Overview
- Argentina’s tourism secretary Daniel Scioli named Bariloche, El Calafate, Iguazú, Mendoza, Posadas, Salta and Ushuaia as sites for seven planned ZEL hotels in partnership with Rafael Nadal and Meliá Hotels International.
- Meliá Hotels International said it has five new projects signed in Argentina, some of which will carry the ZEL brand, without confirming a total of seven ZEL openings.
- The expansion is reportedly backed by a US$200 million investment plan over five years, with local press suggesting the first ZEL hotel could open in El Calafate in 2026.
- ZEL was launched by Rafael Nadal with Meliá in 2023 and currently operates two properties in Spain and a resort in Punta Cana, serving as the model for the proposed Argentine sites.
- Resolving the hotel count dispute requires finalizing financing arrangements, obtaining permit approvals and formalizing contracts to set definitive project schedules.