Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, who is the GOAT of the hotel world?


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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both know a shrewd business move when they see one.

Off the pitch, the pair have a variety of business interests, including fashion lines, museums and, in the case of the PSG star, a so-called Chinese theme park.

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Cristiano Ronaldo has a variety of business interests outside of football, including hotel ownership
    Rival Lionel Messi is also a hotelier and owns three resorts

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Rival Lionel Messi is also a hotelier and owns three resortsCredit: Getty – Contributor

But these are the hotels that the two, who have won the Ballon d’Or 12 times between them, just can’t stop collecting, just like playing a game of Monopoly.

Messi, 34, bought the Seasun Fona in S’Illot, Mallorca, to add it to his hotel portfolio which includes spots in Ibiza and Barcelona.

And this year he added to that with a 141-room ski resort in the Pyrenees.

While Ronaldo, 36, has taken the budget route, creating the Pestana CR7 hotel chain in his hometown of Madeira and Lisbon, both in Portugal.

It has also added locations in Madrid and New York, and has plans for new locations, including an upscale 150-room destination in Manchester’s Picadilly Gardens district in 2023.

There’s never been much between them on the pitch, and it’s just as close when it comes to being a better hotelier.

Here we take a look inside some of their crown jewels.

HTEL MIM IBIZA ES VIVE

Jewel of Messi’s business empire, the Argentinian legend bought the 52-room adults-only luxury hotel in early 2018.

In fact, the magnificent Art Deco-style building, based just off the stunning Figueretas beach on the southeastern coast of the Balearic Island, was said to have been observed by Ronaldo before Messi flew away.

The £ 525-per-night resort was originally opened as a hostel in 2001, before being refurbished by British designer Sean Cochrane in 2014.

The MiM Ibiza Es Vive hotel has a superb rooftop bar and a majestic swimming pool surrounded by comfortable sun loungers.

In 2018, the hotel hit the headlines after SunSport EXCLUSIVELY revealed that the resort was going to be the basis for a four-day lesbian sex party.

TripAdvisor Rating: 4.4 out of 5

    Lionel Messi's MiM Ibiza Es Vive hotel is a luxury venue

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Lionel Messi’s MiM Ibiza Es Vive hotel is a luxury venueCredit: Instagram @hotelesvive
    Rooms at Lionel Messi's MiM Ibiza Es Vive hotel can cost up to 525 per night

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Rooms at Lionel Messi’s MiM Ibiza Es Vive hotel can cost up to 525 per nightCredit: Instagram @hotelesvive
    MiM Ibiza Es Vive hotel hosted a lesbian sex party

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MiM Ibiza Es Vive hotel hosted a lesbian sex partyCredit: Instagram @hotelesvive
    Messi bought the Art Deco MiM Ibiza Es Vive hotel in 2018

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Messi bought the Art Deco MiM Ibiza Es Vive hotel in 2018Credit: Instagram @hotelesvive

PESTANA CR7 FUNCHAL

Ronaldo’s first hotel was opened with great fanfare in July 2016.

At the time, he said: “I have wanted to be in the hospitality industry for quite some time and the opportunity came about quite naturally due to the relationship with the owner and president of the Pestana hotel group, Dionísio Pestana, who built the largest hotel brand of Portuguese origin, starting with a first hotel on my native island, Madeira. “

And although this is a budget hotel, with rooms costing just £ 79 per night out of season, it enjoys a 4-star luxury rating.

The property sits on the waterfront opposite the Funchal cruise ship terminal, a ten-minute walk from the town center, and is surrounded by cafes and bars.

With a nod to its football owner, there are a few new designs with its decor, including astro-turf-lined bathrooms.

And the rooms themselves (all 49) are comfortable, if not a bit small.

The rooftop terrace has a sauna, which offers views of the Madeiran mountainous landscape.

Food wise, the more adventurous can try the CR7 Kobe Beef Burger with Foie Gras, but it’ll set you back around £ 21.

TripAdvisor rating: 4.3 out of 5

    Ronaldo opened his first hotel in Funchal, Madeira in 2016

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Ronaldo opened his first hotel in Funchal, Madeira in 2016Credit: Pestana CR7 Funchal
    Rooms at the Pestana CR7 Funchal can cost as low as £ 79 per night

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Rooms at the Pestana CR7 Funchal can cost as low as £ 79 per nightCredit: Pestana CR7 Funchal
    Pestana CR7 Funchal is located on the seafront and offers views of the Madeira mountainous landscape

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Pestana CR7 Funchal is located on the seafront and offers views of the Madeira mountainous landscapeCredit: Pestana CR7 Funchal
    Football-themed bathrooms at Pestana CR7 Funchal, with astro-turf covering the walls

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Football-themed bathrooms at Pestana CR7 Funchal, with astro-turf covering the wallsCredit: Pestana CR7 Funchal

HOTEL MIM SITGES

Knowing his surroundings well, Messi reportedly spent £ 26million on his first hotel in Sitges, a coastal town in Catalonia, southwest of Barcelona in 2017.

