Meliá ends management of 15 Cuban hotels before US deadline

One of the largest international hotel operators in Cuba has ended its management of 15 properties on the island, joining a growing corporate exodus ahead of a key U.S. sanctions deadline. Spain’s Meliá Hotels International announced the immediate termination of its management, marketing, and brand-licensing services for the hotels on June 3.

The company stated the decision was due to the evolving geopolitical, social, legal, and economic environment in Cuba. It said the financial impact would be limited because many of the affected hotels were already non-operational due to energy constraints and reduced demand. Meliá, which has a deep historical presence in Cuba, did not immediately specify the status of existing guest bookings.

The move comes just days before a June 5 deadline set by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. The deadline requires foreign companies to sever commercial ties with GAESA, the Cuban military’s sprawling business conglomerate that dominates the island’s tourism sector through its subsidiary Gaviota. Failure to comply risks exposing firms to secondary U.S. sanctions.

Meliá is the latest in a series of international hotel chains to...