Gestión Hotelera

🏨 Meliá Hotels International and UNIVERSAE signed an agreement during Fitur 2025 to offer internships to students at Meliá's 400+ hotels across 40 countries. The partnership includes potential hiring after internships, access to UNIVERSAE Empleo for Meliá HR, and over 50 training program scholarships for Meliá employees and their families. B&B Hotels launched B&B Academy with Fundación Tomillo, offering 20 students training and internships in Madrid. In 2023, Grupo Iberostar initiated the first intensive FP Dual in tourism in the Canary Islands, later expanding to Baleares and Andalucía. In 2024, Grupo Mac introduced Mac Academy for hospitality training in Mallorca. Ilunion Hotels and ESCP Business School signed an agreement to promote sustainable tourism and Garden Hotels collaborated with CaixaBank Dualiza to train vocational teachers in sustainability. These initiatives address the critical shortage of workers and demand for professionals skilled in sustainability, digitalization, and customer service.

🚧 Labor absenteeism in the Canary Islands affects 8.1% of the region's economic activity, costing €2.4 billion annually. The tourism sector is particularly impacted, with hotels and restaurants in Tenerife experiencing staff shortages, sometimes operating with only one out of every three positions filled. The Canary Islands have the highest labor absenteeism rate, with 61,000 workers absent for an average of 25 days per year. Business owners seek solutions, while unions oppose anonymous tip-off systems for reporting unjustified absences.

📊 In the 2025 tax year, Spain applies the HAC/1347/2024 Order for the estimation of taxes by modules, a method allowing self-employed individuals to be taxed based on objective criteria like number of employees, premises size, or energy consumption, rather than actual income and expenses. This simplifies administration and accounting, as detailed record-keeping is not required. Self-employed persons can be excluded from this system if they exceed €250,000 in annual income or purchases, or if they operate outside national territory. Important tools for managing this tax method include specialized accounting software, online calculators, and official Tax Agency applications.

📈 Marta Romero, director at Mirai Pro, advises hotel professionals to analyze the "real demand of the hotel," including successes, failures, and missed opportunities, to adjust strategies and maximize results without additional investment in visibility or traffic. She emphasizes understanding the whole picture, beyond just consolidated bookings, and considers unconverted attended demand and unattended requests due to restrictions or lack of availability. Romero suggests creating a demand map, adjusting distribution rules, pricing, inventory management, monitoring conversion rates, ensuring competitive direct pricing, managing cancellations, and timing promotional campaigns to existing demand rather than low-demand periods. These strategies aim to extract more value from existing demand and increase sales and profitability without extra costs.

🏡 Antonio Núñez, director general of Inhala Hotel Garden (formerly Hotel Santo Domingo), details the rebranding process emphasizing sustainability, well-being, and nature. The Madrid hotel celebrates its 30th anniversary, soon turning 31 in March. A 1000 square meter hanging garden is the brand's centerpiece, with updated common areas, a blooming marquee, and exclusive scents Grass and Fresh Grass created by Cuarto Sentido. The hotel's digitalization and AI strategy are key for future plans, and they aim for a carbon zero footprint across all scopes. Rebranding includes a partnership with Mirai for reservation systems, maintaining the Santo Domingo domain for redirects, and updating OTAs like Booking and Expedia. The hotel also focuses on diverse revenue streams, like its terrace and MICE sector, beyond just accommodation. The team's long tenure averages over 20 years, with emphasis on continuous training and embracing a Total Revenue view. Technology like PMS, integrated channels, and RMS by IdeaS have revolutionized their operations. Implementing online check-ins and AI to analyze social media feedback are part of ongoing digital innovations.

🏨 Meliá Hotels International is rebranding two key properties in Spain and Asia as part of its expansion strategy. In Spain, the Innside Fuerteventura will be transformed into a ZEL brand hotel, following the successful conversion of Innside Cala Blanca in Palma to ZEL, which doubled profitability metrics. In Asia, Meliá Bali is being rebranded to Paradisus Bali, marking the debut of the Paradisus brand in Europe after recent launches in the Canary Islands. These transformations align with Meliá's focus on the lifestyle segment, targeting active guests interested in sports, local products, and non-traditional activities. The Paradisus Pattaya Jomtien Beach, set to open in Thailand in 2028, will be the first Paradisus brand hotel in Asia.

🏡 A group of Imserso retirees faced issues at a Mallorca hotel, with complaints about the hotel not being ready for guests, dirty conditions, and delayed room availability, some not receiving rooms until 18:00 despite arriving at 10:00. Contrastingly, another group claimed the issues were resolved within two hours, defending the hotel's condition and service. The hotel, which opened that morning to start the season, allegedly hadn't finished refurbishment and cleaning. Imserso stated it doesn't directly manage the trips, referring to the contractor, while the hotel was unprepared for the early arrival of guests.

🏨 Kaizen Hoteles lanzó byKaizen, su primera operadora de hoteles, gestionando el hotel Felipe V en Sevilla, un 5 Estrellas Gran Lujo, con apertura en 2026. La compañía, con más de 25 años de experiencia, ya posee varios establecimientos de lujo, incluyendo el premiado Casa Palacio Don Ramón y el único Casa Palacio María Luisa en Jerez. El nuevo hotel Felipe V tendrá 18 habitaciones, diseño interior de Alejandra Pombo y arquitectura de Honorio Aguilar.

🏖️ Grupo Piñero, with its new hotel division CEO Antonio Ferragut, announces investment and repositioning plans, targeting a €124 million investment by 2025-26, including adult-only Sunlight Tenerife transformation, Jamaica expansion, and Caribbean and European property renovations. Los Cabos sees Spanish luxury hotel growth with 18,500 rooms operational, over 900 in development, and premium North American tourism interest. UK tourist trends in Spain shift towards cultural experiences with average spending in Barcelona at €322.

🏖 British tourists are now more interested in exploring lesser-known destinations in Spain and seek authentic local experiences, avoiding high seasons and preferring extended stays, explained Manuel Butler, Turespaña's Tourism Counsellor in London. At Fitur 2025, it was revealed that the average British tourist visiting Barcelona is 35 years old, travels with a partner for five nights, and spends €322, with architecture and culture highly rated at 9.3 and 9, respectively, leading over half to return. British tourism contributes 1.4% to Spain's GDP and strengthens ties between the two countries. The British market is essential for Catalonia post-Brexit, moving towards a value-based model of regenerative tourism. Sustainable tourism success requires collaboration among governments, institutions, companies, and individuals, with OET London focusing on social impact and promoting accessibility through 'Spain for All', using AI to recommend personalized trips.