Madrid Hotel Week 2018

08/11/2018 17:37

Hotels ILUNION Atrium and ILUNION Pío XII, belonging to the ILUNION Hotels chain, opened their doors to the public today as part of Madrid Hotel Week, to offer the unique experience of putting oneself in the shoes of someone who is blind or has a severe visual impairment. Hotel ILUNION Suites Madrid will be doing the same tomorrow, Friday the 9th of November.

Participants walked around the hotel blindfolded and then did a blind food tasting. This was a way for them to really get a proper idea of the difficulties that blind people or people with severe visual impairments encounter in such daily activities like walking around an unknown place or sitting down to eat.

The aim of this initiative, organised by ILUNION Hotels, was to create awareness among society about the need to promote accessible tourism so that everyone can enjoy it.

Leaders in inclusion

The ILUNION hotel chain offers a social model for the tourist sector. In 2017, it had an average staff of 959 workers, 361 of whom were people with disabilities, i.e., 38%.

Furthermore, eleven of its centres are managed as Special Employment Centres (ten hotels and ILUNION Catering by Maher, its national catering company). Accordingly at least 70% of the ILUNION payroll has some kind of disability, making the group an example of labour inclusion in the tourist sector.

ILUNION hotels respond to the concept of “Design for all”, offering important technical aids for people with disabilities, including accessible desks, magnetic loops, emergency buttons, portable fire alarm and alarm clock and cane holders.

According to managing director José Ángel Preciados, “this shows how our hotels offer a unique model of labour inclusion in the tourist sector.”