08 January 2017- GBSB Global Business School’s Master in Tourism and Hospitality Management students had the rare opportunity to visit and speak with Marta Mestre Aspa, Sales Manager and Marc O. Riera Garcia, General Manager of hotel operations at the H10 Art Gallery Hotel located on the fashionable pedestrian walking street, Enrique Granados, in Barcelona, Spain. This industrial visit was organized by GBSB Global’s Master of Tourism and Hospitality Management Professor Willem Van Rossem.
The H10 hotel line is a Spanish corporation with an owner based model for its 58 locations spanning the globe. This form of ownership is quite different from more traditional hotel business models that focus on managed properties, franchises, and leased entities. The model may be rare for the 7th ranked hotelier in Spain, but it works. Mr. Riera Garcia commented to students the he held one of the best jobs in the world; he gets to make people happy away from home every day.
No stranger to the demands of the hospitality industry, Mr. Rieira Garcia broke the ice by asking students if they were ready to work, nights, weekends, holidays, and special occasions? GBSB Global MA in Tourism and Hospitality students gave a resounding yes.
The H10 hotel brand has been in operation since the early 1980’s when its founder, Josep Espelt, opened his first hotel on the Costa Daurada. Their current headquarters are in Barcelona, Spain, but their 58 properties canvas the globe, from the Caribbean to Europe.
What sets the H10 Hotel brand apart from their competition?
With over 3,500 employees, it is the company’s core values and business ethics that foster their employee retention and longevity.
The company prizes its employees and are guided by these values.
- Respect
- Enthusiasm
- Responsibility
- Honesty
- Creativity
The difference also is apparent in the service they provide customers. One of their main mottos is that everything they do is with the customer in mind, utilizing innovation to focus on customer wellness and satisfaction.
What can customers expect?
Quality Customer Service and Ideal Locations
Clean, Modern Furnishing
Exquisite Gastronomy
Entertainment and Leisure Activities
The H10 corporation also takes part in community based projects, investing in their social responsibility, giving back to the regions where they have facilities present. They also operate their various locations worldwide with environmental consciousness.
Particularly interesting to the MA in Tourism and Hospitality Management students, the H10 corporation offers a management training program for students interested in collaborating in an elevator program, instructing individuals how to manage customer service, hospitality, sales, reservations, events, and culinary training. The program hones the talents and skills of those applicants that show potential and have been selected for this highly exclusive program. From maintenance to management, this training lasts approximately two years and relocates its trainees to different regions, gaining experience managing and operating different facilities with various specializations.
The H10 hotel line has seen incredible growth in Barcelona. In 2009, they had 6 locations in the city. Today, they boast 14 facilities and are continuing with expansion plans.
The H10 Art Gallery Hotel is a four-star superior property with its very own art gallery featuring works from young, local artists, also part of their community projects committed to social responsibility. Every hotel property is embraced under the H10 brand, but highlight their own particular character. The range of facilities, the H10 hotel brand offers are:
M & I | Hotels that offer meeting rooms, incentives, conventions, and events.
Privilege | Hotels that offer executive rooms and VIP services.
Boutique | A style hotel that is often smaller and is located in a fashionable location.
AO | “Adult Only” hotels that are suggested for those individuals and couples looking for a mature facility catered to their needs.
Perfect Day | Hotels specialized in arranging weddings and special celebrations often located in idyllic locations.
Blue Team | Hotels that cater to teens and young adults that offer various sport and entertainment facilities and activities.
Despacio | Hotels that the provide luxurious health and beauty centers.
Daisy Club | Jovial family centric hotels geared to services families with young children.
MA in Tourism and Hospitality Management students were guided through the H10 Art Gallery’s’ sales mix and was asked to provide input about the role of social media on sales in hotels. This also prompted a discussion on the future of advertising and branding. Social media plays a major role in branding and sales. From sites like Trip Advisor to the latest customers service features introduced by Expedia, social media is here to stay, and more attention will be focused towards these channels. The main booking platforms this company works with are Booking.com and Expedia. It was believed that the future online sales will grow, seeing diminishing interest in third party travel agencies.
The industrial visit to the H10 Art Gallery Hotel was highly informative and offered MA in Tourism and Hospitality Management student a first-hand opportunity to ask pertinent questions to industry profession that have successful careers in the hotel sector.
GBSB Global Business School fosters a learning approach that is not only focused in the classroom, but in the industry, itself. Annual industrial visits to different companies and in-person, company presentations are organized on campus and are included into the curriculum so students may get an understanding of how professionals conduct business in the real world. GBSB Global Business school and students from the MA in Tourism and Hospitality program are grateful for the opportunity to visit H10 Art Gallery Hotel in Barcelona.
Written by Emily Dawn Szajda, GBSB Global Content Manager
