The pressure from the Trump administration on the Cuban military conglomerate GAESA is causing a mass exodus of foreign hotel chains from the island and paving the way for a potential entry of American companies into the Cuban tourism sector, according to an analysis published by El Periódico.
Washington gave a deadline until June 5 for foreign companies to cease operations with GAESA and its subsidiaries — including Gaviota, the regime's tourism arm — under threat of secondary sanctions.
The Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the extent of the conglomerate on May 20: "Cuba is controlled by GAESA, a state within a state."
He added that the company, founded 30 years ago by Raúl Castro and owned by the Armed Forces, "has $18 billion in assets and controls 70% of the Cuban economy."
Tourism is the most lucrative business on the island, and several large American companies are identified as potential operators in Cuba if a shift in the current situation occurs.
The identified hotel groups are:
- Marriott, que ya administró el Four Points by Sheraton en La Habana desde 2016 —siendo el primer hotel gestionado por una firma de EE.UU. en la isla desde 1959— hasta que el The Department of the Treasury canceled its license en junio de 2020.
- Hilton, with a historic presence before the 1959 revolution: the Habana Hilton was taken over by Fidel Castro's government.
- Hyatt, Wyndham, Choice Hotels, and Best Western, with financial strength and millions of potential customers within a short flight distance.
In addition to hotel chains, other American tourist companies are also mentioned that could re-enter the Cuban market with renewed strength. These include airlines American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, as well as digital platforms Airbnb and Expedia.
The void left by European chains is substantial. Iberostar has ceased operations of 12 hotels in Cuba starting this Monday, and the Canadian hotel group Blue Diamond Resorts announced its immediate withdrawal last Sunday.
Meliá, the Spanish hotel chain with the largest presence on the island, operating 34 hotels and 14,053 rooms, already closed approximately 50% of its operational capacity in the first quarter of 2026. In its earnings presentation on May 7, the company warned: "In Cuba, the level of uncertainty remains high."
TheMallorcan company noted that the lack of aviation fuel "caused the cancellation of numerous direct connections to the country, even from its main source market, Canada," and that "domestic tourism has accounted for almost all of the bookings for hotels that are still open," although this market "is not enough to offset the decline in international demand."
In total, there are over 100 hotel management contracts in Cuba managed by around twenty foreign chains, of which ten are Spanish: Meliá, Iberostar, Be Live, Roc, Barceló, Valentín, NH, Blau, Axel, and Sirenis.
The president of Meliá, Gabriel Escarrer, acknowledged in a recent meeting with the media that the situation in Cuba is "unsustainable," while the Spanish government claims to maintain "ongoing contact with some of the potentially affected companies, to understand their specific situation, identify possible risks, and assist them in scenario evaluation."
Filed under: