MADRID — Growing at a rate of seven hotels a year over the past few years, and with plans to ramp that up even more with new hotel openings in the years to come, Iberostar Hotels and Resorts is looking to build on its momentum with a re-branding initiative that includes a new segmentation of its hotels.

A recent press trip to Madrid took trade media including Travelweek to Iberostar’s flagship hotel, Iberostar Las Letras Gran Via in Madrid, where the hotel company announces its rebranding and new directions.

Canadian travel agents (and their clients) best know Iberostar from its Caribbean beach resorts in the D.R., Cuba, Mexico and Jamaica, however the Iberostar Group – which opened its first hotel in 1993 – now operates 110 hotels in 17 countries, hosting over eight million guests annually.

In 2018 The Iberostar Group is embarking on an ambitious plan including openings, new projects and major renovation work. Its portfolio will be increased by 15 new hotels, including 11 resorts in Cuba, from Havana to Holguín, Cayo Coco and Santiago de Cuba. There are also two new resorts opening in Montenegro, and one new development for Iberostar Cancun coming this year.

The first of the new 2018 hotels, the 119-room, four-star Iberostar Paseo de Gracia, its first in Barcelona, just opened this month.

More projects are on the horizon for Los Cabos, Aruba and the D.R.

Meanwhile approximately 70% of The Iberostar Group’s portfolio – made up exclusively of four- and five-star properties – has recently been renovated with focus on product and service innovation and technological development.

The company is particularly proud of its 42% returning guests rate.

Iberostar says it plans to continue to invest to strengthen its position in the high-end hotel segment with a further 700 million euros allocated through 2022, with expansion plans focused on the best locations, up-market gastronomy options and superior service.

Sabina Fluxà, Vice-Chairman and CEO, The Iberostar Group

Sabina Fluxà, Iberostar Group’s Vice-Chairman and CEO, presented Iberostar’s strategic plan to the media, announcing that Iberostar has regrouped its hotels into three segments: City hotels, Ocean resorts and Iberostar Heritage, a new category that includes classic hotels with an emphasis on history and tradition.

Grand, the group’s luxury category, is present in all three of the new segments, she said.
City hotels are located in the heart of leading destinations including Madrid, New York, Lisbon, Barcelona, Budapest, Miami and Havana, says Fluxà.

Ocean resorts comprise beachfront locations focused on vacations and leisure travel.

And Iberostar Heritage properties include unique hotels featuring architectural, historical and cultural elements.
As part of its new initiatives, Iberostar has also changed its corporate logo, colours and added the tagline ‘Let it shine’.

Fluxà also introduced Iberostar’s new ‘Oceans Project’ focused on sustainable fishing, reducing plastic pollution and supporting coral reef conservations and protection. Iberostar plans to promote sustainable fishing by sourcing and serving only seasonal fish on its menus, plus it has instituted a program at all of its hotels to reduce reliance on single-use plastic items with the ultimate aim of eliminating them and replacing them with biodegradable materials.

Iberostar’s senior management team feels that the company is at a critical point. Having spent years and a significant investment in developing its plan for the future, it is now ready to implement this plan over the next 12 to 18 months.

“We are all part of a large family made up of more than 28,000 employees that offers unbeatable service for the 8 million customers we welcome each year. We remain as excited and enthusiastic as when we started … We are now taking a major step forward in what is a key development for the business, repositioning it and setting even higher standards.”