The highest authority of Meliá Hotels International, Gabriel Escarrer Jaume, publicly admitted that the Spanish chain is unaware of the future of its hotels in Cuba.
"I don't know; the truth is that we don't know what is going to happen. We are following the instructions from the U.S. State Department," he stated on the occasion of the inauguration of a new establishment in Estepona.
Despite the bleak outlook, Escarrer did not rule out a possible return.
When asked if Cuba has a future in tourism, he replied without hesitation: "I believe so, without a doubt."
But that future, for the moment, entirely depends on what Washington decides.
Escarrer's confession summarizes the situation of a company that, just six weeks prior, had been forced to abandon the management of 15 hotels on the island under direct pressure from Washington.
The trigger was Executive Order 14404, signed by President Donald Trump on May 1, 2026, which designated the Cuban military conglomerate GAESA as a sanctioned entity and set June 5 as the deadline for foreign companies to sever any ties with the group.
Meliá informed the National Securities Market Commission on June 3 about the immediate cessation of operations in 15 establishments, citing "unforeseen circumstances beyond management's control."
Among the abandoned hotels are some of the most iconic of Cuban tourism: Paradisus Varadero, Paradisus Río de Oro, Gran Hotel Bristol Habana Vieja, and Meliá Cayo Santa María, among others.
After that partial exit, the chain maintains approximately 19 properties in Cuba not directly linked to GAESA, although most operate with minimal occupancy or remain temporarily closed.
In July 2026, only four or five hotels remained operational: the Meliá Habana, Meliá Cohiba, Meliá Varadero, Meliá Las Américas, and Sol Palmeras, the latter reopening on July 1 after four months of closure.
The uncertainty arrives at the worst possible time for Cuban tourism. In 2025, the island received only 1.81 million international visitors, the lowest figure since 2002—excluding the pandemic—which represents a 62% decline compared to the 4.7 million in 2018.
The hotel occupancy in Cuba fell to 18.9% that year, a historic low.
The financial situation of Meliá on the island is also critical. The chain closed the first quarter of 2026 at 50% of its operational capacity, with an average occupancy of 34.1% and a 68% drop in its net profit. Losses in Cuba during 2024 amounted to 4 million euros.
The Cuban regime, for its part, attempted to present the withdrawal as an external imposition.
Miguel Díaz-Canel stated that Meliá and Iberostar were leaving "against their will" due to Trump's pressures, and the government threatened with lawsuits for breach of contract. Meliá defends itself by invoking the EU Blocking Statute, in effect since 1996.
The Spanish chain, which once managed up to 34 hotels in Cuba with nearly 14,000 rooms, was recently the leading foreign tour operator on the island.
Now, their international expansion priorities are focused in a different direction: the Middle East, the United States, and Vietnam.
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