The president of AC Hoteles by Marriott, Antonio Catalán, within the framework of the latest edition of the Global South Forum, stated that Lanzarote is “the island with the most possibilities to raise prices because the client who comes is capable of assuming it. For the clients who come here, the prices in Lanzarote are a bargain”, he added.
The hotel group, owned by Catalán, which has 22 hotels only in Madrid, includes the emblematic Santo Mauro hotel: “In 2019 we had a rate in Santo Mauro of 380-400 euros and we fought with the Villamagna to see who earned more, today we are at 1,200 average price”, he exemplified.
"I have already said on several occasions that Spain has too many clients and lacks price, I think that this community lacks price". In the specific case of Lanzarote he stated: "This island must be preserved from the excess of supply".
Thus, the president of AC Hotels by Marriott encouraged the hotel business owners present at the Global South Forum to raise prices to be able to face the different challenges in order to achieve higher quality tourism.
Firstly, "investing in the tourist's experience" and focusing on the "different problems to solve”: lack of personnel, absenteeism, lack of training… He also referred to tourist apartments, although he does not believe that “the housing problem will be solved by putting 14,000 tourist apartments on the market (in the case of Madrid).
The president of AC Hotels by Marriott considered that the tourist world is divided between three types of actors: “Those who depend 100% on booking, those who depend on tour operators, who set the price and conditions of the airline companies, and those of us who are fortunate enough to have an international partner”.
Catalán said that his hotel group is not in Lanzarote, but “we would like to be”. On the islands they have three hotels in Gran Canaria, one in Tenerife, and according to what he explained, they are “about to close an operation with five more hotels”.
The Global South Forum `The Challenges of Tourism´ has been sponsored by Turismo Lanzarote, the Art, Culture and Tourism Centers of Lanzarote, the Government of the Canary Islands and Cicar, with the collaboration of the Chamber of Commerce of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, also counting as a main partner with the media group Lanzarote Media.
