Gabriel Escarrer Juliá, founder and honorary chairman of Spain’s Meliá Hotels International, passed away on November 26. He was 89.
Juliá founded Meliá Hotels in Majorca in 1956 at the age of 21 and went on to preside over the company for more than six decades. Today, Meliá Hotels has more than 400 open and pipeline hotels under 10 brands in more than 40 countries. A leading hotel chain across the world, Meliá Hotels has established its presence in the market of urban hotels inspired by leisure. The company’s focus on widening its global reach helped it become the first Spanish hotel company to open locations in key markets of China, the Middle East and the U.S., while continuing to add properties across Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Juliá handed over the baton to his son and current chairman and CEO, Gabriel Escarrer Jaume, complying with the succession plan approved by the family and the board of directors in 2016, Meliá Hotels said in a statement.
Throughout his career, he was decorated with awards from his country and homeland, the Balearic Islands, such as the Doctorate Honoris Causa by the University of the Balearic Islands and the Gold Medal of the Community.
In his later years, he was appointed Ambassador of the Spain brand and received the Kingdom of Spain Award for Business Excellence and the Order of Merit of Duarte, Sanchez and Mella of the Dominican Republic and the Cuban Order of Solidarity.
A pioneer in opening properties across the Mexican Caribbean, Bali and Cuba, he anticipated the power of tourism to “bring countries together and promote the social and economic development of destinations.”
Expressing sorrow over the passing of Juliá in a social media post, Dominican President Luis Abinader said the Meliá Hotels founder was not only a “great hotelier but above all a great human being: visionary, entrepreneurial and deeply committed to social causes. A valuable ally of the Dominican Republic. His dedication and legacy will continue to inspire future generations.”
Mourning the loss of a “friend,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said on social media that Juliá “bet on Cuba and leaves us with very valuable lessons to follow.”
Juliá is survived by his six children and 20 grandchildren.
