Sayulita is known for its relaxed ambiance
IAN STALKER
Meliá Hotels International is preparing to reach out to surfer dudes wanting to ride west coast Mexican waves in a community known for that type of activity.
The Spanish company will in December open one of its ME brand properties in the Pacific Coast destination of Sayulita, which Meliá‘s Sara Ranghi labelled a “hippie-chic place” found about an hour from Puerto Vallarta.
Ranghi described ME Meliá as a “luxury lifestyle brand,” adding it “really doesn’t matter how old you are but how old you feel” to enjoy a stay at a ME property.
Sayulita’s upcoming ME opening will be followed by one of Meliá’s ZEL properties that the company plans to open in the same community next year.
Sayulita first made its mark with young surfers and today continues with a relaxed ambiance underscored by its many surfer shops and open-air bars and restaurants.
Ranghi noted that the ME Sayulita is one of a trio of resorts that Meliá will open in December, with another being a ZEL resort in Punta Cana, and the third being the Meliá Casa Maya on Mexico’s Caribbean coast.
In all, Meliá — which now has nine brands — plans to open 11 hotels in this hemisphere before the end of 2027, further boosting the hotel inventory of a company which now has some 350 properties in 41 countries found on four continents.
Some 60% of Meliá properties cater to leisure travellers, with Ranghi stating that, “We are very well known for being the No. 1 leisure company.”
Among Meliá brands well represented in the Americas — home to 28% of all Meliá rooms — is Paradisus, with Ranghi labelling them luxury all-inclusives that have “a destination-inclusive feel… We bring the destinations into the hotels,” she said.
Paradisus guests will be able to experience local dishes in their resorts, which will also have regional decor.
Among Paradisus options is the Paradisus Los Cabos, which is now an adults-only resort.
The ZEL Punta Cana property slated to open in December will be the first ZEL in the Americas, with Ranghi reporting that ZEL stays are “all about being active and social.” Guests can “go for a run but then come back and have a beer.”
Meliá states that ZEL “was born in the Mediterranean,” and Ranghi said ZELs serve as “embassies” for that part of the world.
Another Meliá choice is INNSiDE, which Ranghi promoted as the company’s “affordable lifestyle brand.”
Meliá this year launched its Pet Friendly by Meliá program, with both its American hotels — one in New York City and the other in Orlando — joining many others in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru and Brazil in having being designated pet friendly. Ranghi said those hotels have set aside some rooms for those vacationing with dogs, enabling the company to be able to avoid later placing those allergic to canines in those same rooms.
Welcome bags for dogs include a toy and food, said Ranghi, adding there hasn’t been any negative feedback from other guests about having to share a hotel with dogs.
Meanwhile, Ranghi noted that Meliá has built an impressive presence in Cuba but added that shouldn’t lead to a perception that it isn’t offering vacation choices in other places.
“We love Cuba but that’s not the only one (destination) we have,” she declared, noting that its presence in the Western Hemisphere includes such South American countries as Peru, Venezuela, Brazil and Argentina.
