Gabriel Escarrer (Palma, 1971) supervises the final details for the inauguration of the Torre Melina hotel (former Juan Carlos) in Barcelona. The iconic establishment reopens on January 24 after nearly four years closed and an investment of 40 million euros to transform it. And he does it with a full house under the management of Meliá and its most exclusive brand (Gran Meliá). The president and CEO of the company conceives this five-star luxury resort as an urban resort open to the city, a destination that he assures maintains its attractiveness.
How did the project for this new hotel come about?
For me it has always been an iconic hotel and I think Ferrater did a great job. Since its creation, its gardens and its conference palace have caught my attention… I think it is the most complete hotel that exists in Barcelona. Unfortunately, the old property went into financial trouble and defaulted on payments. It closed permanently with the covid and every time I passed by here I thought that it couldn’t be that such an emblematic hotel was closed. So with the help of a partner with whom we have collaborated on several projects, Tony Chedraoui [founder of the Tyrus investment fund], we saw the opportunity to buy it. And there is the result.
How is it different from the old Juan Carlos?
There has been an investment of 40 million euros and a year of intense work to transform and improve it. We have worked closely with the City Council, highlighting the essence of the hotel and what it represents for Barcelona, ??especially the garden area and Torre Melina. We have reduced rooms from 438 to 391, we have completely renovated them and made them more spacious. There is also a very specific project to attract all the citizens of Barcelona, ??all the neighbors. We are going to make memberships for the spa, we have opened six different food and drink points, including chef Íñigo Urrechu’s Erre restaurant, when previously the hotel only had two points. Food and drink should represent practically 50% of the hotel’s income. We also incorporated an urban beach club called Beso, a concept that started in Fomentera. And we have also created something very new for Barcelona, ??which no one has in the luxury segment, long-stay residences, highly demanded by North American and Middle Eastern clients. The objective is for it to once again be the reference hotel for Barcelona and its major events.
Have you reached an agreement with the City Council to extend the concession of the land?
We are in talks with the municipal government team, and there is a willingness to do so.
They also manage the conference palace, which reopened in October. Is there demand to hold events?
In this case the land belongs to the Pons family and we have reached an agreement to extend the use. We are completely surprised by the reception it has had. This 2024 we have many small events scheduled, with which we feel comfortable. And by 2025 we already have several large-scale events.
What occupancy forecasts do you have for the hotel?
The prospects are very good. Barcelona has had a very good 2023 and I think it will have a 2024 that will surely not be worse. We are going to position the hotel in the high segment, which will heavily weight the price. But for this first year we should not have less than 63%-64% occupancy. We open with a large group that will occupy the entire hotel, and starting February 1 it will be open to the general public.
They make a big bet on Barcelona. Do you believe in the future of the city?
Without a doubt. Barcelona has a really fantastic positioning. We already have eleven establishments here, fourteen in Catalonia.
There are speeches that compare it with Madrid and say that it is in the doldrums.
Madrid and Barcelona are complementary and selling them together would help a lot in the international market. This is not the time to divide, but to add. Long-distance tourism, whether from Asia or America, comes for long stays and offering Barcelona and Madrid together is a very powerful combination.
Tourism is criticized for oversaturation, is it a problem?
Without a doubt. It is not the time to continue growing, but to consolidate the good things we have and, together, to design the tourism model we want, both in Barcelona and Catalonia and throughout Spain. The problem of overcrowding is understood by an oversupply that has gotten out of hand, that of tourist rentals. I believe in them, but not in an apartment alone. They must be complete buildings or single-family buildings, due to coexistence. This overexploitation of tourist rentals, especially in the historic centers of large cities, has led to gentrification and loss of identity, and that is not good for the tourism we seek.
What needs to change?
Instead of looking at the number of arrivals, we have to look at spending. There is a lot of mass tourism that for me contributes nothing and is left over. I think it was very positive when all hotel licenses were paralyzed, but I also think that tourist rentals must be paralyzed, regulating where we want them and in what percentage.
Do you think then that it was a good decision, on the part of the previous municipal government team, to put a pause on the granting of hotel licenses?
Yes, but this parenthesis has to be temporary and, with public-private collaboration, determine what tourism model we want. And that model does not go for more, it goes for better. If it’s stopping just to stop, it doesn’t make sense. And stop definitively, either, because that goes against competitiveness.
Have you been able to talk about all this with the new Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu?
Yes, and I had a pleasant impression. Last week he called me to his office, because I am also the president of Exceltur, the largest tourism lobby with 34 of the largest companies in this country. He also advocates for Spain to be a reference in terms of sustainability, social, with public-private collaboration. During his time as mayor of Barcelona he was very involved with the promotion consortium and experienced first-hand everything that the uncontrolled boom in housing for tourist use entailed. I saw him very sensitive to the issue and willing to listen to the sector to work together.