The simultaneous exodus of three major Spanish hotel chains from Cuba has sparked a question that resonates throughout the international tourism sector: who will fill that void?
According to an analysis published this Thursday in the Spanish newspaper ABC by journalist Antonio Ramírez Cerezo, the response points directly to Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and Wyndham.
The trigger for the exodus was the Trump administration's decision to include Cuba's Ministry of Tourism and nine state entities on the Treasury Department's Specially Designated Nationals list.
Meliá closed its 34 hotels on the island on Tuesday, after 36 years of uninterrupted presence, and Iberostar and Barceló also confirmed their exit that same day.
Ramírez Cerezo is straightforward in his diagnosis:
"The exodus of major Spanish hotel chains from Cuba following threats of sanctions from the U.S. paves the way for American hotel giants to seize the ground gained over the past three decades by Meliá, Iberostar, or Barceló."
The chains that are leaving controlled over 30,000 of the 86,559 rooms available on the island - 35% of the total - an infrastructure ready to be operated that makes Cuba a primary target for American brands.
The journalist describes the appetite of these companies bluntly:
"The 'pearl' of the Caribbean has always been a desire for North American brands like Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and Wyndham, four of the largest accommodation operators in the world, which together comprise around 4 million rooms. They are now eagerly anticipating the possibility that Washington will oversee the transition from the Castro regime to a capitalist and open economy."
For the moment, there are no formal announcements, but the analysis warns that “no one in the Spanish hotel sector doubts that the steps are already outlined if what is expected occurs.”
The parallel drawn by Ramírez Cerezo with Venezuela is revealing:
"If a transition context led by the U.S. occurs—similar to what is happening in Venezuela with U.S. oil companies following the capture of Nicolás Maduro—the outlook would be very favorable for a major American hotel investment."
The only instance of American hotel presence in Cuba in recent decades has been that of Marriott, which managed the Four Points by Sheraton Havana since 2016 - during the diplomatic opening promoted by Barack Obama - until the Trump administration ordered the closure of its operations in August 2020.
The North American chains would arrive with significantly stronger financial backing, supported by airlines like American Airlines and Delta, as well as platforms like Booking.
Ramírez Cerezo emphasizes that “American hotel chains have the capacity to attract tens of millions of clients to any destination who are part of their loyalty program.”
The analysis identifies Hyatt as the only North American chain with a significant presence in the "All-Inclusive" segment in the Caribbean, boasting over a hundred accommodations in the region, compared to only 30 resorts from Marriott or 20 from Wyndham.
The person in charge of global development at Hyatt is the Spanish Javier Águila, who recently brought on board María Zarraluqui, former head of expansion at Meliá for 25 years, a move that Ramírez Cerezo believes could be potentially decisive for the chain's eventual interest in the Cuban market.
The potential of Cuba as a destination is undeniable: 5,746 kilometers of coastline, far surpassing the Dominican Republic (1,288 km) or Jamaica (1,022 km), and with less impact from sargassum that affects Punta Cana and Riviera Maya.
However, the current reality is devastating: in the first quarter of 2026, only 298,057 visitors arrived, a 55% decrease compared to the same period the previous year.
This is in addition to the fact that in 2025 the total was only 1.8 million, compared to the record of 4.7 million in 2018.
Ramírez Cerezo concludes his analysis with a statement that encapsulates the historical significance of the moment:
«If a favorable scenario were to emerge for the opening of the Castro regime after nearly seven decades of dictatorship, it would represent a complete revolution for how tourism has been known until now in the Caribbean countries. The potential is infinite.»
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