On completion of the mergers and acquisitions, Sol Meliá's market capitalisation will stand at 284,574 million pesetas, (US$ 2004.04 million), placing it amongst the 12 largest non-financial companies in the Spanish IBEX 35 share index.

The new Sol Meliá will have annual revenues in excess of 90,000 million pesetas  (US$ 633.80 million ) and an operating cash flow of almost 20,000 million pesetas (US$140.85  million). Equity capital will reach 136,500 million pesetas (US$961.27 million), while net financial debts will only be 45,000 million pesetas (US$ 316.9 million) giving the Company one of the lowest leverage ratios in the international hotel industry.

According to Sol Meliá's Vice Chairman, Sebastián Escarrer, the decision by Sol Meliá to carry out this operation is in line with the changes that have occurred in the marketplace which have produced significant mergers and alliances between hotel management companies and important asset based companies. There was therefore the need for Sol Meliá to acquire greater size in order to compete on an international level thereby giving the company greater flexibility to take on profitable expansion projects.

He said : "The recent changes within the industry and the corrections in the economy in various regions, including Asia and Latin America, will provide us with excellent opportunities to acquire new hotel properties throughout the world. This new structure, will enable Sol Meliá to maximise future growth opportunities, and consolidate our position amongst the leading international hotel companies."

Of the 243 hotels in the new Sol Meliá group, 77 hotels will be owned by the Company, 12 rented properties, 111 managed hotels and 43 franchised hotels with more than 18,000.000 room nights registered in the past year.

Sol Meliá, Spain's number one hotel group and the ninth largest hotel company in the world, operates a portfolio of city and resort hotels under the brand names of Meliá, Sol and Paradisus hotels.  Its properties in Asia include Gran Meliá Jakarta, Meliá Bali (incorporating The Garden Villas), Meliá Benoa (Bali), Sol Lovina (Bali), Meliá Purosani (Yogyakarta), Meliá Panorama (Batam), Sol Elite Bintan, Sol Mayang Sari (Bintan), and Sol Elite Marbella (Anyer) in Indonesia; Meliá Hanoi in Vietnam; Meliá Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia; Meliá Hua Hin and Sol Twin Towers (Bangkok) in Thailand.