ZEL, Meliá’s New Lifestyle Hotel Brand To Open First Location in Mallorca

Meliá Hotels International’s new lifestyle hotel brand, ZEL—a fresh hospitality concept created in partnership with tennis superstar Rafael Nadal—has made the announcement that its first property will open on July 1, 2023.

As it is the birthplace of both Nadal and the Meliá hotel chain, Spain’s Balearic Island of Mallorca was selected to become home to ZEL’s first location, which will sit along the destination’s most beautiful beaches in Palmanova.

Meliá created the new brand’s identity as a true embodiment of the Mediterranean essence, offering a unique hospitality experience that pays homage to the region’s renowned lifestyle.

The flagship property is ideally situated, just 20 minutes by car from the international airport and only five minutes from Puerto Portals, the island’s most prestigious nautical and leisure complex.

The hotel itself sits along a stunning half-mile stretch of coastline, complete with white sands and crystal-clear waters, in an optimal area for exploring the resort city and island capital of Palma de Mallorca.

Central to ZEL’s on-property experience is a sprawling open-air patio area at the heart of the hotel, which also serves as a multi-use lobby, and marries together the hotel’s various indoor and outdoor social spaces, reflecting the Mediterranean passion for the outdoors. The hotel’s overall aesthetic reflects an energetic fusion of global design elements, featuring details inspired by Italian and Greek cultures, and utilizing maritime patterns and finishes to complement the coastal location.

ZEL Mallorca boasts 165 guestrooms, including 21 suites, with magnificent views of the celebrated Mediterranean Sea. It also provides guests with a pair of swimming pools: a main pool with uninterrupted sea views and an adults-only pool. There will also be a spa with a modest trio of treatment rooms, two Jacuzzis, a steam room and a sauna.

Using the region’s ubiquitous love of the outdoors as inspiration, the design of ZEL’s rooms uses geometric, textural and color choices that convey a unique vision of the natural world, infusing interiors with an intimate sense of serenity, wellbeing and inner reflection. Guest rooms feature local artworks and retro-feel CREATE appliances, lending the spaces an air of classic hospitality combined with contemporary conveniences.

An exciting new culinary experience awaits at the hotel’s signature dining concept, created in conjunction with the popular Spanish restaurant group Beso Beach, which specializes in Mediterranean and Basque Country cuisine. The beach club-style restaurant has tables sitting directly on the sand, and presents a menu filled with such signature seafood dishes as Carabinero prawns, lobster tails and fresh mussels.

The open-air lobby will also house a coffee corner, run by Barcelona’s famed specialty coffee brand, Syra Coffee, and featuring its exclusive products. Syra Coffee brings the same meaningful business philosophy and vision to ZEL Mallorca as to its other 30-plus locations throughout Spain. Its mission is to carry environmentally friendly products, sourced from fair-trade crops produced on small family farms, to move consumers away from their mass-produced counterparts; and, in the process, providing quality, perfectly brewed, seasonal coffees to please all palates.

“ZEL Mallorca has a little something for everyone,” said Antonio Albiol, General Manager of ZEL Mallorca. “We have thought of every detail to ensure a visit to our home is special and unique. Our daily programming is designed to celebrate life and includes concerts, parties on the beach and by the pool, and endless hours of music and entertainment that fits perfectly with every moment of the day.”

“With our first ZEL hotel in Mallorca, and the concept that we have created for the brand, we are looking to offer those moments in life that I personally enjoy so much: sailing, particularly in the Mediterranean; eating on the beach, at a beach bar or in a beach club; and relaxing while spending time with friends and family, feeling at home,” said Rafael Nadal. “This is what’s most important to me, what I wanted to bring to guests with ZEL, and I believe we have achieved it.”

Meliá International’s new ZEL lifestyle hotel brand has aggressive expansion plans, aiming to grow to 20 properties around the globe over the next five years.