Meliá Hotels International will invest USD 200 million: 7 new hotels in the country

With an ambitious expansion plan valued at over 200 million dollars, the hotel chain Meliá Hotels International, in partnership with legendary Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal, announces the opening of seven new hotels in Argentina over the next five years. This strategic decision, celebrated by the international business community, reflects the renewed climate of confidence and legal security offered by the government of President Javier Milei.

The investment includes establishments in key tourist destinations such as Buenos Aires, El Calafate, Bariloche, Iguazú, Mendoza, Salta, Posadas, and Ushuaia, primarily targeting high-level international tourism. In the words of Víctor Donmez, Managing Director of Meliá for Latin America: "In 2024, 60% of tourists were foreigners. For this year, we project that number to grow to 70%, with an average occupancy of 65%."

The project also includes the arrival of ZEL, the exclusive hotel brand that Meliá manages in partnership with Rafael Nadal, which will have its fourth global establishment in Argentina, following its launches in Mallorca, Costa Brava, and Punta Cana.

The Patagonian jewel of this venture will be a new hotel in El Calafate, scheduled for late 2026, followed by another in Lago Gutiérrez, Bariloche, in 2027, and the impressive Gran Meliá in Ushuaia, whose construction is already underway. The personal presence of the group's global CEO, Gabriel Escarrer Jaume, in El Calafate in October 2024, and his speech at FITUR in Madrid 2025, where he praised the current Argentine environment for investment, confirm the seriousness of this venture.

With these openings, Meliá will reach a total of 12 operational hotels in the country, consolidating Argentina as a strategic hub in its global network of 362 hotels and more than 93,000 rooms, 64% of which are in the top-level segment.

Atrápalo in Argentina.

Meanwhile, another Spanish company, the travel and entertainment agency Atrápalo, announced a 1.5 million dollar investment in the country during 2025. 70% of that investment will be exclusively allocated to the Argentine market, reaffirming the country's central role in its regional strategy.

Atrápalo —which generates 81 million dollars annually in the combined market of Argentina, Chile, and Peru— has a strong local presence, representing 60% of that revenue. With more than 14,000 tickets sold per month and an omnichannel presence, the company positions itself among the four major players in the online B2C tourism sector in the country.

The new local CEO, Martín Romano, who also serves as secretary of AVIABUE and was treasurer of FAEVYT, highlighted: "In Argentina, Atrápalo is the second-largest producer of domestic flights focused on the development of national tourism."

Romano has a business history closely linked with the brand. In 2013, he spearheaded its entry into Argentina, and during the pandemic, he proposed taking over the local operation, becoming a regional partner. Under his leadership, the company more than tripled its workforce, reaching 65 employees and physically expanding in key locations such as Belgrano and Tigre.

In 2025, the company's priorities will focus on three major areas: technology, with tools based on artificial intelligence; brand, with strong investment in digital marketing; and talent, deepening the hiring initiated in 2024 that increased the team by 50%.