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Hotel Management Schools and Programs in Spain

41 schools in Spain teach Hotel Management.

  • ADEIT - Fundación Universidad - Empresa de la Universitat de València

    Higher education centre Valencia, Spain

    Fundación ADEIT is a foundation linked to the Universitat de València (UV) that connects the university with the business world. It is based at Plaza de la Virgen de la Paz 3 in Valencia, with a second venue, Espai Vives, on Avenida Blasco Ibáñez. The foundation is governed…

  • Les Roches Marbella - Global Hospitality Education

    Higher education centre Marbella, Spain

    Les Roches Marbella is the Spanish campus of Les Roches, a hospitality management school with campuses in Crans-Montana (Switzerland), Marbella (Spain) and Abu Dhabi (UAE). The Marbella campus was founded in 1995 and is on the Costa del Sol. For practical training it has four…

  • EFEM Escuela de Formación Empresarial

    Madrid, Spain

    EFEM Escuela de Formación Empresarial is a private online business school based in Madrid. It belongs to Grupo Gates Formación Empresarial y Masters, and its founders have been developing training programmes for more than 40 years, moving from classroom and distance courses…

Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management

The Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management at Universidad Europea de Madrid is a study program that introduces and prepares students for careers in hotel, tourism and restaurant industries, respectively. Students in this program learn the skills necessary to manage employees and customers in commercial business settings. Some of the studies in the program include hotel marketing, touristic marketing, reception and event management, and human resources. This program is specifically for students with an interest in producing shows and staged events. Career projections include sales manager, event coordinator, and reception manager.
Level: Professional Development  
Language of instruction: Spanish  
Location: Villaviciosa de Odón

Bachelor Degree in Global Hospitality Management (BBA)

The Bachelor in Business Administration in International Hotel Management prepares students to enter the world of hospitality. It combines excellent academic theory, with real-world practice while on internships, to create a fully rounded experience. With a variety of courses on offer, you can expand your knowledge in areas such as business management, languages and other elective subjects. This degree will prepare you to enter the hospitality industry with confidence and enthusiasm. In your final two semesters, 6 and 7, you can specialize to develop strategic and management skills relevant to your chosen industry, or to create solid foundations for further graduate studies. Students can choose the BBA in International Hotel Management pathway which suits their career objectives and areas of interest including Hospitality Entrepreneurship, Resorts Management, Digital Marketing Strategies and Hotel Financial Performance.
Level: Undergraduate Bachelors  
Language of instruction: English  
Location: Marbella

Postgraduate in International Hotel Management – Executive Program

This program provides professionals with the opportunity to improve their knowledge of the hotel management industry fundamentals and grow their expertise in concepts important to the future of the industry. The program has the flexibility to allow students to study and continue their professional work at the same time. Upon finishing students will have acquired universal business skills as well leadership, resource management and decision making skills. The course combines on campus classes with distance learning support and 6 months industry experience.
Level: Graduate  
Language of instruction: English  
Location: Marbella

Postgraduate in International Hospitality Management

The postgraduate in International Hospitality Management is designed for people who already have a university degree or diploma wishing to fast track their career into the exciting international hospitality industry. The objective of the Postgraduate Diploma Program is to acquire and practice the knowledge and managerial skills necessary to successfully enter the hospitality and tourism industry. Employers particularly appreciate the varied backgrounds of postgraduate students because they bring experience, culture and diversity to an industry that thrives on creativity and professionalism.
Level: Graduate  
Language of instruction: English  
Location: Marbella

Hotel Management Diploma

With the Hotel Management Diploma students will be able to access practical hospitality courses including reception, restaurant operations, room division and basic hotel management theory. The Hotel Management diploma is designed to give graduates access to entry-level positions in the hospitality industry. The program included the foundation years of the BBA in International Management Degree.
Level: Professional Development  
Language of instruction: English  
Location: Marbella

Hotel Management

Bircham University’s Hotel Management program looks at the fundamentals of hotel management whilst highlighting the current trends in the field. The program allows students to make decisions based on know-how rather than dated practices. Starting with an explanation of administrative theory and the role of the general manager, this program offers a complete coverage of different hotel departments and activities. It includes case studies that link theory with application. Subjects covered on this course include: Convention Management, Food Production & Services, Front Office Procedures, Housekeeping & Facilities Management, Hotel Security Management, Customer Relations Management, Catering & Banquet Operations, Hotel Food & Beverage Service, Employees Supervision, Lodging & Hotel Operations, Hospitality Sales & Marketing and Hotel Management. The Hotel Management module is available at Specialist, Expert, Bachelor's, Master's & Ph.D. (Doctoral) Degree program levels.
Level: Undergraduate Bachelors  
Language of instruction: English  
Location: Villanueva de la Cañada

Hotel Management Studies in Spain

Hotel management covers the running of hotels and other hospitality businesses: front office and reservations, housekeeping, food and beverage, revenue management, marketing, finance and people management. Several Spanish schools train students in their own hotel or restaurant. The subject can be studied at university, in vocational training (FP) and at private hospitality schools.

