VIDEO: Barceló Hotel Group adapts COVID response to market and customer demands

As CEO of Spain-based Barceló Hotel Group, Raúl González leads a company with more than 250 four- and five-star hotels in 22 countries marketed under four brands. 

Speaking at the Phocuswright Europe conference in September, González explains how the company has had to customize its COVID-response strategy depending on the status of the virus in markets where it operates. In the Caribbean, the company maintained about 20% of its portfolio open during April and May – now that number is up to about 40%.

In Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the company closed nearly all of its hotels and now is at about 60% open. But in the United States, Barcelo did not close any of its more than 100 hotels.

Along with managing the changing status of the virus around the world, González says it has been challenging to understand the changing desires of customers.

“I think one of the big lessons in my opinion of this period has been how fast change the needs and the wishes of the customers,” he says, citing an example of one of the company’s hotels in the Czech Republic where initially customers only want to receive food via room service but after a few days they prefer a buffet.

“During the first day they want a safe place, they don’t want any contact with any person, but in a very few days they change the mentality. ...  It’s a difficult balance between the intention and the interest of the customers.”

Watch González’s full interview with Phocuswright senior analyst Lorraine Sileo below.