Sol Meliá, in line with its strategy to grow in new markets, will open a new hotel on the island of Zanzibar in Tanzania. Meliá Zanzibar, a 5-star holiday resort, will strengthen the company’s presence on the African continent after the inauguration last week of its first hotel in Cabo Verde.

Previously operated by the Kempinski chain (Zamani Kempinski), the hotel will reopen next August under the Spanish company’s most international brand, Meliá Hotels & Resorts, joining the portfolio through a management contract.

The hotel is located in the northeast of Zanzibar, also known as the “Spice Island”, a major African tourist destination known for being a unique cultural crossroads of Oriental, European and African influence, as well as for its beautiful, exotic beaches and coral reefs.

Meliá Zanzibar is a luxurious hotel with 100 rooms and 7 villas, the latter with their own private pool, solarium, living room, kitchen and butler service. In addition, the hotel offers a spa, beauty and fitness centre, outdoor sports facilities - such as tennis courts and swimming pools - as well as different venues for meetings and events and dining options in two restaurants, three bars and a Beach Club.

With this hotel, the Spanish company now has 6 hotels on the African continent, joining the 4 hotels in Egypt and the recently opened Meliá Tortuga in Cabo Verde, a destination in which two additional hotels will be opened between 2012 and 2015. As the company announced in its latest earnings report, 91% of the hotels pending incorporation are located outside of Spain, in line with the strategy of geographical product diversification and opening new markets.

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