Coral Hotels: About us

First-person biography

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I am José Barreiro, CEO of Coral Hotels. My career in the tourism sector began in the early 1970s in Mallorca, working as a guide for the British tour operator Clarksons Holidays. After the company went bankrupt in 1974, I moved to London to join Turavia, part of the Ceva Group, where I worked as a guide supervisor in the inbound tourism division. This role paved the way for me to be appointed, in 1979, as Director of Viajes Ceva, S.A. in Ibiza and later that same year in Tenerife, holding the same position and also acting as Turavia’s regional delegate.

My career took a turn in 1981, when the Turavia Group was acquired by Viajes Barceló. It was then that I took on various responsibilities within the company—first as Director of Tenerife, then as Regional Director for the Canary Islands, and finally as General Manager of the Inbound Division for Spain and Portugal, a position I held until 1999.

That year, I decided to fully dedicate myself to Coral Hotels, a family-owned company which I lead as founder and CEO. Since then, Coral Hotels has seen significant growth and currently operates 13 hotel and apartment complexes—eleven in Tenerife and two in Fuerteventura. Altogether, they offer more than 4,100 beds and employ over 500 people.

From the very beginning, at Coral Hotels we have focused on product specialization and continuous investment in environmental and social sustainability. Thanks to this commitment, we have received recognitions such as the Travelife Gold and Biosphere Responsible Tourism certifications, among others. I am proud to have contributed to the development of tourism in the Canary Islands and remain committed to promoting responsible and sustainable management.

In addition to my passion for tourism, I take great pride in having shared my life since 1978 with my wife, Margaret Elizabeth, with whom I have three children and four grandchildren.