Iberostar and Barceló Follow Meliá Out of Cuba, Ending Spanish Hotel Presence

Spanish hotel groups Iberostar and Barceló confirmed they have ceased operating and marketing all hotels in Cuba, following Meliá's full exit of its 34 properties (over 14,000 rooms) days earlier. Iberostar, present on the island since 1993, said "IberostarCuba Hotels & Resorts confirms that it no longer operates or markets any hotels in Cuba," closing its remaining six properties. Barceló terminated management contracts on its two state-owned Varadero hotels years early, reversing a June statement from CEO Raúl González that the company would "maintain the contract until the end of its validity period." The exodus was triggered directly by the July 13 US Treasury designation of Cuba's Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR) and nine other state entities, which stripped the legal basis for foreign firms to manage hotels tied to Cuban state-owned groups. Cuba received just 1.81 million visitors in 2025, its lowest tourist arrivals since 2002, and now has no major international hotel brand left managing properties on the island.