MIAMI—Melia Hotels International debuts its first property in the U.S. from its luxury brand, ME by Melia, with the spring 2015 opening of ME Miami.
This new Bayfront property marks the brand’s evolving global expansion strategy by making its way to one of the most popular travel destinations in the world and the U.S. headquarters of Melia Hotels International.
“We are incredibly excited about the launch of ME Miami and are thrilled to begin this project in one of the most iconic cities in the U.S.,” said Gabriel Escarrer, CEO and vice chairman of Melia Hotels International, “with its strategic location and all the offerings the city of Miami has to offer.”
Under the ownership of the private-equity, alternative investment manager, CGI Merchant Group, the downtown property will take over the current location of Casa Moderna Hotel at 1100 Biscayne Blvd. ME Miami will offer 129 guestrooms, two rooftop pools, and more than 5,000 sq. ft. of renovated space that will be converted into new F&B facilities with dining and event spaces. All public and private spaces, including a spa, will be completely remodeled.
“The opening of ME Miami represents a significant undertaking for CGI, one that spanned two years and comprised a substantial financial commitment, a tremendous amount of resources, as well as exhaustive due diligence to find a partner befitting of such a significant project for downtown Miami,” said Raoul Thomas, CEO of CGI Merchant Group.
The announcement of ME Miami follows the summer 2014 launches of ME Mallorca and ME Ibiza as well as the ME London opening in 2013. The brand will continue to expand with the development of three future properties in markets including ME Milan Il Duca and ME Caracas, both slated to open in 2015, and Zaha Hadid’s ME Dubai slated to open in 2016.