JUNE 1, 2009. NEW YORK, NY- Gran Meliá Golf Resort Puerto Rico has been named one of the best hotels/resorts and will receive a prestigious 2009 Successful Meetings Pinnacle Award—the mark of excellence for meeting destinations. This award is a commendation for the outstanding job Gran Meliá Golf Resort Puerto Rico has done when servicing meetings, incentive travel programs, trade shows and conventions during the past year.

"We are thrilled that the resort has been recognized among the best of the best in the meetings and incentive industry by Successful Meetings," said Hendrick Santos, Managing Director of Gran Meliá Golf Resort Puerto Rico. "We pride ourselves on providing the utmost service to our meetings and conventions clients, and look forward to continued success in this arena."

Gran Meliá Golf Resort Puerto Rico is an all-suite property located on the Northeast coast in Coco Beach, Río Grande. It offers 27,018 square foot of indoor spaces, including 13 meeting rooms, the grand Puerto Rico Ballroom with a capacity of 1050 people, the El Yunque Junior Ballroom with seating for 500 people, open air venues including beachfront, poolside and garden areas, and a wedding chapel. The services include state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment, high-speed internet, and Wi-Fi access, among others.

The Pinnacle Award earned a reputation as the most credible and prestigious symbol of excellence among meeting planners and hoteliers alike. “With all of the hospitality choices that meeting and event planners have these days, any property that wins a Pinnacle Award is obviously in the highest tier of quality in the hospitality field," said Vince Alonzo, Successful Meetings' Editorial Director. "And the best part is that it is planners themselves who are making this distinction, thus giving a credible stamp of approval that others can use when deciding where to host a meeting, incentive, convention, or trade show."

Readers of Successful Meetings magazine -- corporate and association executives with meeting planning responsibilities – registered to become Pinnacle Reviewers via online ballots and gave feedback based on their professional experiences worldwide. Reviews are based on a scale of 1-10 (10 being best) across four categories. The 2009 Pinnacle Award Winners will be listed in the August Pinnacle Registry in print and online at www.successfulmeetings.com/pinnacle.

The Pinnacle Awards recognize reader/planner selections of the leading meeting destination venues and support organizations across the United States and internationally. The award-winning Successful Meetings magazine has long been respected for industry innovation and authoritative discussion of meeting, special event, incentive, convention and trade show planning and execution. With the largest industry audience, Successful Meetings reaches corporate/sales/marketing executives who plan meetings, meeting professionals and event planners, trade show directors, and association executives who are involved with planning conventions and meetings. For more information on Successful Meetings, please visit www.successfulmeetings.com. Successful Meetings is owned by Nielsen Business Media, a division of The Nielsen Company.

About Gran Meliá Golf Resort Puerto Rico
Nestled on the northeastern coast of Puerto Rico, between the Atlantic Ocean and towering El Yunque rainforest, Gran Meliá Golf Resort Puerto Rico is uniquely poised to provide guests with the Caribbean’s most luxurious resort experience, offering modern facilities, Puerto Rican flavor and a Spanish flair. Recently renovated with property-wide upgrades and refurbishments, the 486 all-suite resort is spread among 20, two-story bungalows surrounded by lush, tropical gardens. Suite interiors are contemporary with bold colors, custom-designed mahogany furnishings, and rich Spanish accents.

About Sol Meliá
Founded in 1956 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Sol Meliá is the largest resort hotel chain in the world. A market leader, more than 50% of the company’s hotels are located in major cities and it is by far the biggest hotel company in Spain, and one of the largest hotel groups in Europe. The company currently includes more than 350 hotels in 30 countries on 4 continents, and employs more than 32,500 people under its Meliá, ME by Meliá, Tryp, Sol, Paradisus, Sol Meliá Vacation Club and Luxury Lifestyle brands. For further information and reservations, visit www.solmelia.com.



For more information:

Media Contact: Nancy Gonzalez
Gran Meliá Golf Resort Puerto Rico
(787) 657-1051, Ext. 2305

Louise O’Brien/Victoria Martinez
Dan Klores Communications
(212) 685-4300

For Pinnacle Information:
Vince Alonzo
(646) 654-7361