ILUNION Hotels sets the pace for innovation in Tourism
ILUNION Hotels sets the pace for innovation in Tourism
January 24, 2025
ILUNION Hotels is steadily advancing the transformation of the hospitality sector. In recent years, its Innovation Department has become a benchmark model—not only driving progress to boost its own competitiveness but also inspiring the wider industry. The hotel company of the ILUNION group—part of Grupo Social ONCE—has found purposeful innovation to be a true engine of change. Beyond incremental improvements, the brand, with 31 hotels in strategic destinations across Spain, aims to break molds and redefine industry standards.
With more than 50% of its workforce made up of people with disabilities or in vulnerable situations, ILUNION Hotels has developed over the years a unique business model that it proudly showcases as proof that profitability and social commitment can go hand in hand. Last November, in collaboration with Les Roches, it presented the I Hospitality Innovation Barometer, a pioneering study offering a detailed snapshot of the innovative capacity of companies in the sector. Based on seven key variables—strategy, technology, structure, processes, ecosystem, culture, competitive intelligence, and communication—it allows other players to benchmark and evolve. The report reveals, among other insights, that only 25% of companies have structured innovation training, and over 50% of surveyed brands are willing to proactively apply innovation, partnering with startups to build innovative ecosystems.
This is not the only milestone where ILUNION Hotels has demonstrated its expertise over the past year. The 2024-2025 Trends Report, also developed by the department led by Carlos Bello, highlights key drivers that will define the future of tourism: transformation through artificial intelligence, sustainability as a competitiveness driver, and the adoption of collaborative models are some of the trends to keep in mind in the context of FITUR 2025 (International Tourism Fair).
From Theory to Action
For ILUNION Hotels, innovation is not just a strategy but a tangible engine of change. “We don’t wait for change to happen. We provoke it by anticipating what our clients need,” says Bello. Beyond its leadership in technology, ILUNION Hotels is a pioneer in social inclusion, with an unwavering commitment to accessibility: all its properties hold the Global Universal Accessibility Certificate, a milestone that reinforces its dedication to equitable tourism that includes everyone.
But the brand goes beyond customer experience. In its daily operations, it also fosters conversations—through events like its well-established Global Summit, which attracted over 800 attendees in its third edition—and shares a decade of learnings with other companies, offering support in initiatives related to training, recruitment, and universal accessibility, among others.
Awards that Endorse Its Efforts
The company’s leadership is measured not only by milestones but also by awards recognizing its excellence. In 2024, it received prestigious honors such as the Telefónica Award (granted at the Tourism Innovation Summit) for Best AI Innovation for its AI Roadmap project in the tourism sector; and Data Analysis; the Silver Medal for Best Innovation Model for the development of a social business model, awarded by the Global Innovation Management Institute Awards 2024; recognition of its hotel innovation model at the Smart Travel News Awards; and acknowledgment of its BabelIA project, which aims to eliminate language barriers through AI, by AMETIC Digital Tourist. “This is the result of our effort to transform tourism through innovation, sustainability, technology, and inclusion,” concludes Carlos Bello, looking forward to a 2025 full of promising milestones.