At the operational level, 2016 was a very intense year for the company, with more than 30 new hotels signed up to the portfolio for the coming years and 17 new hotels opened in 10 different countries in Europe, Asia, America and Africa. This growing international presence is undoubtedly the result of the good work done in product development, with increasingly consistent and differentiated hotel brands, and our management excellence, shown both in our relationship with customers as well as with investors and hotel owners.
In financial terms, 2016 was also a very positive year, seeing a continued increase in our revenues (+7%), EBITDA (+14% excluding capital gains) and Net Profit (+180%).
Meliá Hotels International has seen 27 consecutive quarters - almost 7 years – of increases in global RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room), making it a leader in the international hotel industry. The key to this performance is a very consistent strategy with a strong focus on digitalisation and the enhancement of a revenue-focused culture, intense but selective international growth, a solid asset strategy (17% of our rooms are owned by the company) and, of course, a very clear focus on our brands and their repositioning to optimize our reputation and the experiences and loyalty of our customers.
The situation surrounding travel and tourism has been especially favourable for a company which is the leader in the resort hotel segment, and this has undoubtedly had a positive influence on results. However, at Meliá Hotels International we are above all proud of the cultural transformation and strategic and innovative momentum we have developed which now allow us to face global challenges from an unbeatable position.
