Baku, Azerbaijan, March 3
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iran is expected to have a new 5-star hotel built on its territory by the Spanish hotel chain, Melia Hotels International.
Ana Rubio, communication manager of the Melia Hotels International told Trend that the hotel is expected to open in June 2017, while the retail mall is already open to the public.
The hotel is scheduled to be built along the Caspian Sea beach in northern Iran, according to a message from the hotel group.
The property will be located in the largest mixed residential, commercial and hotel complex to be developed in Iran, which is currently being built in Salman Shahr, Mazandaran province a popular holiday destination on the Caspian Sea and will be managed by an international hotel company, Gran Melia Ghoo.
In addition to the hotel, the resort will also feature two residential towers, a sports centre, parking and a retail mall all within an area of 180,000 square meters.
While responding to a question about the hotel group's further investment plans in the country, Rubio said that following the launch of Gran Melia Ghoo, Melia Hotels International will also look to potentially expand into Tabriz, Mashad, Shiraz and Esfahan cities.
Iran presents several great opportunities for Melia Hotels International to expand, as Tehran and other locations around the Caspian Sea are key tourism destinations that will be of great interest to tourists, she added.
Furthermore Rubio said that Iran is one of the largest countries in the Middle East and one of the top 20 largest economies in the world, which expects to see significant tourism growth following the lifting of sanctions that previously have restricted foreign investment since 2006.
Tourism is undoubtedly one of the industries with the most promising growth prospects, she said, adding that Iran expects to attract more than 20 million passengers a year by 2025, compared to the current five million.
This will require the development of additional hotel capacity, estimated at at least 150 hotels to cater to the increased demand, Rubio said.