The four-star Avenida Sofia has 77 rooms, including five junior suites and one superior suite.

The 3,300 square foot space has a top-floor swimming pool, which offers panoramic views of the sea and Sitges beach.

Other amenities include a spa that offers a variety of treatments and massages, as well as a VIP DUO cabin for couples’ treatments and an oxygen cabin.

You will find food and drinks at the Sky Bar, which serves refreshing cocktails and tapas.

And dinner can be enjoyed at Hotel MiM Sitges’ restaurant, which serves Mediterranean and local dishes.

To stay in a double room it will cost you around £ 104 per night which is reasonable for Barcelona.

However, Messi is faced with the explosive news that he may have to demolish the place.

The PSG ace, which costs £ 650,000 a week, has reportedly been hit with a court order as the building does not meet council requirements.

TripAdvisor rating: 4.3 out of 5

    Messi spent £ 26million on a hotel in the resort town of Stiges

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Messi spent £ 26million on a hotel in the resort town of StigesCredit: Hôtel MiM Stiges
    A double room at the MiM Sitges hotel will cost you a reasonable £ 104

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A double room at the MiM Sitges hotel will cost you a reasonable £ 104Credit: Hôtel MiM Stiges
    Memories of Messi can be found inside the MiM Sitges hotel

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Memories of Messi can be found inside the MiM Sitges hotelCredit: Hôtel MiM Stiges
    The swimming pool is on the top floor of the MiM Sitges hotel

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The swimming pool is on the top floor of the MiM Sitges hotelCredit: Hôtel MiM Stiges

PESTANA CR7 LISBOA

After the success of his Madeira hotel, Ron, the prodigal son of Man Utd, quickly set his sights on the Portuguese coastal capital, Lisbon.

It is located in a nice part of town, close to the downtown waterfront and therefore perfect for sightseeing, shopping and bar crawling.

And his second excavations pay more tribute to his football career than his first.

Like the Messi Hotel in Ibiza, the design follows an Art Deco theme and features many Ronaldo memorabilia that adorn the rooms and reception.

For those who can’t stand being cut off from the internet, the hotel provides free cell phones if you need to log in, and you can even take them outside with you.

Football fanatics won’t miss a game, with the Corner Bar and Bistro featuring large-screen TVs showing all the major sporting events.

They offer a menu of mini-burgers, stuffed potato peels, as well as steaks, fish, and a few traditional Portuguese dishes including seafood stews.

TripAdvisor Rating: 4.4 out of 5

    Ronaldo has opened his second hotel in Portugal in the capital Lisbon

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Ronaldo has opened his second hotel in Portugal in the capital LisbonCredit: PestanaCR7
    Small rooms at Pestana CR7 Lisboa have an Art Deco theme

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Small rooms at Pestana CR7 Lisboa have an Art Deco themeCredit: PestanaCR7
    Guests can have fun with a game of foosball

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Guests can have fun with a game of foosballCredit: PestanaCR7
    Sports fans should not miss a hit at the sports bar inside the Pestana CR7 Lisboa

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Sports fans should not miss a hit at the sports bar inside the Pestana CR7 Lisboa

TO COME UP

Both successful hoteliers, Ronaldo and Messi are developing their hotel business.

Messi bought the 95-room, 198-bed Seasun Fona Hotel in Mallorca in 2019.

Style wise, it has a typical Mediterranean atmosphere and is located next to the sandy beaches of S’Illot.

It reopened under a different name and is now called the Hotel Mallorca Fona after a major renovation.

But it didn’t make its biggest acquisition until April of this year, when it launched into the ski hotel next to the ski lifts of Spain’s largest winter resort in the heart of the Pyrenees in the Val d’Aran.

The four-star destination includes a spa, indoor pool, fitness center and the services of a mountain guide.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, plans to go international with his expansion.

    Messi's new 141-room ski resort in the Pyrenees

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Messi’s new 141-room ski resort in the Pyrenees

The Portuguese wants to bring the Pestana CR7 brand to Paris and Marrakech – as well as Manchester.

Marrakech has been a popular destination for Ronaldo, who celebrated New Years Eve there in 2017 with his kickboxer pal Badr Hari and ex-Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema.

And now he’ll have a place to crash into.

    Designs for Ronaldo's hotel in Marrakech show it will be a place for the jet set

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Designs for Ronaldo’s hotel in Marrakech show it will be a place for the jet set
    The luxurious bar area will welcome its exclusive clientele

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The luxurious bar area will welcome its exclusive clientele
    A luxury spa and sauna will be at your disposal to relax

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A luxury spa and sauna will be at your disposal to relax
    The site of Ronaldo's hotel in Manchester, which will open in 2023

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The site of Ronaldo’s hotel in Manchester, which will open in 2023
    While Messi has also added the Seasun Fona hotel in Mallorca to his hotel portfolio

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While Messi has also added the Seasun Fona hotel in Mallorca to his hotel portfolioCredit: Solarpix
Lionel Messi to open talks on lifelong Barcelona deal that could earn him £ 175million

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