Meliá Hotels International was founded in Palma in 1956, and is now the leading hotel company in Spain and one of the most important in the world. With 60 years’ experience, it operates almost 200,000m2 of meeting and event space around the world. Last October, the company was the chosen to operate new facilities – the Palma Congress Centre and adjoining hotel, the Meliá Palma Bay – that will meet a need for leisure and cultural tourism; attract greater numbers in the meetings, incentives, conferences, and events (MICE) travel segment; and transform tourism in Palma and Mallorca. For Meliá, the management of the Palma Congress Centre was something it had desired for some time, as it represented a chance to use its know-how and international experience in its home town. Adding Palma Bay’s 268 rooms to its portfolio means that Meliá now operates 1,556 rooms in the city.
Meliá combines global leadership in the resort hotel business with renowned expertise in city hotels, especially those in locations with a high leisure travel component, known as ‘bleisure’ destinations (a portmanteau term combining ‘business’ and ‘leisure’). With hotel brands such as Meliá Hotels and Resorts, and Innside by Meliá, the company is positioning itself as a market leader in the bleisure segment in cities across Europe, the US, Asia and Latin America.
Its brand recognition, sales and marketing strength, and significant presence in the main MICE markets – including the Balearic Islands, Spain, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Benelux, the US and Scandinavia – provide it with the wherewithal to manage the congress centre and adjoining hotel.
Outstanding infrastructure
The Palma Congress Centre has everything required to satisfy the most discerning corporate travellers, including excellent facilities, a privileged location at the entrance to the city and alongside the sea. The adjoining Meliá Palma Bay hotel has 268 rooms, plus a bar, restaurant, spa, meeting rooms and swimming pool.
Its grandiose building was designed by the prestigious architect Patxi Mangado, and has a surface area of 6,365m2 and capacity for 3,100 people, with modern facilities that include a 970m-wide hall.
The congress centre is also a magnificent opportunity to support responsible tourism. Meliá aims to make it a living laboratory for innovation and sustainability, and a focus for social cooperation and the promotion of employment and integration. The company is also committed to making the centre an authentic social and cultural epicentre, and a meeting place for the city itself.
The congress centre and hotel will transform tourism in Palma, improving hotel occupancy and revenues, and extending visitor activity to weaker months for tourist arrivals. Palma will occupy a preferred position in the most important routes for MICE travellers; and knowledge of the city, the island of Mallorca, and the rest of the Balearic Islands will be boosted in a segment that is growing at a rate of almost 10% a year in its main markets. Meliá is proud to lead this exciting project, but the success it will undoubtedly achieve will belong to us all.
