Meliá Hotels International recently announced the forthcoming opening of the Hotel Miranda de Pedralbes, located in Barcelona, Spain. Previously known as the Rey Juan Carlos I, this establishment will be transformed into a luxury urban complex under the Gran Meliá brand.
The hotel, originally named "Rey Juan Carlos I" for the 1992 Olympic Games and designed by architect Carlos Ferrater had various operators until the owners handed over management to Fairmont, the US subsidiary of the European Accor group, in 2014. Following the 2020 pandemic, the establishment's closure became indefinite, with Fairmont suspending the operating contract that bound them to the hotel. After a change of ownership and the support of Tyrus Capital, the new owners obtained approval from the creditors' contest last April, thus removing a major obstacle to the resumption of operations.
With yesterday's court decision, the hotel could finally reopen under the name Miranda de Pedralbes, de Gran Meliá, with a new management project headed by Ramón Vidal Castro, whose CV includes six years at the helm of the Meliá Castilla hotel, one of the group's establishments in Madrid hosting over 6,000 events every year, and who also successfully launched and managed the Hotel and Palau de Congressos complex in Palma.
The hotel is scheduled to reopen in January 2024, with a preliminary opening at the Palau de Congressos de Cataluña in October of this year. This decision follows the judicial resolution in favor of the Barcelona Project's property, which requested early termination of the current management contract, allowing Meliá Hotels International to take over the reins of the new hotel.
The Gran Meliá Miranda de Pedralbes is intended to be an "oasis of tranquillity" in the heart of the city. The project includes a complete refurbishment of the property, led by hotel architect Álvaro Sans of the ASAH studio.
The new luxury hotel will feature 391 rooms and suites, 65 of which will be completely renovated, and will offer a variety of leisure and wellness experiences, including high-end restaurants, a Jazz Club, a Night Club, a swimming pool with views over Barcelona and a rooftop terrace.
This ambitious project is part of Barcelona's tourism recovery following the period of closure caused by the pandemic.
"This judicial decision marks a decisive step in the long and difficult journey that has delayed the reopening of a property destined to mark a new era for business and congress tourism in Barcelona, improving its management and reputation thanks to the Gran Meliá brand, which this year will open other remarkable luxury hotels such as the Gran Meliá Nha Trang in Vietnam or the Gran Meliá Palazzo Cordussio in the heart of Milan's historic center. I'm convinced that the Palau de Congressos de Cataluña, in association with the Palau de Congressos de Palma, will become the undisputed winning pair in the whole of the Mediterranean for a segment that attracts tourism with high purchasing power all year round." - For Gabriel Escarrer Jaume, President and CEO of Meliá
"We had no doubt that the exemplary commitment demonstrated by Meliá's senior management, which will enable this project to soon be reborn with pride in Barcelona, would be recognized by the courts. Since mid-2022, we have become aware that the openness of the former operator was not up to the task, despite our relentless efforts and calls to speed up a process that was threatening the viability of the project. In the interests of the project, its employees and the city of Barcelona, we decided at the end of 2022 to contact Gabriel Escarrer and his team as new operators, whose response was immediate and in keeping with the urgency of the situation. I can assure you that Gabriel Escarrer and I are fully committed to this project, which represents for us not only a hotel, but also the passion and commitment we share with the city of Barcelona." - Tony Chedraoui, CEO of Tyrus and main investor in the project
