Mallorca's Melia Becomes "First Twitter Experience" Hotel

While many vacationers vow to go offline on their trips, Spanish hotel chain Melia Hotels International has launched what it calls the first “Twitter experience hotel,” which, as the name implies, encourages guests to use their mobile devices throughout their stays.

The hotel, @SolWaveHouse on the island of Mallorca off the coast of Spain, targets a young audience and is focused on the beach and music.

The property, which has been open since the summer of 2012, has always positioned itself as a very social hotel, Melia says in a release.

The so-called Twitter experience includes a virtual community, #SocialWave, which is accessible only through the hotel’s Wi-Fi. Guests can register with their Twitter accounts and access the network via their mobile devices.

In addition, Sol Wave House has two “Twitter Concierges” who are devoted exclusively to meeting guest requests via Twitter and generating conversation within the hotel’s online community.

“Thus, guests can know and chat with each other, experience, flirt, compete in contests, share photos, etc.,” Melia says. “Every corner of the hotel is designed to engage in a new conversation.”

What’s more, the hotel has created #TwitterPartySuites, which can accommodate up to four people. In these suites, users can access VIP hammocks and customizable mini bars, plus earn a free drink in the #TwitterPoolParty, which is held on Fridays.

According to Melia, increasing customer diversity and demands are changing beach hotels. Therefore, the goal of #SocialWave is to facilitate interaction among the hotel’s youthful customer base and generate “fun, new friendships, experiences, surprises, excitement and ‘buzz.'”

“Our main client profile, young and social, is always looking for new experiences and emotions shared with a growing virtual community. With #SocialWave, we wanted to meet this aspiration, which binds to the quality and striking design of our product and the outstanding beauty of the environment,” says a Twitter Concierge in a prepared statement.

A Melia rep did not respond to a request for comment.

Melia has created a video to further explain the concept.

As of Tuesday, it has 6,000 views.

@SolWaveHouse has 600 followers.

Founded in 1956 in Palma de Mallorca, Melia says it is one of the largest hotel companies in the world with more than 350 hotels in 35 countries on 4 continents.

According to Melia, Sol Wave House has 184 suites and junior suites with sea views and contemporary designs, as well as a 2500-square-meter VIP terrace facing the sea, plus pools, “sporty style” restaurants “with a California twist,” and lounges and concert areas with live music.