Special RepoRt : Leadership
Channeling the praCtiCal
José María Trénor , CEo , PrakTik HoTEls
Talk about fresh eyes . When the former banker turned hotelier and investor José María Trénor looked at the hotel market in Barcelona in 2007 , he saw a big gap in the lifestyle sector . What he didn ’ t see was any need to fill it with another haven of self-conscious cool or an ultra-slick boutique offer . His inspiration ? The budget airline business . “ Travelling was no longer something for rich people only . A new segment of young travelers had taken over . They were looking for the cheapest options and buying their tickets online ,” Trénor says . “ Equally importantly , they were making those decisions with a lot of travel knowledge . They spent hours searching the ‘ net or reading magazines . The Barcelona hotel market really had nothing to offer them .”
38 HOTELS April 2015 www . hotelsmag . com