Grupo Solmar has announced a reorganisation of its senior leadership, appointing/promoting Mauricio Salicrup to the role of Chief Executive Officer and Michel Albahari to the role of Director of Operations. The new structure is intended to strengthen corporate governance and consolidate the tourism group’s growth in the Los Cabos destination, in Baja California Sur.
The hotel group, regarded as Mexico’s oldest family-owned hospitality business, currently operates six properties in Cabo San Lucas: Solmar Resort, Playa Grande, The Ridge at Playa Grande, Grand Solmar Land’s End, Grand Solmar Pacific Dunes and Grand Solmar The Residences. This governance shift fits into a broader pattern of development in the destination, as other operators also step up leadership changes — as seen with the recent appointment of Ryan Lerner at the Viceroy Los Cabos.
Mauricio Salicrup, more than three decades in Baja California Sur’s tourism industry
Mauricio Salicrup brings more than 35 years of experience in the tourism industry, including more than three decades in leadership positions. He previously served as Director of Operations for Grupo Solmar, a role in which he was involved in development, hotel operations and sustainability projects within the group.
His career is also linked to Baja California Sur’s tourism industry bodies: he has sat on the board of the Los Cabos Hotel Association and has been involved with several tourism promotion organisations at both destination and state level.
Mauricio Salicrup said he considered it an honour to take on the leadership of a company that has shaped Los Cabos’ tourism history. He set efficiency, innovation and sustainability as priorities for operations, while preserving the legacy the hotel group has built over more than five decades. Michel Albahari, international experience in hotel operations
Michel Albahari takes on the Director of Operations role, responsible for service standards and operational efficiency across all of the group’s properties. He has an international track record in the hospitality industry, having held hotel management positions in Bogotá, Colombia, and later in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
In 2023, he was named Best General Manager for JW Marriott’s CALA region (Caribbean and Latin America). His appointment follows a recent move within Grupo Solmar, where he first served as General Manager of Grand Solmar Land’s End; the group now identifies him as Director of Operations for Solmar Hotels & Resorts.
His key responsibilities include strengthening operations, driving continuous improvement processes and upholding hospitality standards for the group’s guests.
A renovation programme through 2030
The leadership change comes as Grupo Solmar continues an investment programme aimed at modernising its properties. The group had previously announced a budget of approximately €5 million (MXN 100 million) for a renovation process covering guest rooms and common areas, with a target horizon of 2030.
The programme includes the development of Grand Solmar Pacific Dunes Resort Golf & Spa, a property linked to Solmar Golf Links. The renovation and upscaling drive is also being felt more broadly across the destination, where several international brands have likewise invested in their assets, as with the full renovation of the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal by Hilton.
Grupo Solmar has also highlighted an energy-efficiency strategy: between 2021 and 2025, the group states it reduced its liquefied petroleum gas consumption by 49% through heat-recovery systems deployed across its facilities.
Los Cabos, a destination under investment pressure
The governance reorganisation at Grupo Solmar comes against a backdrop of a broader expansion of hotel supply in Los Cabos, where several international groups have recently strengthened their presence or announced new projects — as with Kerzner International’s development of its SIRO brand in Los Cabos. This growing competition in the destination is placing portfolio modernisation and governance strength at the heart of established operators’ strategic priorities.
At a glance by The Hospitality Tribune
Grupo Solmar overhauls leadership as it pursues renovation programme in Los Cabos
Mauricio Salicrup appointed CEO of Grupo Solmar, formerly Chief Operating Officer
Michel Albahari named Director of Operations, previously General Manager at Grand Solmar Land’s End
Portfolio: 6 properties in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur
Renovation programme worth approximately €5 million (MXN 100 million), horizon 2030
LP gas consumption reduced by 49% between 2021 and 2025 through heat-recovery systems
Albahari named CALA’s Best General Manager 2023 (JW Marriott)
