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Meliá Hotels International has signed a partnership with hospitality management school Les Roches to identify and train future leaders for the hotel group through a new global education programme.
The agreement will see Les Roches, ranked second worldwide for hospitality management by the 2025 QS World University Rankings by Subject, design a tailored curriculum across its Bachelor of Science, postgraduate and master’s courses aligned with Meliá’s values and operational priorities.
Students enrolled in the “Meliá Future Talent Programme” will study under Les Roches’ academic model while following a Meliá-specific training pathway. Participants will complete all internships at Meliá properties around the world and, upon graduation, may be offered three-year employment contracts with the company, subject to performance and staffing needs.
Both institutions said the partnership was founded on shared values of integrity, sustainability and respect for human rights, and aimed to promote diversity, inclusion and responsible leadership in the sector.
Meliá and Les Roches will jointly define the target profiles and geographies for recruitment, drawing on Les Roches’ admissions network in more than 100 countries. Meliá staff will also contribute to course delivery and mentoring, offering students direct industry experience.
The programme will hold accreditation from the Swiss Accreditation Council and the New England Commission of Higher Education, consistent with Les Roches’ other qualifications.
Carlos Díez de la Lastra, chief executive of Les Roches, said: “Our strategic alliance with Meliá Hotels International strengthens our conviction that education is a transformative tool for the future of hospitality and marks a milestone in collaboration between academia and industry.”
Gabriel Escarrer Jaume, chairman and chief executive of Meliá Hotels International, added: “This agreement will allow us to draw from a new generation of talent, trained in excellence and tailored to our strategic needs, with a global mindset that is essential in today’s hospitality industry.”
Les Roches has previously collaborated with international partners, including the aviation firm Jetex and the Saudi government, to develop specialist training models in luxury and tourism sectors. The institution said its partnership with Meliá represents an evolution of this approach, establishing a template for future dual-education initiatives that link academic and professional development in hospitality.
