Sol Melia Unveils Plans to Open First U.S. Property in Atlanta

Sol Melia Unveils Plans to Open First U.S. Property in Atlanta

Sol Melia announced plans to operate its first hotel in the U.S. with the Melia Atlanta, a 502-room hotel formerly operated by Marriott as the Renaissance Atlanta Hotel Downtown. Marking the beginning of its strategy to develop additional properties in the continental U.S., the Spanish brand plants its flag on the Atlanta market taking over the hotel operations on Oct. 15, 2010.

The new Melia Atlanta will enjoy a $35 million renovation to be completed by 2013, allowing the property to feature proprietary elements of Melia Hotels & Resorts, Sol Melia’s largest brand. Located at the edge of Atlanta’s downtown business district, the new Melia Atlanta will set the footprint for Sol Melia’s expansion within the continental U.S. It will enable the company to tap into a new market while gaining consumer and guest visibility in a major urban metropolis.

The Melia brand, known for combining the Spanish passion for service with cutting-edge design and contemporary elegance, chose this Atlanta landmark to be the first Melia experience within the continental U.S. due to its privileged setting. Sol Melia is implementing an intensive expansion strategy, as a result of its brand equity policy, which has allowed its portfolio to expand in the world’s most dynamic markets such as Asia, where the company has been operating for the last 25 years, the Emirates and European capitals and coasts, where it is overall the third leading hotel company.

The Melia Atlanta will pave the way for the expansion plans of the Spanish company within the U.S. The hotel will be a modern urban property with great accessibility to public transportation via the Marta North Ave. Station, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, and conveniently located near the Georgia Tech campus. The property will offer more than 30,000 square feet of meeting and conference facilities.

Amenities which will be completed as part of the multimillion-dollar renovation include the fourth-floor pool deck featuring extraordinary city views and a fitness center, in addition to Melia’s renowned F&B concepts, as agreed between Fundus America, the hotel’s owner, and the Sol Melia Group.