Sol Melia, the leading hotel company in Spain and Latin America, has announced the start of operations in the USA with the opening of the Melia Atlanta, under a management agreement, allowing the company to develop its growth strategy in the biggest market in the world and positioning its most international brand in one of the most important business destinations in the country.

The hotel has been run to date by the Marriott chain under the name Renaissance Atlanta Hotel Downtown, and will be taken over by Sol Melia from 15 October. The new Melia Atlanta will be fully adapted to the brand standards thanks to the owner’s investment of 35 million dollar in a renovation process through to 2013.

Located in the financial district of Atlanta (capital of the State of Georgia, home to some of the biggest corporations in the USA), very near the city Technology Park, the hotel is a modern 502 room property which is perfect for both business and leisure travellers and has easy access to the Hartsfield-Jackson international airport, the busiest airport in the world. The Melia Atlanta also provides 2,700 square meters of meeting space for events, excellent leisure facilities and a great choice of dining options.

The hotel is owned by Fundus America and the takeover is a landmark for the Sol Melia growth and diversification strategy, allowing the company to gain a foothold in the biggest market in the world and earn brand recognition which will enhance the opening of hotels in new destinations in the USA. In the words of Gabriel Escarrer, Vice Chairman and CEO of Sol Melia, “the company is very excited about the addition of the new Melia Atlanta and I’m sure it will help us give a boost to many projects we would like to develop in the USA over the coming years”. Henk Habers, Chairman of the WingField Group, the real estate company involved in the operation, emphasised that the quality of the hotel after it adapts to the Melia brand standards, and its privileged location in downtown Atlanta, will make the Melia Atlanta the “preferred destination for both business and leisure travellers”.

Sol Melia is currently immersed in an intense period of growth and has managed to extend its brand presence to the most dynamic markets in the world: Asia, major European capitals, the Mediterranean coast and the Caribbean, amongst others. In the Americas the hotel company operates hotels in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela and Costa Rica, amongst others and also achieved a major deal in the USA in June with the sale of its TRYP brand to the giant Wyndham Hotel Group, creating a strategic alliance to develop the new “Tryp by Wyndham” brand in major markets, including the USA.