St Giles Hotels has announced plans to expand into the Cuban market, becoming the first UK-based brand to embark on development within the island nation. Gran Caribe, one of Cuba’s most significant hotel operators, accepted a bid from St Giles to renovate and manage the Hotel Deauville in central Havana. Set along the seaside promenade of Malecón, the property will return as the Deauville – A St Giles Signature Hotel at a later date.
The brand’s first outpost in Cuba or the Caribbean, the Deauville will become the 11th hotel in the St Giles portfolio, with plans to have 20 locations by 2020.
“We are incredibly excited and honored to have been distinguished with this opportunity,” says Abigail Tan-Giroud, St Giles Hotels head of UK, Europe, and the Americas. “Our success in hotel development and management, vast experience in construction, and our brand’s value of preserving culture and enhancing communities, puts St Giles Hotels in a prime situation to partner with the Cuban government on re-developing this gem in Havana. And of course being the first UK hotel group to be granted entry is a bonus!”
