ML Hoteles, Hotel Barcelona 1882, and La isla y el mar are the winners of the 4th Hotel CSR Award

ML Hoteles, Hotel Barcelona 1882 and La Isla y el Mar are the 3 winning hotels of the 4th edition of the Hotel CSR Award, organized by Fundación InterMundial Seguros in collaboration with Tourism&Law and the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation (CEHAT). Furthermore, as a new addition to the history of this award, a Special Jury Prize was granted in this edition to the hotel chain ARTIEM Hotels to recognize their excellent work in Corporate Social Responsibility. The winners were chosen from over 120 initiatives submitted by 40 hotels.

The award was presented this Thursday, May 31, at the Automobile and Fashion Museum in Malaga, during the gala dinner held as part of the Spanish Hoteliers Congress organized by CEHAT.

ML Hoteles was the winner in the EconomicThe jury highlighted their commitment to promoting the local agri-food industry, striving to raise awareness of local and regional products among their clients through campaigns such as “Sabor a Málaga” and “Tasty Andalucía.” Furthermore, ML Hoteles maintains a Socially Responsible Purchasing Policy that involves its suppliers in the chain's sustainability policies. The award was received by José Carlos Escribano, General Manager of ML Hoteles.

The winner in the Social category was Hotel Barcelona 1882, which develops a series of highly original initiatives in which both the hotel and its employees contribute their time and resources to the local community. In this regard, in addition to resource and maintenance-hour banks that benefit neighbors with fewer resources, the hotel has joined the school route program for two nearby schools. This cooperation allows students to enter the hotel and request any type of assistance if needed, at any time during the 24 hours the establishment remains open. Anna Castan, the hotel's manager, was in charge of accepting the award.

The Hotel La Isla y el Mar, in Lanzarote, was the winner in the Environmentalcategory. It received the award for undertaking an innovative 360-degree renovation project at its facilities, which allowed it to become a differentiated product, transitioning from a 2-key establishment to a Sustainable Boutique Hotel. The award was accepted by Concha Saavedra, the hotel's manager.

Additionally, this year, and for the first time in the history of the award, a Special Jury Prize was granted to the hotel chain ARTIEM Hotels. The jury thus recognizes the effort and dedication to CSR by ARTIEM, which presented a very comprehensive application with numerous initiatives for each of the three categories into which the award is divided. José Guillermo Díaz Montañés, CEO of ARTIEM, accepted the award.

The awards were presented by Manuel López, CEO of Grupo InterMundial and trustee of the Fundación InterMundial Seguros, and by Javier del Nogal, General Manager of Tourism & Law, during the gala dinner of the Spanish Hoteliers Congress organized by CEHAT in Málaga.

“The winners have shown that they are capable of integrating CSR into their business policies, presenting high-value proposals that allow them to give back to society. Achieving social responsibility is a fundamental part of the path toward true sustainable tourism.”

The jury for this fourth edition of the award was composed of: Manuel López, CEO of Grupo
InterMundial and trustee of the Fundación InterMundial, Javier del Nogal, General Manager of Tourism & Law, Joan Molas, President of CEHAT, Ramón Estalella, Secretary General of CEHAT, Valentín Ugalde, Manager of CEHAT, Antonio Nieto, Deputy Director of the Secretary of State for Tourism, Carlos Garrido, President of the Spanish Union of Travel Agencies (UNAV), Jose Antonio Alba, Territorial Director for Andalusia at Unicaja, and various media representatives. The next edition of the award will be held in 2020.

The Hotel CSR Award is an initiative of the Fundación InterMundial Seguros, in partnership with Tourism & Law and the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation (CEHAT), established in 2012 to recognize the efforts made by Spanish hotels in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility. The award is presented every two years, coinciding with the Spanish Hoteliers Congress organized by the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation (CEHAT).