Meliá Hotels International has signed a long-term agreement to manage the former Rey Juan Carlos Hotel in Barcelona. The hotel will be operated under the luxury Gran Meliá brand with the name "Miranda de Pedralbes", a tribute to the residential area in which the hotel is located. Its location in the Pedralbes area, next to the exclusive Polo Club and enjoying exceptional views of the city and surrounded by beautiful gardens, make it an oasis of tranquillity within the city, for both local residents and guests. The current owner of the hotel and Tyrus Capital, a key investor in the assets, have entrusted Meliá Hotels International to manage the hotel and the Congress Centre attached to it and to elevate it to a new phase of success, after having been closed since the suspension of its operations in 2020.
With the aim of creating an exclusive, superior-quality resort destination, offering guests a genuine leisure and lifestyle experience without having to leave the city, the new Gran Meliá hotel will enhance the unity of the hotel spaces and the magnificent Romantic Gardens, the old Torre Melina, which will be integrated with the hotel to bring greater light and life to its common areas. The planned renovation is intended to raise the hotel and the customer experience to the recognized standards of the Group's luxury brand, adding new leisure and dining spaces. These will include a spectacular rooftop area with the best views of the city, which is expected to become a leading meeting point in Barcelona following in the footsteps of the roof-top bars and lounges that Meliá successfully operates in Madrid, Milan and London.
In alliance with the best partners in dining and music, and by leveraging the exceptional swimming pool and garden area, the hotel will also offer a cutting-edge urban "pool club" designed to amaze its customers, and the experience can be complemented by visiting the beach and Beach Club at the ME Sitges hotel, just 20 minutes away. The addition of a signature restaurant of the highest international prestige is planned for the most discerning guests and local residents who will enjoy exclusive dining experiences in the exceptional space included in the hotel renovation project. The Gran Melia Miranda de Pedralbes will also offer a spectacular signature spa operated by a top international partner and a wide range of experience and leisure activities throughout the day.
In addition to the hotel, the facilities also include the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya, a magnificent congress with state-of-the-art facilities and winner of the National Architecture Award in 2001. With an extensive track record and experience in the management of spaces for congresses and meetings, with highly successful examples such as the Palau de Congressos Convention Centre in Palma de Mallorca, Meliá is confident that Palau de Congressos de Catalunya will soon be seen as among the best in Europe, as well as boasting a prime location next to one of the most important avenues in Barcelona, the Avenida Diagonal, and the ring road that connects it within 15 minutes to the port, the airport and to the top city attractions of the city.
With this potential and with the new brand, the hotel has everything to become the best urban resort in Barcelona, and one of the best hotels for a holiday in southern Europe, according to the CEO of Meliá, Gabriel Escarrer, who explained that Meliá Hotels International aims to create a "hotel-destination" for leisure travellers and also for business travellers and conference delegates who wish to enjoy their stay to the full in an urban oasis overlooking the city. As Escarrer mentioned, "we are very satisfied with the agreement reached with Tyrus Capital, with whom we have had a close relationship and strong ties for many years. We would also like to thank Barcelona City Council for their support in recovering a key tourism asset for the city which, under our expert management and with the prestige that comes with the Gran Meliá brand, will continue to contribute to the creation of social and economic value for the destination".
Tyrus' CEO Tony Chedraoui commented: "We are really excited to start this new journey with Meliá Hotels International, with whom Tyrus has had a longstanding relationship for more than a decade, and we are confident that the re-opening of this hotel will be a success story that will revive this iconic asset in Barcelona. A city which has always been in my heart."
