PALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN — The Agrupación de Cadenas Hoteleras de Baleares (ACH)—the Balearic Hotel Chains Association—is bracing for a seamless leadership transition. Effective September 24, Miguel Miralles, current Vice President of the organization and Chief Executive Officer of THB Hotels, will step into the role of President. He takes over the reins from Carolina Quetglas, executive president and co-CEO of Summum Hotel Group, who has successfully steered the association since September 2022.
The impending handover follows the close of Quetglas’s tenure and the absence of alternative challengers during the electoral nomination window. While stepping down from the presidency of the ACH, Quetglas will maintain a robust presence in the regional tourism ecosystem, continuing her leadership roles within the Balearic business federation CAEB, alongside guiding Summum Hotel Group and BQ Hotels alongside Javier Vich.
The transition marks a crucial milestone for one of Spain’s most influential regional hotel employer associations at a time when the Balearic tourism sector navigates complex socioeconomic landscapes, regulatory adjustments, transitions toward sustainable business models, and evolving international travel demands.
Main Facts
- The Incoming President: Miguel Miralles, CEO of THB Hotels and current Vice President of the ACH, will assume the presidency on September 24.
- The Outgoing President: Carolina Quetglas, executive president and co-CEO of Summum Hotel Group, led the association with unanimous backing starting in September 2022.
- The Electoral Process: Miralles’ appointment comes after no rival candidacies were registered to challenge his succession, reflecting a consensus-driven approach among the association’s member hotel chains.
- Continued Leadership Roles: Although relinquishing the top post at the ACH, Quetglas remains deeply influential within the sector through her ongoing leadership in the CAEB (Confederación de Asociaciones Empresariales de Baleares) and her operational duties at Summum Hotel Group and BQ Hotels.
- Scope of the Incoming Leader’s Portfolio: THB Hotels currently manages a robust portfolio of 18 properties, strategically dispersed across prime Mediterranean destinations: 11 in Mallorca, three in Ibiza, and four in Lanzarote.
Chronology of Leadership and Association Milestones
To understand the current shift in command at the ACH, it is essential to trace the recent institutional roadmap of the organization, which represents some of the most dynamic hospitality groups operating in the Balearic Islands.
September 2022: The Dawn of Quetglas’s Mandate
Following the conclusion of Gabriel Llobera’s mandate as president of the ACH, the organization required a visionary leader capable of navigating post-pandemic recovery and mounting operational challenges. In September 2022, Carolina Quetglas was elected by unanimous vote as President Executive of the ACH. Her appointment was widely celebrated as a progressive step for the association, introducing leadership deeply entrenched in boutique and luxury operations through Summum Hotel Group.
Alongside Quetglas, a fresh executive board was structured, featuring Miguel Miralles (THB Hotels) and Gabriel Llobera (CEO of Garden Hotels) as vice presidents. This collaborative leadership formula aimed to blend diverse management perspectives—spanning mid-scale, large-scale, and upscale boutique hospitality—into a unified voice.
2022–2026: Navigating the Recovery and Sustainable Transition
During her four-year mandate, Quetglas focused heavily on institutional cohesion. Her tenure coincided with a period of intense public debate in the Balearics concerning tourism carrying capacities, tourist taxation, environmental preservation, and housing challenges. Under her stewardship, the ACH maintained a firm stance on defending the economic viability of hotel chains while committing to ecological innovation and closer coordination with regional business bodies.
September 2024: The Succession Path Clears
As the electoral cycle approached its conclusion in late 2024, the association opened the floor for nominations to choose a successor. Benefiting from a consensus-based corporate culture and widespread confidence among member groups, Miguel Miralles emerged as the natural successor. With zero opposing candidacies filed by the deadline, the path was cleared for the current vice president to seamlessly transition to the presidency, ensuring institutional continuity without political friction or internal division.
Supporting Data: The Scale of Balearic Hotel Chains
The Agrupación de Cadenas Hoteleras de Baleares represents a cornerstone of the Spanish hospitality industry. To contextualize the scale of influence wielded by both the outgoing and incoming presidents, an examination of their respective corporate footprints offers critical insight.
Summum Hotel Group and BQ Hotels (Carolina Quetglas)
Carolina Quetglas has built her reputation on managing properties that prioritize localized luxury, historic preservation, and personalized service. Summum Hotel Group specializes in urban and unique leisure properties, such as the Summum Prime Boutique Hotel in Palma de Mallorca. Operating hand-in-hand with BQ Hotels—which offers a complementary portfolio of sun-and-beach properties across Mallorca and beyond—Quetglas’s managerial oversight spans a diverse spectrum of hospitality products. Her continued presence at the helm of the CAEB ensures that the voice of independent and mid-to-high-tier Balearic hotel groups remains loud and clear within broader regional labor and economic discussions.
THB Hotels (Miguel Miralles)
Miguel Miralles commands a far-reaching operational footprint as the CEO of THB Hotels. Established decades ago, THB Hotels has grown into a formidable presence in the leisure segment. Key metrics defining the incoming president’s corporate background include:
- Total Properties: 18 operational hotels.
