Gestión Hotelera

🔥 Nine firefighting units from Madrid's fire department responded to a fire at the Indigo Hotel on Silva Street near Gran Vía early today. The fire started in the 12th-floor air conditioning facilities room and was quickly contained, preventing spread. All guests were evacuated, with only one worker treated for minor smoke inhalation. There were no injuries, and coordination with emergency services was praised. (July 18, 2024)

🏠 Limehome to open its first tourist apartments in Pamplona and Navarra by July-August 2025, transforming an old pension into 19 tourist apartments. Ricardo Fernández, Director General in Spain and Portugal, aims to have 100 units in Navarra and 400 in the Basque Country by the end of 2025, enhancing their brand presence in northern Spain and contributing to the region's economic and tourist development.

🌡 In Spain, a heatwave is expected to start Wednesday, with temperatures up to 10 degrees higher in some areas. Eastern Spain, Guadalquivir area, Málaga, Mallorca, and southern Canary Islands will exceed 35°C. Madrid and other cities could reach 40°C. The 2022 heatwave significantly impacted tourism, affecting vacation quality and spending, with a 0.27% drop in tourist expenditure from 12-5 pm and a 0.14% increase from 10 pm-7 am. Adaptation strategies for tourism are deemed crucial.

🍴 Aitor Arregi of Elkano fame opened Guethary, a fish and seafood grill restaurant, at the 5-star Iberostar Selection Playa de Palma in Mallorca. Emphasizing local produce and direct relationships with fishermen and artisans, the restaurant honors Mallorcan culinary landscapes with a philosophy rooted in minimalism and seasonal freshness. Elkano began in 1964, currently ranked 22nd on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, holds 1 Michelin Star and 3 Repsol Suns. Guethary also showcases characteristic dishes from Elkano, based in Getaria, latitude 43.2.

🛏 Los amenities para hoteles son artículos o servicios gratuitos para los huéspedes. Los más comunes incluyen champú, acondicionador, jabón, kits de aseo, y más lujosos como albornoces y pantuflas. Los amenities varían según la categoría del hotel y pueden ser claves para que los huéspedes regresen, como acceso a internet de alta velocidad o servicios de té y café en la habitación, diferenciando al hotel de la competencia. Las opciones pueden incluir también pensamientos para niños y mascotas, y son especialmente valiosos en hoteles de cuatro y cinco estrellas.

💸 Jordi Sastre, founder of RD Optimize, boasts a rich background with Barceló Hotels & Resorts, PortBlue Hotels, Logitravel, and Baleària. Partnering with Xim Busquets, they offer specialized hotel industry services addressing the need for revenue management, digital marketing, and direct sales. RD Optimize positions hotels competitively by integrating with clients' teams, managing revenue, focusing on direct sales, and offering flexible economic models. They aim to maximize commercial revenue and control distribution through a 360° online commercialization service, emphasizing direct sales growth for efficiency and higher net ADR.

🌊 CEO of Nautalia Viajes, Rafael García Garrido, criticizes the Spanish retail sector's focus on discounts over margins, highlighting the issue in an interview with Preferente. Nautalia diverges from price wars, adopting a 4-5 year strategy prioritizing service value and margin over discounts, despite industry pressure. Their approach focuses on building customer trust and credibility rather than competing on price.

🏝 Barcelona hoteliers are trying to prevent the closure of 735 tourist apartments they own across 46 buildings due to a city council decision, led by Mayor Jaume Collboni, to shut them down within five years. Hoteliers, represented by president Jordi Clos, argue that their apartments do not cause cohabitation issues, challenging the council's measure that targets entire buildings.

🏠 Ona Hotels & Apartments in 2023 increased its turnover by 36% due to market improvement post-Covid and the addition of eight new establishments. Mallorca saw up to a 30% growth, while the Canary Islands grew by 25% in Q1 compared to 2023. The chain, celebrating its 30th year, aims to surpass €100 million in turnover and expand to 50 hotels. Currently, it has 43 hotels, with 29 owned, and recently acquired Ona Princesa Playa and Ona Las Rampas. The growth focus remains on Spain's main tourist destinations and investment for hotel improvements is planned.

🐶 Meliá Hotels International launched "Pet Friendly by Meliá," allowing unlimited pet weight and increasing the number of pets allowed per room to two. Over 2,000 companion animals have been welcomed since the program's inception. Exclusive areas, pet-inclusive dining, welcome gifts, comfortable beds, and an online guide with pet-friendly services are provided. Partnered with Patasbox, they offer organic pet products. Service costs start from 25 euros per day, included in the final room rate on Melia.com. The program is available across various Meliá brands, with plans to expand.