How hotel management studies are organised in Spain

  • Bachelor's degree (grado): Royal Decree 822/2021 sets "Grados de 240 créditos, Másteres de 60, 90 y 120 créditos", so a bachelor's degree takes four years. A search for "hotel" in the ministry's Registro de Universidades, Centros y Títulos (RUCT) returns 9 bachelor's degree records, such as the Grado en Dirección Hotelera, Dirección Hotelera Internacional or Gestión Hotelera y Turística. Many more students take a broader Grado en Turismo (the search for "turismo" returns 65 records), often with a hotel management track.
  • Master's degree: the RUCT lists 22 official master's records with "hotel" in the title, current and older, for example in hotel and restaurant management.
  • Vocational training (FP): two higher-level cycles in the Hostelería y Turismo family lead to management roles: Técnico Superior en Gestión de Alojamientos Turísticos and Técnico Superior en Dirección de Servicios de Restauración, each of 2,000 hours.
  • School-own programmes: private schools offer their own diplomas, international bachelor's programmes and master's programmes, which are not Spanish official degrees.

Where to study hotel management in Spain

Barcelona and Madrid have the most schools on this page, followed by Murcia, Valencia and the Barcelona area (Bellaterra, Sant Pol de Mar), with further options in Andalusia, the Basque Country and Galicia. Some examples:

  • The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona offers degrees in Tourism, Tourism in English and Hotel Management through the Escuela FUAB Formació; the Grado en Dirección Hotelera appears in the RUCT under the UAB.
  • CETT, in Barcelona, states that its university degrees lead to a qualification of the Universidad de Barcelona; it also has degrees taught in English and the Hotel Universitario Alimara on campus.
  • St. POL Hospitality & Culinary Business School, in Sant Pol de Mar, runs a hotel school and offers an official degree in Gestión Hotelera y Turística and a Master in Hospitality Management taught in English.
  • The Universidad de Murcia has an official Máster Universitario en Gestión Hotelera, according to the RUCT.
  • Les Roches Marbella teaches a Bachelor of Science in Global Hospitality Management and master's programmes in international hotel management.
  • The Escuela Superior de Hostelería Bilbao - Artxanda, a private school with public funding approved by the Basque Government, teaches the official FP cycle in Dirección de Servicios de Restauración.
  • The Escuela Superior de Hostelería de Sevilla offers its own Título Superior en Dirección y Gestión de Empresas Turísticas y Hosteleras and a master's programme in hospitality business management (MADEH).

Admission and language

For a bachelor's degree, students who finished secondary school outside Spain usually apply through UNEDasiss, the UNED service that "evalúa los expedientes académicos de los estudiantes internacionales y les realiza las pruebas necesarias para acceder a estudios de grado en las universidades españolas", and then apply to each university or attached school. FP higher-level cycles generally require the Bachiller or equivalent; foreign school qualifications go through the ministry's "Homologación y convalidación de títulos y estudios extranjeros no universitarios". Private schools set their own admission rules.

Spanish is the main teaching language of official programmes, but this field has more English-taught options than most: CETT, St. POL and Les Roches all list programmes in English. Languages are part of most curricula, as hotel work involves international guests.

Recognition of the qualification

Official bachelor's and master's degrees in the RUCT and FP qualifications are valid throughout Spain, and university degrees use ECTS credits within the European Higher Education Area. International bachelor's programmes and school diplomas are the school's own qualifications; check which institution awards them and how they are recognised in the country where you plan to work. For a foreign degree you already hold, the declaration of equivalence "certifica el nivel académico de la titulación (grado o máster)".

Careers

Graduates work in hotels and resorts, restaurant and catering groups, cruise lines, events and tourism companies. According to TodoFP, the Gestión de Alojamientos Turísticos cycle leads to roles such as head of reception, reservations manager or housekeeping manager, and the Dirección de Servicios de Restauración cycle to roles such as food and beverage director, maître or sommelier. Hotel general management usually comes after several years of experience in operations.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a university degree in hotel management in Spain?

Yes. The RUCT lists official bachelor's degrees such as the Grado en Dirección Hotelera of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Universitat de les Illes Balears, and the Grado en Gestión Hotelera y Turística of the Universidad de Cantabria.

How long does it take?

A bachelor's degree takes four years (240 ECTS credits). The FP higher-level cycles take 2,000 hours, normally two years.

Can I study hotel management in English in Spain?

Yes, at several schools. CETT offers university degrees in English, St. POL a Master in Hospitality Management in English, and Les Roches Marbella an international bachelor's programme.

Is a private hotel school diploma an official degree?

Only degrees listed in the RUCT and FP titles are Spanish official qualifications. Other diplomas and master's programmes are the school's own qualifications.