Meliá exits Cuba after 36 years amid US sanctions

Meliá Hotels International will cease all operations in Cuba on July 24, 2026, ending a 36-year presence that made it the largest foreign hotel operator on the island. The Spanish chain announced it is terminating all management and commercialisation services for its 34 hotels (around 14,000 rooms) through its Portuguese subsidiary Ilha Bela Source: El Mundo.

The exodus

Meliá first withdrew from 15 hotels linked to the military conglomerate Gaesa on June 3, after US threats to sanction foreign companies tied to the Cuban regime Source: El Confidencial. The final departure covers all remaining properties, including those managed with the Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR) after Washington imposed new sanctions on July 13 Source: El Español. Iberostar and Barceló have also announced their exit from Cuba, although Barceló's timeline is reported as 2027 by some sources Source: ABC, Excélsior.

Impact on operations

Meliá cited "notable difficulties of an operational, legal, economic and financial nature" that make a "minimum operational stability" impossible Source: La Voz. The chain had already closed 50% of its capacity by May, with occupancy at 34.1%—far below its global average of 58.8%—due to fuel shortages and a collapse in air connectivity Source: Infobae. The exit represents a loss of nearly 15% of Meliá's global hotel portfolio Source: El Español.