- Geographic Distribution:
- Mallorca: 11 establishments, anchoring the brand in its historic home market.
- Ibiza: 3 properties, capturing the high-demand party and luxury-leisure segments of the Pindus island.
- Lanzarote: 4 properties, demonstrating the brand’s strategic expansion into the Canary Islands to mitigate seasonality.
- Target Audience: Family, couples, and sports tourism (particularly cycling and triathlon tourism in Mallorca), showcasing adaptability to niche markets.
Official Responses and Industry Reactions
The announcement of the transition has elicited positive reactions from across the Balearic business community, emphasizing unity, collaboration, and a shared vision for the future.
Commitment to Sectoral Unity
Throughout her presidency, Carolina Quetglas consistently championed the consolidation of the Balearic hotel sector, advocating for a united front when negotiating with local and national government bodies. In statements following the confirmation of the succession, associates noted that Quetglas’s collaborative ethos would be safely preserved under Miralles’s watch.
Furthermore, Quetglas has repeatedly reaffirmed the ACH’s staunch alignment and strategic synergy with the Federación Empresarial Hotelera de Mallorca (FEHM), ensuring that regional hotel federations speak with a synchronized voice on matters of tourism policy, labor regulations, and environmental sustainability.
Continuity and Stability
Industry observers have highlighted that the lack of contested candidacies is a testament to the internal stability of the ACH. Rather than engaging in disruptive electoral campaigns, member chains opted for stability, recognizing that Miralles’s deep familiarity with the association’s inner workings—having served as vice president since 2022 alongside Gabriel Llobera—positions him to hit the ground running.
Miguel Miralles enters office with a profound understanding of the challenges facing the sector. Having worked side-by-side with Quetglas, his presidency is expected to be characterized by evolutionary progression rather than radical pivots, maintaining the strategic pillars established during the previous term.
Implications for the Future of Balearic Tourism
The transfer of power from Carolina Quetglas to Miguel Miralles occurs at a critical juncture for the Balearic Islands. As the region grapples with the complexities of modern tourism management, the policies and advocacy positions championed by the ACH will play a decisive role in shaping the economic landscape.
1. The Imperative of Sustainable Tourism
Sustainability is no longer a peripheral marketing term; it is an existential requirement for the Balearics. Both Quetglas and Miralles have recognized that the future of hotel operations hinges on reducing carbon footprints, optimizing water and energy consumption, and embracing circular economy principles. Under Miralles, THB Hotels has rolled out numerous environmental efficiency measures across its properties in Mallorca, Ibiza, and Lanzarote. As ACH president, Miralles is expected to scale these insights into broader advocacy frameworks, helping member chains meet stringent European Union and regional environmental directives without sacrificing commercial viability.
2. Battling Seasonality and Diversifying Markets
One of the historical weaknesses of the Balearic tourism model has been acute seasonality—the heavy concentration of visitors between May and October, followed by sharp declines in winter. THB Hotels’ successful expansion into the Canary Islands (Lanzarote) provides Miralles with direct, practical experience in multi-destination management and year-round operational strategies. The ACH is likely to leverage this expertise to push for regional policies that incentivize winter tourism, business tourism, and specialized travel segments such as sports and cultural tourism.
3. Public-Private Dialogue and Regulatory Pressures
The relationship between the hotel sector and local administrations (such as the Govern Balear and various local councils) has frequently been tested by debates over tourist caps, vacation rentals, urban planning, and taxation. The leadership of the ACH must navigate these sensitive waters with diplomatic acumen. Because Miralles and Quetglas both maintain strong institutional networks through the CAEB and FEHM, the continuity of leadership ensures that the hotel sector will maintain a firm, credible, and unified negotiating stance when confronting new legislative proposals.
4. Workforce Retention and Talent Management
Like much of Southern Europe’s hospitality industry, Balearic hotel chains face persistent challenges regarding human resources, talent retention, and housing availability for seasonal workers. As CEO of a multi-property chain, Miralles is acutely aware of the human capital bottlenecks facing hospitality employers. The ACH’s agenda under his guidance is anticipated to place heavy emphasis on professional training, employee retention strategies, and constructive labor dialogues to ensure that the workforce supporting the islands’ economic engine is adequately valued and sustained.
Conclusion
As Carolina Quetglas hands over the baton to Miguel Miralles on September 24, the Agrupación de Cadenas Hoteleras de Baleares demonstrates a maturity rooted in consensus and continuity. While Quetglas leaves behind a legacy of solidarity, resilience, and institutional cohesion—and continues her vital work through the CAEB and Summum Hotel Group—Miralles steps up prepared to steer the association through its next developmental phase.
Armed with extensive leadership experience at THB Hotels and a deep understanding of the regulatory and operational hurdles facing modern hoteliers, Miralles’s presidency promises to uphold the ACH’s tradition of robust advocacy, steering the Balearic hospitality sector toward a resilient, sustainable, and prosperous future.
Leave a Reply