Picture checking in at a hotel in Bilbao or Valencia and, along with your key, receiving an invitation: learn about a project that helps people with low vision, and join in if you wish. This is not a one-off campaign. It is Proyecto Lucía, the initiative ILUNION Hotels launched across its network this summer. It also sums up what makes this chain different: here, sustainability starts with people.
In this category we look for hotels whose story deserves to be told. ILUNION Hotels opens the series for a clear reason. It shows that a sustainable hotel is not just an efficient building. It is also a place where people can work, stay and move around without barriers.
Who ILUNION Hotels are
ILUNION Hotels is the hotel company of the ILUNION business group, part of Spain’s Grupo Social ONCE, the social organisation founded by and for blind people. It began in 1992 as Confortel and adopted its current brand a decade ago, when it set out on a distinctive path.
Today it runs 33 hotels rated three to five stars across Spain, in both city and beach destinations: Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, Málaga, Mallorca, Menorca and Lanzarote, among others. In 2025 it also took its first step abroad by signing a project in Portugal.
The numbers add up, too. The company closed 2025 with record revenue of €214 million and occupancy above 82%. That is why its case matters: social impact and profitability are not at odds.
People first: the pillar that sets it apart
Most sustainable hotels lead with energy or water. ILUNION Hotels leads with its team. In 2025 it employed around 2,000 people on average, and 57.3% of them are people with disabilities or from groups that face barriers to employment. In its Special Employment Centres, that share exceeds 70%.
This figure is worth reading carefully, because it combines two different groups. Counting people with disabilities alone, the share is around 40%, which is still exceptional in the hotel industry.
The chain has also created the role of DEIB Coach, dedicated to listening to and supporting teams through diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. It is an unusual detail, and it shows how deeply inclusion runs through day-to-day management.
Universal accessibility across the network
For many travellers, accessibility decides whether a trip is possible at all. ILUNION Hotels holds AENOR’s Universal Accessibility certification across all its properties. This covers spaces, services and communication designed for guests with physical, visual, hearing or cognitive disabilities.
However, accessibility does not only help those who need it every day. It also makes stays easier for families with pushchairs, older travellers or anyone with a temporary injury. In other words, an accessible hotel is a better hotel for everyone.
Environmental certifications: what has been verified
On the environmental side, ILUNION Hotels reached an important milestone in 2025: BREEAM certification for every one of its hotels. BREEAM is one of the world’s most widely used methods for assessing sustainable buildings, covering areas such as energy efficiency, water use and materials.
Other third-party credentials include:
- Q Sostenible, held by virtually all of its hotels.
- B Corp, the certification that assesses a company’s overall social and environmental impact. ILUNION Hotels scored 140.1 in its assessment, against a median of 50.9 for ordinary businesses, according to its official B Lab profile.
The company is also investing in energy efficiency through heat pumps, heat recovery and smart building management systems. In addition, it works on consumption monitoring, water management, circular economy and food waste reduction.
To understand what each of these labels actually guarantees, explore our Certifications series.
Proyecto Lucía: guests can contribute too
Back to where we started. Proyecto Lucía brings the chain’s social strategy into the guest experience. It is built around five causes: disability, children, vulnerable groups, social action and care for the environment.
It works simply. During their stay, hotel staff explain the initiatives and guests can support them with a donation. Three of the initiatives are national in scope; the rest are rooted in the places where the chain operates and respond to local needs.
Even the name has meaning. Lucía evokes light and Saint Lucy of Syracuse, patron saint of blind and visually impaired people, a direct nod to the chain’s roots in Grupo Social ONCE. You can learn more on the project’s official page (in Spanish).
What to keep in mind (no filters)
At The Positive Trip, we prefer nuance over hype. So here are the points worth bearing in mind:
- Targets versus achievements. The chain has committed to cutting emissions by 20% by 2027 and 42% by 2030, and to reaching carbon neutrality by 2040. These are goals, not results yet, so they are worth tracking in future reports.
- Excellence is not the same as sustainability. ILUNION Hotels was the first hotel company in the world to win the EFQM Global Award. It is a major recognition of its management model, but it is not an environmental certification.
- Transparency on donations. Proyecto Lucía has only just started. It will be interesting to see how the chain reports what is raised and where it goes.
None of these points takes anything away from the case. On the contrary, a company that publishes an annual sustainability report (in Spanish) makes exactly this kind of critical reading possible.
Why it matters when you travel
Where you sleep is one of the most impactful decisions of any trip. ILUNION Hotels shows that this choice can support inclusive employment, accessibility and environmental management all at once. Therefore, its story is a good reminder of something we often say: a sustainable hotel is also measured by how it treats people.
For more ways to decide, read our guides to eco-friendly hotels and how to choose the right hotel.
Frequently asked questions about ILUNION Hotels
What is ILUNION Hotels?
ILUNION Hotels is the hotel chain of the ILUNION business group, part of Grupo Social ONCE. It runs 33 three- to five-star hotels across Spain, in city and beach destinations.
What sustainability certifications does ILUNION Hotels hold?
All of its hotels hold BREEAM certification and AENOR Universal Accessibility certification. Virtually all also hold Q Sostenible, and the company is a certified B Corp with a score of 140.1.
How many ILUNION Hotels employees have a disability?
In 2025, 57.3% of its workforce were people with disabilities or from groups that face barriers to employment. People with disabilities alone account for around 40%.
What is Proyecto Lucía?
Proyecto Lucía is the ILUNION Hotels guest programme launched in summer 2026. During their stay, guests can donate to initiatives across five causes: disability, children, vulnerable groups, social action and care for the environment.
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