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Hotel101 Madrid the first Filipino homegrown hotel brand to establish permanent presence in Europe

Hotel101 Madrid is the first overseas property of Hotel101 Global and the first Filipino homegrown hotel brand to establish a permanent presence in Europe

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Hotel101 Madrid

Marbee Shing Go

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:513.865px;display:block" width="513.865"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1781148692466final thumbnail_Hotel 101 Madrid.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:513.865px;height:auto" width="513.865"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Hotel101 Madrid is the first Filipino homegrown hotel brand to establish permanent presence in Europe / Photo courtesy of Hotel101</em></span></span></span>Madrid has always occupied a curious place in the Filipino imagination. Long before it became a stop on European itineraries, it was a city of ideas. José Rizal lived here. Studied here. Wrote here. Walked streets that still exist today, carrying thoughts that would eventually help shape a nation thousands of kilometers away. History lingers in Madrid that way. You feel it in the architecture. In the plazas. In the way old and new somehow coexist without competing for attention. More than a century later, Madrid continues to intersect with Filipino stories in unexpected ways.</div><p>Today, those stories are no longer limited to students, reformists, workers, or migrants. They also include entrepreneurs, creatives, and businesses finding their place on the global stage. Which is perhaps why it felt fitting to find a Filipino hotel brand here. Not tucked into a nostalgic corner of the city, but in Valdebebas, one of Madrid’s fastest-growing districts. Modern. Efficient. Looking forward. Much like the company itself.</p><p>Hotel101 Madrid is the first overseas property of Hotel101 Global and the first Filipino homegrown hotel brand to establish a permanent presence in Europe. On paper, that is a business story. Standing in the lobby, it felt like something more. A quiet reminder that Filipino brands are beginning to take up space in places we once simply visited. For Hotel101 Global CEO Hannah Yulo-Luccini, the choice of Madrid was never simply about expansion.</p><p>“The Philippines and Spain share centuries of intertwined history, culture, and heritage,” she says. “Opening in Spain allows us to leverage our strong domestic reputation and customer base while entering Europe through a culturally familiar and welcoming city.”</p><div><strong>Beyond the Symbolism</strong></div><p>Of course, a hotel cannot survive on symbolism alone. People book rooms, not milestones. The good news is that Hotel101 Madrid understands exactly what it is. It does not try to compete with Madrid’s luxury hotels. It doesn’t need to.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1781148890464Hotel 101 Room.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Photo courtesy of Hotel101</em></span></span></span></div><p>The rooms are modern and practical, designed for travelers who care more about comfort and convenience than unnecessary flourishes. A microwave and refrigerator make longer stays easier. Complimentary drinking water is available throughout the day in eco-friendly tetra packs. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:514px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1781149025146HOTEL 101 Stay Hydrated.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Photo by the author</em></span></span></span></div><p>Then there was the unexpected bonus: a Japanese-style toilet in every room, a feature more commonly associated with higher-end properties and one I certainly wasn’t expecting at this price point.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1781148902265Hotel 101 Room Bathroom.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Photo courtesy of Hotel101</em></span></span></span></div><p>Nothing revolutionary. Just thoughtful. And thoughtful, in hospitality, often matters more.</p><div><strong>Breakfast, Cola Cao, and the Little Things</strong></div><p>Breakfast offered perhaps the best example of this approach. There was arroz caldo, which quickly became a favorite among Filipino guests. There was also Cola Cao, Spain’s beloved chocolate drink and something I happily reached for each morning. That balance stood out.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:514px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17811490742860cbbbf1e-1f66-4172-9418-e8721e473d00.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Photo by the author</em></span></span></span></div><p>Hotel101 Madrid isn’t trying to recreate the Philippines in Spain. Instead, it seems to understand that hospitality is often about meeting people where they are. A familiar comfort here. A local favorite there. Small gestures. Big difference. The same philosophy extends throughout the property.</p><p>A spacious gym. Two swimming pools. Complimentary airport and IFEMA shuttles. A 24-hour vending area stocked with sandwiches, snacks, drinks, and microwaveable meals. Next door, an Ahorra Más supermarket makes last-minute shopping remarkably convenient before heading home. The hotel is only about 15-20 minutes from the Madrid-Barajas Airport and a short walk from the Valdebebas Cercanías station, which normally connects guests to central Madrid in roughly the same amount of time.  Individually, none of these things are remarkable. Together, they work.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:514px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1781149534704HOTEL 101 - INSIDE.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Photo courtesy of Hotel101</em></span></span></span></div><p>What Hotel101 Madrid does particularly well is deliver more than what its category and price point might suggest. Not through grand gestures, but through practical decisions that make travel easier. And when you’re far from home, those details matter. My stay at Hotel101 Madrid came as part of a familiarization trip organized by the Spain Tourism Board, which brought together some of the Philippines’ leading wedding and travel professionals to explore the country and its growing potential as a destination for celebrations, honeymoons, and tourism. Among those on the trip were some of the Philippines’ leading wedding and travel personalities, whose perspectives offered an interesting lens through which to view not only the hotel itself, but what a Filipino brand operating in Spain represents.