Barcelona Market Pulse 2025 – From Strength to Strength

Barcelona, the capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, is famed for its distinctive architecture, rich cultural heritage and vibrant atmosphere. In 2024, Catalonia outpaced the national economy with a 3.6% growth in GDP (compared to Spain’s 3.2%) with tourism remaining a key driver, contributing around 14.0% of Barcelona’s GDP.

Unpacking the Guest Experience: Insights for the Modern Hotelier

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Araceli Budia, Senior Manager of Global Digital & Guest Experience at Palladium Hotel Group. Our conversation peeled back the layers to reveal what it truly means to create memorable experiences for guests in today’s hospitality world. Palladium is a dynamic, family-run company in expansion mode, having recently entered the UAE market and boasting over 40 hotels across eight destinations. This allows them to move quickly, fostering an environment that encourages innovation, disruptive ideas, and a unique collaborative energy.

Recast: Hospitality is like building bridges — you need the right tools

In this week’s episode of the Hotel Moment podcast, we’re revisiting a conversation with Robbert Manussen, Area General Manager, Taiwan at IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Karen Stephens, Revinate CMO. Robbert stresses that the technology revolution is here and explains why it’s time for hoteliers to start seriously investing in their tech tools. But Robbert says it’s about investing with intention, warning, “Don’t invest in technology for the sake of investing.” If you want to build a hotel tech stack that serves your business goals and serves the guest experience, it’s about choosing the right systems.