first hotel company in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Throughout its nearly 50 year history has starred Sol Meliá different mergers and acquisition of hotel chains, which have allowed to grow at a rapid pace and even double its supply in the last decade. Once you reach the twelfth in the world rankings of hotel companies, and after becoming a benchmark for the international tourist industry, the group has chosen to make a stop on the road and consolidate all acquired to date.

1956, At just 21 years, Gabriel Escarrer begins operating, under lease, its first establishment: Altair hotel with 60 rooms in Palma de Mallorca.

1984, begins its expansion in a joint operation with Aresbank (KIO group's financial representative in Spain), with the acquisition of 32 hotels in Spain HOTASA chain. The company stands as the first major Spanish hotel chain, a position that has not left since.

1987, the company began its international expansion with the addition of its first hotel outside the Spanish borders: the Bali Sol

1987, Gabriel Escarrer also becomes Chairman of Meliá Hotels, a group composed of 22 establishments which until then was held by the Group Luxembourg INTERPOL. Expansion continues: Europe, America, Caribbean, Southeast Asian or Mediterranean.

1996 June 2, 1996, the company became the first hotel management company in Europe to be listed on the stock market. Previously it had carried out the division of the group into 2 new companies: Inmotel SA, which owns hotels, and the new Sol Meliá SA, a hotel management company and society that would come to the park.

1998-1999, the strategic decision to integrate the businesses owned and operated hotels. The integration ended in 1999 with the Tender Offer of shares (IPO) of Meliá Inversiones Americanas (MIA) and the merger with Inmotel Investments.




On 21 August 2000, Sol Meliá Completes Acquisition of Tryp Hotels. The chain is entering the ranking of the top 10 hotel companies in the world by number of bedrooms, and stands as the undisputed leader in the hotel offer city in Spain

2001 Consolidation of group portfolio in 4 main Teaches: MELIA, Tryp sun and Paradisus.

2003, the company now believes a growth in business based on the signing of major alliances with major industry players and in creating new products and facilities Hotel Sol Flintstones theme. The agreements with Cendant Corporation, the first international tour group, and lastminute.com, Europe's leading on-line sales of travel, is the input of Sol Melia in new markets such as the American.
Today, Sol Melia has 350 hotels in 30 countries on 4 continents.