SPAIN AND ITS HOTEL INDUSTRY. LET’S TALK ABOUT “ITS EMPIRICAL CONCEPT”… Let’s analyze the services of a “good hotel”.
By José Aleixandre Caballero :August 2026
I would like to talk about the “concept” of a “good hotel”
About the meaning of “welcoming the guest” that those legendary business owners gave to the business, without ceasing to be businesspeople, by being generous hosts to clients and responsible for services and their qualitative offerings…. and I’m not referring to flaunting “stars” for their granted category…. because the true category lies in the set of services and human values added to the pure structure of the venue as a business… which I am convinced of (although it’s just my point of view) is what the client expects and wishes to find in a decent accommodation with a category in line with and responsible for the level of services that can be required of it… that is, those attentions and services that have nothing to do with the hotel structure, and even less today with the deteriorated and not at all reliable “official star ratings”.
It also has nothing to do with the “physical offering of the building,” which is evidently very important for the first impression… the façade and the lobby… but no!!… no… let’s not fool ourselves. Although all that is important, it doesn’t “move the client emotionally”. It may impress them upon arrival… and disappoint them afterward upon departure… it is in any case a “visual” influential part, which still isn’t decisive….
Let’s now reflect on the emotional, human and sensitive side of the client… which happens in their first human contact… “with those they consider to be one of their hosts”.
Whether it’s the outside doorman, who will take care of their vehicle, a bellboy or reception staff during their accreditation or check-in process…. this is indeed one of the influential moments of opinion, crucial for the guest…
To be followed by the presentation of the living/sleeping area, its lighting, ambient temperature, fresh clean scent, wardrobe with hangers… safe, minibar and contents, the location of the bathroom/shower, mirrors, hair dryer, lighting, toilet paper, towels, bathrobe, slippers…. etc. etc. and the tedious and uncomfortable distribution of amenities, quality of accessories and fittings, toilet location within the bathroom spaces…. as badly distributed as the excessive inattention by the decorators and installers was when placing them.
Let’s see… let’s analyze from the human philosophical side… how we empirically think we can ensure that our clients receive the attentions and services that can make them feel good… that differential is what becomes our hallmark and achieves, in their comfort levels, what the client desires (perhaps not expects), influencing their well-being, along with service and treatment.
Surely if these four factors are met… we will have “a client” thinking positively, who will have reasons to assess that the price paid is “fair”… in that reasoning we will have earned their loyalty.
Let’s hypothetically imagine that we are capable of generating our service offering “whose service delivery qualities are conceived through a human lens” and with a price in line with the expectations that “official star categories still generate”, but raised to the client’s real needs and expectations….
Not as it happens now, where it is the client who must adapt to our unstable service offering and expensive prices… services and features outside the expectations created by “stars” and biased images. The client is considered “a number”, not a customer, and where disappointment becomes a bad experience….
We will take a first step if we are capable of self-criticism by accepting that for better or worse… “This is what predominates in our hotel market”… well then, under this lens let’s change the concept. Let’s start by accepting that we are mostly far from the true concept of “hotel” “guest” “host” and that “we should think and act on how to welcome our future clients so we can feel proud” to “receive them in our home”… and this must start from the moment our future guest makes their reservation… they already deserve a message thanking them for their trust in choosing our venue with the hope that they honor us with their stay…
It’s more human and welcoming than simply, with more or less missteps… telling them that after having received payment for the stay their reservation is confirmed and that if they don’t show up they will lose the amount paid… (Yes, but no).
Let’s go back to the idea of offering them arrival from 12:00 and departure at 12:00 with the possibility of “storing their luggage”… while at the same time we ask them to tell us their approximate arrival time, and if they need parking, laundry, room service or another service…
We must receive the client at the “door” !like guests! to welcome them, offer to park their vehicle, request bellboy service and accompany them to reception and…. from the moment the door opens…. the “available” receptionist is already greeting with a look and smiling at the client…
Let’s receive them at a comfortable desk table… (not standing and waiting) and while we carry out the tedious arrival formalities (if we haven’t already prepared a pre-check-in) we offer them refreshments or fruit, sweets, etc. Let’s make them feel politely and prudently attended to and comfortable among us….
Once the formalities are done, let’s make at least two copies of the room keys and meanwhile the bellboy has already taken the luggage up to the door of the assigned room…
Which will skillfully be set and at the ideal temperature recommended for the season or the weather…. and will let the client be the one to open their door, out of respect for privacy, and will place the luggage in the appropriate space or where indicated… taking the opportunity to inform the client how the lights, TV, air conditioning, water, safe, minibar, pillows work, so that later they find bath sheets, hand towels and bath mats, hygiene bags, slippers, bathrobes, good 4-ply toilet paper, and amenities in their place without rationing…
Good lighting, magnifying mirror, a good hair dryer…. etc. etc.
We will not forget perfection in the washing, rinsing and drying of the linens, especially bathroom linens…. review the room in the afternoon, change used towels, etc., turn down the bed and leave some chocolates on the pillow.
We will offer 24-hour room service…
And if they have breakfast at our hotel we will offer room service or dining room… we won’t just say good morning at the entrance and check their room, we will also accompany them to their table explaining how the buffet and/or service works… while the waiter/waitress arrives to offer the available services…. we will attend to their new requests and gradually clear used cutlery…. and we will ask “being tactful” if everything is to their liking or if they need anything else… a Good morning, afternoon, or night as a farewell among other attentions isn’t bad..
José Aleixandre Caballero, Technical Director Advisor for Tourism Companies and Businesses.
