Meliá breaks into global luxury hotel top 10

The ranking makes Meliá the only Spanish hotel company in the global top 10 for luxury brand strength. It also places the group among the world’s 10 strongest hotel brands overall, regardless of segment.

The recognition comes as Meliá accelerates a major portfolio transformation, with premium and luxury properties now accounting for 65% of its portfolio and almost 80% of its development pipeline.

The strategy reflects a broader shift toward higher-value hospitality as travellers increasingly seek distinctive experiences, design, gastronomy, wellness and personalized service.

Luxury portfolio takes centre stage
Meliá has built its luxury strategy around a collection of brands targeting different segments of the high-end market.

Gran Meliá focuses on Spanish-inspired luxury, combining upscale hospitality with local culture and a strong sense of place.

ME by Meliá takes a lifestyle approach, emphasizing contemporary design, creativity, fashion and connections with the cultural scenes of major cities.

Paradisus by Meliá targets the luxury all-inclusive market, with immersive experiences built around local cuisine, nature and culture.

The Meliá Collection brings together individual properties with distinctive identities and strong links to their destinations, appealing to travellers looking for more authentic experiences.

The portfolio spans destinations including Los Cabos, Bali, Iguazú and the Serengeti, alongside major cities such as Madrid, Paris, Milan and Xi’an.

From renovations to repositioning
Meliá’s rise in the luxury ranking follows an extensive repositioning and asset-enhancement program. The group has upgraded numerous properties into premium and luxury categories while carrying out major renovations across its existing portfolio. New openings are being combined with refurbished hotels operating under updated brand standards.

The revamped properties increasingly feature contemporary design, elevated food and beverage concepts, wellness offerings, sustainability initiatives and more personalized service.

For Meliá, the strategy is designed not simply to increase room rates or move hotels upmarket, but to strengthen the emotional connection between its brands and guests.

The company sees brand strength as a combination of recognition, distinctive experiences and consistent operational performance across destinations.

Brand Finance’s ranking provides a measure of how far that transformation has progressed. Meliá is consequently positioning higher-end hospitality as a central driver of its next phase of international growth, recognizing the increasing importance of luxury travel to the global hotel industry.