Barcelo Hotels & Resorts Announces the Appointment of Christy Ortiz as Director of Marketing for Latin America

MIAMI and PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain, Jan. 21 // -- Barcelo Hotels & Resorts today announced the appointment of Christy Ortiz as Director of Marketing for Latin America. Ms. Ortiz will be headquartered at Barcelo's Miami offices and report to Oscar Serrano, Commercial General Director for Barcelo Hotels & Resorts. Previously Ms. Ortiz was Manager of Sales & Promotions for scheduled services airline USA3000. She also served as Publisher of the Company's in-flight magazine ROAM.

    "Christy is a tremendous asset to our team, as we continue to enhance our sales and marketing efforts throughout North America and expand the awareness of the Barcelo brand," said Serrano. "We are pleased to have a dedicated marketing professional to work with us and our industry partners to maximize our presence in the market and support our sales team which includes seven professionals throughout the US and Canada," added Serrano.

    Ms. Ortiz joined USA 3000 seven years ago during the first year at the start-up company. She assisted in the implementation of new operational procedures and distribution channels including a reservations system, the consumer website, as well as contracts with various tourist boards, hotels, and airports both domestically and internationally. During her tenure at USA 3000 Ms Ortiz also assumed responsibility for the strategic direction and execution of the USA3000 Airlines brand including: the companies multi-million dollar advertising budget; sponsorship relationships; promotional and event marketing programs; the company's loyalty program; project management of USA3000 Vacations; and online brand activation including e-commerce, search engine marketing, and web site optimization.

    Ms. Ortiz's appointment is part of the ongoing expansion of the Barcelo Sales & Marketing team throughout North America that coincides with the continued growth of Barcelo's all-inclusive resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean. The company now offers 32 upscale resorts throughout Latin America.

    Ms. Ortiz can be reached at: c.ortiz@barcelo.com.

    About Barcelo Hotels & Resorts

    Barcelo Hotels and Resorts is among the world's top 28 hospitality and travel companies, and it is renowned for its well-established European tradition of excellence in service and amenities. The Company has a growing presence in Latin America with 32 all-inclusive hotels and more than 10,000 guestrooms in Latin America and the Caribbean. Most recently, Barcelo has added new upscale hotels in Mexico at: The Barcelo Maya Beach Resort; The Barcelo La Jolla de Mismaloya Hotel in Puerto Vallarta; The Barcelo Karmina Palace Hotel in Manzanillo; The Barcelo Tucancun Beach Hotel and The Barcelo Costa Cancun Hotel in Cancun; and The Barcelo Punta Cana Beach Hotel in the Dominican Republic.

    Barcelo was established in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, in 1931 first as a transportation company, and then as a hotel and travel company. It is a family owned, privately held hospitality company renowned for more than 75 years of service excellence and innovative spirit in the tourism industry. The Company owns, manages or franchises 162 hotels in 15 countries with more than 42,000 rooms worldwide. Barcelo Hotels and Resorts are located in key European cities and resorts, in North America, Africa, and in Latin America and the Caribbean. For more information on Barcelo Hotels and Resorts visit http://www.barcelo.com.

     Contact: Gayle MacIntyre

     Barcelo Hotels & Resorts

     g.macintyre@barcelo.com

     404-643-8222