Canadian Blue Diamond Chain Manages a Dozen Hotels in Cuba

Amid growing international interest in Cuba as a tourist destination, the Canadian company Blue Diamond confirms its intention to extend operations in the archipelago, where it already manages 12 hotels and nearly seven thousand rooms.

Rafael Villanueva, commercial director of the Cuba division of the northern firm, told ACN that they are strongly determined to continue their growth in this Caribbean country, in which they are positioned as second foreign chain with greater presence.

To that end, Blue Diamond entered the bidding process opened by Cubanacan to take over management of Breezes Jibacoa Hotel, managed to date by the Jamaican firm SuperClubs.

The hotel division of Sunwing Travel Group, a leading tour operator in Canada, intends to operate the 240 rooms Five Stars facility, located in the province of Mayabeque, in one of the priority areas to develop tourism, said the executive.

In midst of the high tourist season of Cuba destination, the firm reported the addition to its hotels the Memories Miramar Havana, previously Occidental Miramar, and the Montehabana apart-hotel, with which it started operations in the capital.

To extend its presence in poles of growing acceptance among tourists, the company assumed in January the management and marketing of Memories Holguin, previously Riu Playa Turquesa, a 531 rooms four star hotel, located in Yuraguanal beach, in Guardalavaca.

At just three years of entering the Cuban market, Blue Diamond has established itself as the second foreign chain with the greatest amount of rooms and managed hotels in Cuba after the Spanish Meliá, with over 25 years in the destination and 27 facilities under its administration.

The management and marketing contracts with reputable foreign companies, in order to raise the standards of the Cuban hotel product, and attract greater flows of tourists to the island are priority on the business portfolio that the Ministry of Tourism promotes today to boost the development of the sector.

According to official data, Cuba has currently signed about 70 contracts with 17 foreign chains.

Source: ACN