ILUNION Málaga Hotel Director
You’re currently running the ILUNION Málaga, but you’ve been with the hotel chain for a long time. Could you tell us a little about your career path to date?
I came to Malaga about four years ago just after ILUNION Hotels bought the hotel, before that it called Monte Málaga. Before this, I was managing the Valencia 4 and 3 hotels, which were the first hotels certified as special employment centres in the Valencian Community where at least 70% of the workers were people with disabilities. Before that, I managed our hotel in Menorca, although I trained at our hotels in Madrid and have great memories of my time there.
I’ve been working for ILUNION for 13 years, and the fact that it’s a very dynamic company with a young spirit and actively committed to internal talent has allowed me to move around, develop and grow as a professional in the country’s key cities. The truth is that I’ve never had time to get bored!
You seem fully committed to the ILUNION Hotels philosophy. If you had to highlight one thing you’ve learned in your career so far, what would it be?
The immense value inclusion and diversity bring to a company today. It’s only because of this diversity and harnessing the talent of all its collaborators, regardless of whether they have disabilities or not, that it’s possible to have a successful company in this day and age. This is our reason for being, and it all makes for inclusive commitment, genuine employability and a firm conviction.
It’s clear to me that growing within ILUNION Hotels has contributed towards making me a more tolerant and better person and I’ll always be grateful for this because it’s something that will be with me forever.
The integration of people with disabilities and diversity are two of the founding pillars of ILUNION Hotels’ business action. Based on your experience, would you say this is something that other companies should be implementing?
Of course, as I said earlier, having all this talent in-house is a huge opportunity that’s managed by leaders with social values who are capable of bringing out the best in people. It’s our core value pillar.
You’ve undoubtedly heard a lot of personal stories from your colleagues over the years, is there any that really sticks out as an example of self-improvement or humanity?
Many spring to mind, way too many to count, and it wouldn’t be fair to single out one. All of them are genuine examples of perseverance, strength and achievement. They’re stories with their own names, which make you more grounded and develop feelings that make you feel small next to them. For me, they’re the true heroes, and I feel extremely fortunate to have them as colleagues. There’s not a day that goes by where I don’t learn something or head home without having learned a good lesson.
Do you think that there’s a difference between working with staff that has some people with a disability and another that doesn’t? What would you identify about this group?
A workforce that’s fortunate enough to have people with disabilities among its members has solidarity, cooperation and tolerance in its DNA. This is transferred to the way we relate to each other, how we work in our day-to-day life, and, of course, how we treat guests. At the end of the day, this is our main focus and guarantee, and we couldn’t understand it any other way.
There are several initiatives to benefit collectives within ILUNION Hotels’ CSR. For example, last year, you took part in a charity rally in Morocco. Can you tell us about the experience?
It was intensive, and not just for the 4000km we travelled on each trip, but also because we were living with the teams and sharing beautiful experiences with them and the people in Morocco. The emotion perceived, and the generosity and solidarity of its people was just incredible. The look of joy, the smiles and the gratitude of these children is something that can never be forgotten. It was a unique opportunity to experience.
You’re currently managing a hotel in Malaga, a tourist destination that’s growing steadily. What challenges do you see it facing in terms of hotels?
¡ Malaga is definitely ‘in’. With the incremental seasonal adjustment we’re seeing, Malaga is unstoppable. But we can’t lose sight of the situation of uncertainty and certain instability that we’re currently experiencing, and to what extent it could affect us in the coming months, there’s bound to be some concern in the sector
ILUNION Málaga is one of the hotels that represents the ‘All Inclusive’ motto. What does this mean on a practical level?
Well, it means we’re unique, and I genuinely believe this to be true. Our idea of a world without any exclusion leads us to emphasise coexistence, to create a different world, where we all have a place with the utmost respect, both from the perspective of labour integration and the hotel guest.
We vigorously defend the Right to Tourism for All, and we’re the only hotel in Málaga to be certified in Universal Accessibility (UNE 170001), which verifies that all people, with or without a disability, can access our spaces, products and services in the same usability conditions. Ample spaces, the removal of physical barriers, specially designed rooms, a wide range of technical aids available to guests in accordance with their disabilities… and all with a rigorous aesthetic criterion that results in unnoticed accessibility. And of course, our staff is specially trained and made aware of our guests’ needs.
This is a project to fall in love with, and I’m convinced it’s one that everyone in the world would like to belong to.
As a tourism professional, what goals have you set yourself in the medium-term?
To continue working so that ILUNION Málaga continues to be of great importance for the ILUNION hotel chain and a reference hotel in this fantastic city.
