Sol Meliá and Hilton deny talks
Spanish hotel chain Sol Meliá and British group Hilton have denied reports in the Spanish press that they have been negotiating an alliance or merger.
"The article would appear to be speculative," said a Hilton spokeswoman. "We're not currently in talks with Sol Meliá."
A spokeswoman for Sol Meliá said the company had been making contact with "most of the big hotel companies of the world" to discuss ways of working together.
She added: "We have had conversations with Hilton, but conversation is one thing and negotiation is another."
The group announced last year that it thought alliances were the way forward in today's rapidly consolidating global hotel market.
Hilton chief executive David Michels said earlier this month that Sol Meliá's portfolio would form an excellent fit with Hilton's.
Sol Meliá has 274 hotels in 28 countries. Hilton International, which owns the rights to the Hilton name outside the USA, has about 220 hotels in more than 50 countries.
by David Shrimpton david.shrimpton@rbi.co.uk
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