Meliá Hotels International exits 15 Cuban hotels amid US sanctions

Meliá Hotels International announced on June 3 that it will immediately cease managing, marketing and licensing services for 15 hotels in Cuba. The decision was taken in response to deteriorating legal, economic and geopolitical conditions and to new U.S. sanctions that target the Cuban military conglomerate GAESA and its tourism subsidiary Gaviota, with a June 5 deadline for foreign firms to disengage.

The affected properties—among them Gran Hotel Bristol Habana Vieja, Innside Catedral Habana, Meliá Buena Vista, Paradisus Varadero, Sol Caribe Beach and others—have largely been closed for months because of chronic energy shortages and a sharp drop in tourist arrivals. Meliá will retain operations at 19 other hotels across the island.

Meliá said the financial impact is limited since most of the withdrawn hotels were already non‑operational. The move follows similar pull‑outs by Iberostar, Blue Diamond and other international chains, as Cuba’s tourism sector saw a more than 55 % decline in visitor numbers during the first four months of 2026.