The Palladium Hotel Group experience

Indian travellers are now exploring Spain other than the regular cities, and Palladium Hotel Group is witnessing this trend with bookings at its hotels in remoter cities. Not just this, the group’s Mexico resorts are also seeing an influx of Indian weddings, says Sandra Polo Canudas, its Asia & ME Commercial Director.

Hazel Jain

The high arrival numbers that Spain is seeing from India is reflected in the hotel bookings the Palladium Hotel Group is receiving from the market. “This shows that even though there are new hotels coming up in Spain, the Indian market continues to prefer our brand and our properties,” says Sandra Polo Canudas, Asia & ME Commercial Director, Palladium Hotel Group. She was in India recently to meet the travel trade in New Delhi and Mumbai, where it hosted a few key agent partners to an exclusive yacht party.

Underlining an interesting trend, she says that not only are they exploring newer parts of Spain, but also spending more time here. “Earlier, they used to visit Ibiza for approx. two nights. In recent times, their minimum stay is three nights, with Spain as a mono-destination. They are also eager to visit different parts of Spain instead of just Barcelona or Madrid and Seville. This is why we take care of our clients staying with us at Ibiza, Marbella, and Tenerife in Canary Islands,” Canudas adds.

Hidden gems

Opened in 2022, the TRS Ibiza Hotel is a hidden gem for the Indian clients. “The trade is aware of it. It is an incredible product: it is an adults-only hotel and offers both sides of Ibiza, which is the relaxation side and the happening side! Clients can upgrade their experience in the hotel using our Signature Level guest option and can access private areas inside the hotel, get private check-in, and access to more than 15 F&B options, which the Indian clientele loves. In addition, they can also attend one of the shows happening in Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel or at the High Club, which is opposite Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel,” Canudas explains.

Palladium Hotel Group has nine different brands which includes city hotels and beach hotels. Some are seasonal hotels open from March until October every year. Those are beach hotels and resorts located in Ibiza. However, there are other hotels open all year, such as in Marbella and on the incredible island of Tenerife in Canary Islands, which has the Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife. “It is an incredible adventure for families as well as FITs and MICE. It is something out of the box and we already see MICE groups from India staying at this property. The destination has perfect temperatures, adventure, natural parks, interesting gastronomy with lots of Indian restaurants all year round,” she shares.

Weddings in Mexico!

The wedding segment is also a key area of interest for the group. But not so much for its properties in Spain as much as for the ones in Mexico. Canudas says, “We are working with wedding planners for our properties in Mexico, specifically our resort Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort and Spa and TRS Coral Hotel that get a lot of Indian weddings. We have a very experienced team here that knows how to handle Indian weddings and it is working very well so far. I highly recommend wedding planners to look at this destination.”

New properties

Palladium Hotel Group is strengthening its international presence with its arrival in the Middle East. The project announced will be carried out in conjunction with Al Marjan and Almal Real Estate Development, an award-winning ultra-luxury developer based in the region.  The ambitious project, which attracts more than $100 million in investment, will consist of 442 hotel rooms and residential units. It represents the first international opening for the iconic Ibiza-born brand, which is now to be known as Ushuaïa Unexpected Hotels & Residences, integrating the concept of branded residences with the existing hotel proposition. The hotel and residential facility will be located on Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, and will comprise a sophisticated beach club, restaurant and infinity pool, all situated adjacent to the Wynn Resort Island and overlooking the picturesque Arabian Gulf.