MIAMI.- The Honorary Jury of the Joy of Living Awards has confirmed that the disruptive vision continues to be the engine of change in the industry. In its 14th Edition, the honorary award for excellence in Tourism and Hospitality has gone to Kike Sarasola, president and founder of Room Mate Hotels.
This recognition rewards their business success, as well as their ability to reinvent the concept of urban luxury under the premise of simplicity and closeness.
Sarasola, who has openly defended that the road to success is paved with setbacks, receives this award at a time of institutional maturity. For the entrepreneur, excellence is not a state of static perfection, but a dynamic of resilience.
“For me, excellence has nothing to do with not making mistakes. Quite the opposite. It has to do with getting up quickly, learning even faster and trying again with more enthusiasm,” he says.
The “3D” and the value of the human factor
Despite the digital transformation that has shaken the post-pandemic world, the founder of Room Mate Hotels remains firm in the pillars that revolutionized the market: sleeping, showering and having breakfast.
For him, technology is a valuable tool, but the core of the business remains the sensory experience and guest well-being in the heart of big cities.
“A hotel, in the end, is still sleeping, showering and having breakfast. But the key is how you do it. Technology helps a lot, of course, but the real difference is still in the experience and human treatment,” he explains about the evolution of his priorities.
This philosophy is also transferred to his team management and his support for new generations of entrepreneurs. When looking for the next benchmark in tourism, Sarasola is not only dazzled by complex business plans, but by an intangible but determining quality: attitude.
According to the businessman, the brave ones who are not afraid of making mistakes and who understand that tourism “is about people” are the ones who really make the difference in a saturated market.
Olympic discipline
Kike Sarasola’s role as an Olympic rider is not a minor fact in his biography; It is the basis of your business discipline. Horse riding has taught him that leadership, like horse riding, is based on mutual trust and a long-term vision, understanding that success is a long-distance race and not a desperate sprint.
“Horse riding teaches you something fundamental, and that is that you cannot force things. You have to know your horse well, trust it and work together. Races are not won at the first obstacle, they are won by maintaining the pace until the end,” he reflects.
That same perseverance is what allows you to inject optimism into your organization, even in times of uncertainty. For Sarasola, the name of the award he receives, Joy of Living, is a reflection of his corporate culture. He firmly believes that when a team works with enthusiasm and feels proud of their project, that energy transcends the walls of the hotel and reaches the client directly.
“Joy is contagious when you truly believe in what you do. When the team is motivated and feels that they are part of something special, that energy also reaches the client,” he concludes.
