El Siglo newspaper cites a Bloomberg News Services report that says the Meliá Bavaro was sold to Best Hotels of Tarragona, Spain by Sol Meliá, S.A. The sales price was US$61 million, according to the item. The Meliá hotel chain still has two other properties in Punta Cana, the Tropical and the Caribe. It also has the Palma Real real estate development in the same area Punta Cana area and is also completing a 27-hole golf course to service Punta Cana area guests. Meliá operates the Meliá Juan Dolio and the Meliá Santo Domingo in the DR. The Meliá Bávaro is a low density resort in the middle of the Punta Cana-Bavaro-Macao beach strip. It has 750 rooms and was the first hotel built by Meliá in the DR in 1991. The Bloomberg news item explains that the chain is selling properties in areas where it has a strong presence to help finance its expansion in other areas. (24 March 2000)
