Catalan company Hotusa consolidates its position as the chain with the most hotels in Spain

BarcelonaApproaching its 50th anniversary, the Catalan company Hotusa is preparing to achieve a new milestone: surpassing 300 hotels in its portfolio and maintaining its position as the hotel chain with the most properties in Spain. The family-owned company will close 2025 with 297 hotels and will soon add more, having signed 28 contracts during the second half of the year, which will be incorporated into operations throughout next year. Of these new properties, 12 are located in Spain and the rest in Europe, its priority market, although there are also some in the United States.

The second half of the year has been very intense for Hotusa, coinciding with the period in which liquid The hotel chain has fully repaid, ahead of schedule, the €56 million it owed to the state-owned holding company SEPI. The Barcelona-based chain was one of many companies in the hotel sector that sought state aid when COVID-19 hit and forced them to completely halt operations. In their case, they received a loan of €241 million. This expansion phase is accompanied by growing financial results. The company's president, Amancio López Seijas, explained on Wednesday that this year he expects EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) to grow by 10%, reaching approximately €270 million. Meanwhile, sales are projected to increase by 8%, to €1.65 billion. Looking ahead to 2026, with the new additions to the team, sales growth of 15% is expected. Among the openings planned for next year, those taking place during the first quarter in Málaga, Valladolid, and Rotterdam (Netherlands) stand out—all five-star hotels. They are not ruling out new acquisitions, whether through purchase, lease, or management agreements, according to the expansion director, Clara López, second generation of the family business. "The focus will remain on Europe, but we will also invest in the United States," López emphasized. The latter is a highly competitive and challenging market where the company aims to strengthen its position and expand its portfolio of six hotels, having added two this year in Boston and Washington. They are also exploring other markets in Latin America and Africa, where they have two hotels in Morocco. According to the president of Hotusa, the security of the destinations, both physical and legal, plays a fundamental role in the selection process.