By the Caribbean Journal staff

Hotel giant Melia has unveiled a major new expansion of its hotel offering in Cuba.

The company has added 5 hotels with a total of 409 rooms to its portfolio in Cuba in the first quarter of 2018.

The expansion is in two cities: Cienfuegos and Camagüey, with all five hotels representing something of a departure for the brand — they’re small, historic properties, rather than modern, large hotels.

The hotels include Hotel La Union, Hotel Jagua and Hotel Meliá San Carlos in Cienfuegos and Hotel Colón and Gran Hotel in Camagüey.

Melia is also planning to add three more hotels in the city of Trinidad before 2020.

“Within the framework of our strong commitment to helping improve Cuban tourism, we have the opportunity to promote unique cities with exceptional tourism potential such as Cienfuegos, Camagüey, Santiago de Cuba, or Havana, guaranteeing the internationally acknowledged Meliá service and quality standards from the east to the west of the island,” said Gabriel Escarrer, Vice President and CEO of Meliá Hotels International.

Melia is also planning to open two new flagship hotels in both Varadero and Cayo Santa Maria by the end of this year: the Melia Internacional, which will have 934 rooms, along with the Paradisus Los Cayos, which will boast 802 rooms.

“The new hotels offer us a great chance to show our commitment to the development of balanced and sustainable tourism in Cuba and to show the value that our brands can add,” said Francesc Camps, deputy managing director of Melia Cuba. “These hotels in heritage cities are well integrated with the cultural and social fabric of their destinations, and give us a chance to provide travellers with experiences focused on discovering more about the local culture and heritage.”