The Timeshare Beat

50-MILLION-DOLLAR MEXICO CITY HOTEL GIVES SOL MELIA GLOBAL BUSINESS AND MEETING MARKET EDGE

Press Release: Sol Melia

July 14, 1999
MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Spain-based Sol Melia Hotels has announced its acquisition of the 454-room Crowne Plaza Reforma hotel in Mexico City for $50 million from Bass International.

The newly named Melia Mexico Reforma near Avenida Juarez, is now owned and managed by Sol Melia.

"This first Mexico City hotel is a powerful addition to our portfolio of full-service business and meeting hotels located in major capital cities," said Emanuel Schreibmaier, vice president of sales and marketing for Sol Melia's Americas Division, based in Miami. "The business traveler can now literally go from one major Latin America city to another and stay at a Melia hotel every step of the way."

Mexico City now joins Sol Melia's Latin America business and meeting properties in Caracas, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Guatemala City, Santo Domingo and San Jose. Two others are planned to open by the end of 1999 in Lima and the Panama Canal Zone. The company also has a strong business and meeting hotel presence in Hanoi, Jakarta, Brussels, Madrid, Barcelona and London.

The Melia Mexico Reforma features three restaurants, 24-hour room service, a business, center, gym and six meeting rooms with videoconferencing capabilities and a total of 22,200 square feet accommodating up to 800 people. Among the 454 rooms, 30 are junior suites, four are master suites and one is a presidential suite. Three floors are dedicated to Sol Melia's exclusive Royal Service, featuring daily breakfast, cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and private butler service.

Sol Melia is one of the world's most successful hotel companies with its three brands -- Melia Hotels, Sol Hotels and Paradisus Resorts -- totaling more than 250 hotels in 25 countries. Sol Melia's 1999/2000 expansion plans include new properties in Argentina, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico and throughout Asia Pacific and Europe. Sol Melia's timesharing arm is marketed through its Paradisus Resorts brand.

Individual reservations for any Melia Hotel, Sol Hotel and Paradisus Resort can be made through a travel agent or by calling (800) 33-MELIA (63542). Group reservations can be made through your professional meeting and incentive planner or through Sol Melia's group desk (CIMAS) by calling 1-888-33-MELIA or via e-mail: cimas@sol-group.com. Hotel information can also be obtained by accessing Sol Melia on the World Wide Web at http://www.solmelia.es.

Contact:
YP&B, Orlando, Fla.
Kathy Hernandez or Kim Carr, 407/875-1111