Today, Sol Meliá announced the Spanish chain will open an “ME by Meliá” hotel in London, in time for the 2012 Olympics. The second hotel for the Sol Meliá chain in the capital, the “ME by Meliá” property will reside in the City Bank building, formerly owned by Ania, a subsidiary of the BBVA bank, in an acquisition of 133 million euros ($181,026,269). The hotel is in the final stage construction, completion of which, with equipment, is estimated at 52 million euros ($70,777,187).
Situated next to Convent Garden and Trafalgar Square, the building has 10 room foors and four underground floors on a triangular piece of land that also once the site of Casa Marconi. Designed by Norman Foster, British architect and winner of the Pritzker Prize for architecture, the hotel will have 173 rooms in four different categories, a 730 m2 Convention Centre and a selection of restaurants and bars. Other features will include a "The Level" floor, as well as a lounge for leisure and business guests, with views of the city and a distrubtion of internal spaces.
Other ME by Meliá brands in Europe include two properties in Spain (ME Madrid and ME Barcelona), and two in Mexico (the ME Cancun and ME Cabo). Joining the brands in Madrid, Cancun and Barcelona, it is set to open with "Biosphere Hotel" certification.
Visit www.solmelia.com.