Being the best and standing out year after year in the tourism industry is really difficult. On one hand, it requires huge investments in facilities and, on the other hand, it requires a special attention to anticipate the needs of the customers. The rough competition along with the varied range of services in Spain have turned it into a worldwide tourism reference that set trends, but it has also generated a such excessive efforts in the hotel chains that many small chains have given up.

If we focus our attention only on the main Spanish hotel chains, we will find a limited number but, undoubtedly, la crème de la crème of the world hotel trade. NH, Barceló. Melià and Iberostar compete year after year for local, national and international destinations, as well as for very characteristic travellers: from sports lovers to music fans.

In the interests of achieving the top of the list, one of the best defined portfolios is from the Grand Collection of Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, exclusive group of luxury hotels situated all around the world. In Spain, it has conquered areas with high tourism demand such as Costa Adeje and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, two of the most visited places during summer in Spain. Additionally, there are other relevant destinations such as Budapest, although in this case, it is not in Spain and has a very special hotel concept if we compare it with the rest of hotels.

We only need to visit the website of any of these Grand hotels to understand which types of accommodations we are talking about when we refer to the competition for being the best:  5-star hotels in Tenerife such as Iberostar Grand Hotel Mencey; luxury resorts in Costa Adeje such as Grand Hotel El Mirador or Grand Hotel Salomé, and avant-garde accommodations in Europe specially designed for businessmen, managers and travellers with a high-medium purchasing power.

If there is a common characteristic between these hotels and resorts is that, regardless of the location, they have always invested in gastronomy and spa and wellness services as their main attractions. Cuisine is one of the oldest motivations when we travel and choose a destination, and, in the last years it has received a boost along with the rise of the chef profession, thanks to TV series that have democratized the high cuisine such as Masterchef or Topchef. Based on this, a new initiative appears: Chef on Tour, created by this chain in order to spread and promote more and more the select culinary tradition offered in the restaurants of their hotels in Europe and in the Caribbean.

As for gastronomy, there is a hotel belonging to the Grand Collection that surpasses all expectations (and it is really gaining ground). It is Grand Hotel Mencey. It famous Los Menceyes Restaurant and its Cookery Classroom has turned it into one of the best places to eat in Tenerife. Besides, we can enjoy its gastronomy not only in the exclusive Los Menceyes restaurant (also opened to the public in general), but also in a cocktail bar offering service of lunches and dinners based on the traditional Canary cuisine; in a casino bar with a complete menu of snacks; and a terrace restaurant called Los Laureles, which I now offering an additional menu with Mediterranean and healthy dishes.

Another important weapon of these hotels and their direct competitors is to offer some of the best spa and wellness centres in their destinations. They all have refurbished facilities, larger spaces and new areas, so that relaxation, mind and body are a key element in their holiday offer.

In fact, many wellness travellers stand them out as the most exclusive ones in the world, not only for their treatments and spaces, but also for the location: the possibility of enjoying a massage in front of the sea is a luxury that only few people can boast. In the same vein, hotels of Barceló such as Barceló Illetas are direct competitors, and hotels of Melià, such as Melià de Mar, both of them situated in the exclusive area of Illetas, just one step away from Majorca and with direct access to the sea from its spa areas.