After retiring from professional tennis, Rafael Nadal began a new phase of his life marked by business. Far from stepping away from activity, the 22-time Grand Slam champion decided to focus on various business projects related to sports, tourism, education, and the real estate sector.
One of his main focuses is on hospitality, an industry he knows particularly well after spending much of his career traveling around the world. Now, this project could have Argentina as one of its next major destinations.
According to Daniel Scioli, Secretary of Tourism, Environment, and Sports of the Nation, Nadal plans an investment of around US$200 million to develop seven luxury hotels in different tourist spots across the country.
The chosen destinations would be Bariloche, El Calafate, Iguazú, Mendoza, Posadas, Salta, and Ushuaia, allowing the brand to establish itself in completely different settings: from Patagonia and the Andes Mountains to the Iguazú Falls and northern Argentina.
The establishments would be part of ZEL Hotels, the brand Nadal founded together with Meliá Hotels International, which aims to bring the Mediterranean lifestyle to various international destinations.
Where the seven Rafael Nadal hotels will be located in Argentina
The project includes establishments distributed across some of the most important tourist regions of the country. Although the exact locations of each complex and their opening dates have not yet been disclosed, the seven mentioned destinations present very different characteristics from one another.
Bariloche would offer the landscape of lakes, mountains, and Patagonian forests that attracts visitors year-round. In addition to being one of Argentina's main centers for winter sports, during the warmer months it offers hiking, boating, and various outdoor activities.
El Calafate, in Santa Cruz, would allow the proposal to be close to one of Patagonia's main natural attractions: the Perito Moreno Glacier and Los Glaciares National Park.
Ushuaia would complete the brand's presence in the southernmost part of the country. The capital of Tierra del Fuego combines snow tourism, navigation through the Beagle Channel, nature, and a location that has also made it one of the main gateways to Antarctica.
At the other geographical extreme is Iguazú, in Misiones. There, the main attraction is the Iguazú Falls and the jungle environment that surrounds them, a setting that aligns with ZEL's intention to connect its establishments with nature.
