A new 19,000-square-foot convention center with customizable multi-purpose space for expos, conventions and events is coming to the Riviera Maya.
The Barceló Maya Grand Resort complex, which is comprised of the Barceló Maya Palace, Barceló Maya Beach, Barceló Maya Caribe, Barceló Maya Colonial and Barceló Maya Tropical, has announced plans for a major expansion that includes the opening of one of the largest convention centers in the region, the Barceló Maya Arena, in May 2020. Also planned is the new, adults-only, all-inclusive Barceló Maya Riviera resort, which is set to open this December.
In addition to the convention center, a 3,400-square-feet terrace is available for gala receptions. For destination weddings, there is also a gazebo near the resort’s infinity pool that has oceanfront views.
The new Barceló Maya Riviera resort will offer 850 guest rooms, more than half of them with ocean views; hot tubs in all guestroom balconies; double beds or “super king” options for all guestrooms; 110 swim-up suites and junior suites; smart locks through smartphone app; five bars; and four pools.
It will four specialty restaurants and one buffet restaurant. The specialty restaurants will offer an array of cuisine, including Mexican with a “Tacoyaki” bar, French fine dining, Italian, and Japanese (10 Tepanyaki tables and one Robatayaki table for fireside cooking).
Barceló Hotel Group was originally Barceló Hotels & Resorts, founded in Palma de Mallorca (Spain) 85 years ago. Thanks to its hotel business, with more than 54,000 rooms; and its travel business, with more than 685 travel agencies in 22 countries, the group has earned a ranking as Spain’s third-largest hotel chain, and the 29th largest worldwide. For more info, visit www.barcelo.com.
Posadas Investment
Posadas, the largest hotel company in Mexico, is planning to open a new convention center in Tulkal, the company said in a presentation on its growth strategy at Tianguis Turistico. The new venue, which will span over 33,000 square feet, represents the company’s biggest investment in the meetings market to date.
The project is part of the development of a new tourism destination in Tulkal that will include multiple resorts, such as a 515-room Fiesta Americana all-inclusive property and a 340-room Live Aqua Beach Resort. The company has also signed a new project in Playa Mujeres and a new 700-room resort in Puerto Vallarta.
All told, Posadas says that it plans to open a total of 300 new properties through 2020.
“Posadas currently has 180 hotels in operation, with another 53 under construction set to open over the next 30 months,” says Enrique Calderon, COO of Posadas, in a written statement. “Our goal is to have 300 properties in our portfolio by 2020, which equals to about one hotel every two weeks this year.”
Also up next is the introduction of two new brands, which will focus on celebration and romance. Currently, the company has seven brands in its portfolio, most notably Live Aqua (pictured above), Grand Fiesta Americana and Fiesta Americana, as well as The Explorean, Fiesta Inn, Gama and one. Further details on the two new brands are not available at this time.
At the event the property also recapped its latest milestones, which include the company’s entry last year into the Dominican Republic with the groundbreaking of the Grand Fiesta Americana Punta Cana Los Corales All-inclusive in Punta Cana, which is set to open in 2021. Last year also saw the company’s entry into Cuba with two resorts, the 633-room Fiesta Americana Punta Varadero All-Inclusive and the 749-room Fiesta Americana Holguín Costa Verde All-Inclusive. Most recently, in November the company opened the 153-room Live Aqua San Miguel De Allende.
Next up, the company is set to open a new property in Santo Domingo, and officials also say that they are eyeing new markets in the Caribbean, such as Jamaica and Aruba.
Spanning four decades, Posadas’ history has been written with passion and hard work. The company has become a leader in Mexico’s hotel industry. For more info, visit www.posadas.com.
