Ciego de Avila, January 14 (RHC-PL) -- The Meliá Jardines del Rey Hotel has begun operations, thus increasing the number of rooms to over 6,400 in the northern keys beach resort of Jardines del Rey.

The five star Melia Jardines del Ray Hotel belongs to the Gaviota Group and is run by the Spanish Melia Hotels International chain. It is located on Flamenco Beach, in Cayo Coco, one of the islets located off the northern coast of Ciego de Avila province, in central Cuba, some 480 km east of Havana.

The hotel currently has 624 rooms, but following ongoing construction works will reach a total of 1,722. The hotel is designed like a sugar cane plantation combined with a contemporary-styled main building and a boulevard that extends from the lobby to the beach, including restaurants, playgrounds and handicraft stores.

The hotel also has a spa surrounded by an exotic atmosphere of lush tropical jungle, as well as a children's club with a varied recreational program. Other recreational activities include diving, fishing and bird watching.

The Melia Jardines del Rey Hotel will be the main venue for the International Tourism Fair 2015, to be held in May at the Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo resorts.