The Meliá Group has announced that it will reopen the Palacio de Congresos de Cataluña in October 2023, following a court ruling that upholds the termination of the contract with the previous operator, Fairmont.
In addition, the Balearic hotelier has “free rein” to transform the former Hotel Juan Carlos I into the new Meliá Miranda de Pedralbes, which is expected to welcome its first guests as of January 2024.
The complex that integrates the Hotel Juan Carlos I and the Palacio de Congresos de Cataluña had been closed since 2020 due to the pandemic.
Last January, the Tyrus Capital fund, the new owner of the asset, announced an agreement with the Meliá Group to transfer the management and reopen the hotel under the new Miranda de Pedralbes brand.
After more than half a year, the Meliá Group has announced the reopening date of the Palacio de Congresos for October, while the hotel’s reopening is scheduled for January 2024.
This announcement comes after a Barcelona Commercial Court validated the change of operator, supporting Tyrus’ decision to terminate the contract with the Fairmont chain.
The Meliá Group considers that it now has a “free hand” to go ahead with its project, although Fairmont has announced that it plans to appeal the sentence before the Barcelona Court of Appeals.
The reopening of the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya is undoubtedly a success.
The president of the Meliá Group, Gabriel Escarré, emphasized that this judicial decision is a definitive step towards the reopening of the Palacio de Congresos de Cataluña, a magnificent space for the development of business and congresses in the city.
Escarré said that the Gran Meliá brand will contribute to improving the resort’s management and reputation, attracting high-end tourism year-round.
For his part, Tony Chedraoui, CEO of Tyrus, said he had no doubt that the commitment demonstrated by Meliá’s senior management would be recognized by the courts.
He highlighted the interest of the project for the city of Barcelona.
The new Meliá Miranda de Pedralbes
The reopening project envisions turning the new Meliá Miranda de Pedralbes into an oasis of tranquility in Barcelona, taking advantage of the more than 25,000 square meters of gardens surrounding the hotel and opening them up to local residents as well.
The reopening of the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya in October will help meet the growing demand for trade fair and congress venues in Barcelona, which in 2022 topped the world ranking of trade fair and congress cities with 135,000 congress attendees.
The Palau de Congressos de Catalunya, located on Avinguda Diagonal, has 39 rooms of different sizes, an auditorium with capacity for more than 2,000 people and more than 4,000 square meters of event space.