</p><div><strong>The Filipino Difference</strong></div><p>What ultimately separates one hotel from another is rarely the room itself. It’s the feeling you leave with. Yulo-Luccini understands the responsibility that comes with bringing a Filipino brand to Europe. “As a Filipino brand operating in Spain, we feel a deep sense of responsibility and honor,” she says. “Hotel101 is more than a hotel chain. It is a global ambassador for Filipino excellence, innovation, and hospitality.” Those are ambitious words. But throughout the stay, it was the small moments that brought that idea to life. The staff remembered faces. Questions were answered quickly. Problems seemed to disappear before becoming problems. Guests weren’t treated like transactions moving through a system.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1781149145523HOTEL 101 MADRID-FAR.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Photo courtesy of Hotel101</em></span></span></span></div><p>Since opening in March, the hotel has received more than 1,000 reviews, many highlighting the same thing: service. “Many guests have shared that they feel truly at home with us,” Yulo-Luccini says. “This reinforces our belief that Filipino hospitality has a unique ability to create genuine emotional connections across cultures.” Among the guests staying at Hotel101 Madrid was wedding planner Teena Barretto, who joined the Spain Tourism Board familiarization trip alongside other leaders from the Philippine celebrations industry. As someone who creates experiences for a living, Barretto believes what people remember most is not always the luxury itself, but how they felt. “Luxury can impress,” she says. “But warmth creates connection.”</p><p>Filipino hospitality has always been difficult to define because it isn’t found in grand gestures. It’s often quieter than that. A willingness to help. A genuine smile. An instinct to make someone comfortable. Things that sound small until you’re far from home.</p><div><strong>A Bigger Moment for Filipino Brands</strong></div><p>The opening of Hotel101 Madrid comes at a time when Filipino companies are beginning to think bigger. Earlier this year, Hotel101 Global made headlines as the first Filipino company to achieve a Nasdaq listing, a milestone Yulo-Luccini sees as part of a larger shift for Philippine business.</p><p>“We hope Hotel101 helps shift perceptions by proving that Filipino brands can be truly innovative, scalable, and globally competitive,” she says. “More than anything, we want to pave the way for a new generation of Filipino entrepreneurs to believe—yes, the Filipino can.” It is an ambitious vision. But perhaps what makes it meaningful is that it isn’t solely about business expansion. It is also about representation.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:514px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1781149460643Hotel 101.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Photo courtesy of Hotel101</em></span></span></span></div><p>For decades, Filipino success stories abroad were often attached to individuals—nurses, seafarers, chefs, hospitality professionals, entrepreneurs, and creatives making their mark in foreign cities. Today, a Filipino brand stands among them. For Barretto, who is currently expanding her own business internationally, seeing a Filipino brand establish a presence in Madrid felt particularly meaningful. “Building beyond your home market requires vision, resilience, and the confidence to compete on a global stage,” she says. “What Hotel101 represents goes beyond hospitality. It reflects the growing ambition of Filipino companies to think bigger, expand further, and participate in the global marketplace.”</p><p>Seeing a Filipino brand in one of Europe’s most visited cities, she adds, is a reminder that Filipino businesses are increasingly earning their place on the international stage.</p><div><strong>A Quiet Kind of Pride</strong></div><p>After spending a few days at Hotel101 Madrid, what stayed with me wasn’t the scale of the building, its room count, or even the significance of a Filipino company operating in Europe. It was the smaller things. The warm welcome after a long journey. The convenience of a shuttle that saved precious travel time. The tetra-pack water waiting when you needed it. The familiar comfort of Cola Cao at breakfast. The sense that someone had thought about what a traveler might need before the traveler even had to ask.</p><p>Hospitality has always been one of the Philippines’ greatest exports. Long before Filipino brands expanded globally, Filipino people were already known around the world for making others feel welcome. For travel host and content creator Kevin Lapeña, who joined the same Spain Tourism Board familiarization trip, the significance extended beyond hospitality. “While it has become more common to see Filipinos being recognized internationally, I think there will always be a part of us that understands the weight and meaning behind it,” he says.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:513.865px;display:block" width="513.865"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1781149581342HOTEL 101 PEOPLE.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:513.865px;display:block;height:auto" width="513.865"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Chet Ramos of Turespaña, the author, Teddy Manuel, Angelo Patrimonio and Jasmine Maierhofer, on the right Justine Blanco-Hotel101 Madrid operations manager, Vida Gabe, Teena Barretto, Berg Go, and Kevin Lapeña</em></span></span></span></div><p>Coming from a country that can still be overlooked at times, he believes seeing a homegrown brand flourish in a city like Madrid reinforces what Filipinos have always known about themselves—that they have much to offer the world. “In many ways, there is something full circle about it too,” he says. “Spain has had such a deep influence on modern Filipino culture, and now, in our own way, the Philippines is beginning to contribute something meaningful back to Spain through our people, our service, and our hospitality.”</p><p>Madrid has witnessed many chapters of the Filipino story. Hotel101 Madrid belongs to a different chapter altogether—not one about history or politics, but about presence. The confidence to build. The confidence to compete. The confidence to belong.</p><p>Somewhere between Madrid’s centuries-old streets and its fast-changing future stands a Filipino name in giant letters. </p>

<p>Hotel101 Madrid stands as a symbol of a new generation of Filipino success stories—one built on entrepreneurship, hospitality, and the belief that Filipino brands can compete globally.</p>

Hotel101 Madrid stands as a symbol of a new generation of Filipino success stories—one built on entrepreneurship, hospitality, and the belief that Filipino brands can compete globally.

A Filipino address in Madrid

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A Filipino address in Madrid

Marbee Shing Go

Published June 11, 2026 12:03 PM PHT

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Updated June 11, 2026 12:32 PM PHT

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