Gabriel Escarrer Julià, whose career in Mallorca's hotel industry started in 1956 when he was 21, has died. He was 89.
Originally from Porreres, he took over the management of the Altair Hotel in Palma in 1956. Having gained experience in the UK, his involvement in the island's hotel industry began when Mallorca was on the cusp of the 1960s tourism boom and the creation of a mass tourism industry. His business acumen was such that from humble origins he went on to head the largest hotel group in Mallorca and in Spain - Meliá Hotels International.
In June 2023, he resigned from the presidency of the group and appointed his son Gabriel Escarrer Jaume (Meliá's CEO) as president.
At the time of the publication of his memoirs, Mi Vida (My Life), in 2021, he reminisced about that first venture in 1956 and the subsequent "extraordinary acquisition of Hotasa", which was to be the springboard for what was to follow. In 1996 he oversaw the stock market listing, a strategic decision that led to considerable expansion.
Throughout his long and successful business career, Gabriel Escarrer Julià received numerous awards, both in Spain and abroad. Among them were the VII Premio Reino de España and admission to the London Hall of Fame for his intellectual leadership and personal dedication to the hotel sector.