Meliá Hotels International has announced its entry into Iran with Gran Meliá Ghoo Hotel.

Developed by Iranian businessman and investor Ahad Azimzadeh, the hotel will be located in Salman Shahr, the largest mixed residential, commercial and hotel complex in Iran.

Known as ‘Ghoo, Middle East Diamond’, the development will feature two residential towers, a sports centre, parking and a retail mall that is already open to the public, all within an area of 180,000m².

Gran Meliá Ghoo will occupy a 130-metre-high tower, boasting 319 deluxe rooms including a Presidential Suite measuring more than 500m². The hotel will feature seven restaurants and bars, over 1,300m² of meeting and banquet facilities, two swimming pools, a spa, and diverse leisure and shopping facilities.

Gabriel Escarrer, Vice Chairman and CEO of Meliá Hotels International, comments: “We have always been pioneers in the development of new markets in the travel and tourism industry, so it is a great challenge for us to be involved in a project, which is so important for the future of the industry in this country, in a historic moment for the international relations within the area. We firmly believe in Iran’s tourism potential and I am also very proud to have earned the trust of our partners in the management of this hotel, a further demonstration that we are a significant international player for the most prestigious hotel projects anywhere in the world.”

Mr. Ahad Azimzadeh, CEO of Azimzadeh Carpet and main investor and developer of the Ghoo, Middle East Diamond, added: “This is a historical moment for Iran’s tourism, and we are pleased to be a key part of it. Tourism brings social and economic development to a community, as well as people and cultures. ‘Ghoo, Middle East Diamond’ will mark a turning point in tourism in Iran and the modern and avant-garde hotel and resort’s sector.”

Iran expects to attract more than 20 million passengers a year by 2025, compared to the current 5 million, after it lifted sanctions that have restricted foreign investment since 2006.

With one of the top 20 largest economies in the world, the lifting of sanctions will open up a new phase for foreign investment. According to the International Monetary Fund, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Iran will grow by almost 4%, as an immediate result of the foreign investment the country.

www.melia.com