PALMA DE MALLORCA - TravelWeekly has confirmed today news
that Hard Rock Hotels & Resorts and Spain's Sol Melia
have signed a joint-venture agreement to expand the Hard
Rock Hotel brand in Europe and America; however a
spokesperson for Sol Melia in Spain has confirmed that this
deal "will not apply to Asia." A story from TravelWeekly US
today noted that under the new agreement, Hard Rock will
oversee the design and branding of the hotels, while Sol
Melia will manage the hotels and oversee their sales and
marketing. The venture's four- and five-star hotels will be
located in resort and urban locations in the US and abroad,
the story said. Javier Pons de Villanueva, coordinador of
communication for Sol Melia in corporate headquarters in
Palma de Mallorca told TravelWeekly by telephone, the deal
would not apply to the existing Hard Rock Hotels in this
region, in Bali and Pattaya. "This deal does not effect
Asia, it is for hotels in Europe and North America. We are
seeing hotels come online in Chicago first, which will open
year-end, then New York, Madrid and Barcelona." "These
hotels will be branded as Hard Rock Hotels, but managed by
Sol Melia," the spokesperson said. A press release notes,
"The joint venture signed today specifies that Sol Meliá
will be responsible for the management, marketing and
distribution of the Hard Rock Hotels developed henceforth,
while Hard Rock Hotels will take charge of the concept,
design and brand development of affiliated hotels, as well
as of the addition of further properties." contracts for
more than 1,300 rooms in the U.S. and the Caribbean within
the next three years, while Sol Melia will contribute three
properties to the venture within the next four years. Under
the pact, Hard Rock has committed