GUATEMALA CITY -- Spain's Barcelo Hotels & Resorts has acquired the Hotel Guatemala City, a luxury property previously operated by U.S.-based Marriott.

The Spanish hospitality and travel company rebranded the hotel as the Barcelo Guatemala City and began operating it on Monday.

Unconfirmed reports in the Guatemalan press said Barcelo paid about $42 million for the five-star hotel, which is located in Guatemala City's main hotel district.

The hotel, Barcelo's first in Guatemala, has 383 rooms and suites, as well as a spa, entertainment center and meeting rooms.

Barcelo operates four- and five-star hotels in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Ecuador and, now, Guatemala. EFE