Telefónica se alía con Meliá como socio tecnológico para 250 hoteles

Telefónica has entered into a collaboration agreement with Meliá, designating the Spanish telecom operator as the technology provider for approximately 250 of Meliá's hotels. According to sources familiar with the situation, this alliance covers around two-thirds of Meliá's total hotel portfolio, which includes 375 operational hotels as of the first half of the fiscal year.

Meliá currently operates 150 hotels in Spain, with the remaining 100 spread across various global locations. The partnership aims to enhance digitalization within the hotel chain, incorporating advanced artificial intelligence (AI), cloud capabilities, and cybersecurity measures. The goal is to achieve greater agility, improved digital protection, and personalized experiences for both employees and guests.

AI will play a crucial role in managing services provided by Telefónica for Meliá, with applications in customer support, incident management, and overall service automation. The collaboration also includes a comprehensive service package, covering workforce management, specialized support, communications, cloud services, and digital environment protection.

By integrating AI and digital tools, the partnership aims to create a more efficient and scalable operational model that can adapt to Meliá's evolving needs. The telecommunication company will manage nearly 9,000 digital devices across the 250 participating hotels. Meliá aims to establish a unified and secure digital environment, optimizing employee efficiency and enhancing customer experiences while attracting and retaining talent in a more digitized world.

The collaboration between the two companies has been ongoing since 2016 and has expanded, solidifying Telefónica's position as the primary global technology partner for Meliá. The 150 hotels in Spain are concentrated in major tourist destinations, with the Balearic Islands accounting for the largest number of establishments, followed by Andalusia and the Canary Islands.

The hotel chain is on track to surpass the 400-property milestone this year, with over 100,000 rooms across its properties, including additional openings planned for the remainder of the year.