One of Europe's Biggest Hotel Companies Just Pulled Out of Nearly Half Its Properties on This Caribbean Island

Meliá Hotels International, the Spanish hotel giant, is ceasing operations at 15 of the 34 hotels it manages in Cuba — a dramatic retreat from an island where the company has been the dominant foreign hospitality player for decades.

The decision, formally confirmed on June 3 after being communicated to property ownership entities on May 26, reflects what Meliá described as external circumstances beyond its control that have "materially affected the operational, legal, and security conditions" needed to deliver services at these locations.

The vast majority of the affected properties were already closed due to Cuba's ongoing energy crisis and plummeting tourism demand. Cuba's visitor numbers have fallen sharply from a 2018 peak of 4.3 million, with arrivals in early 2026 running 48% below the same period last year.

Meliá is not alone in pulling back. Royalton Luxury Resorts and Iberostar Hotels & Resorts have also limited or suspended operations on the island in recent weeks, following new U.S. sanctions and a continued oil embargo that have compounded Cuba's economic difficulties.

The closures deal a significant blow to Cuba's tourism sector, which the government has long counted on as a primary source of foreign revenue. With major international operators now withdrawing, the island faces an increasingly uncertain path to recovering its once-thriving resort industry.