Who is Simón Pedro Barceló Vadell, the Mallorcan now running the family hotel empire?

Simón Pedro Barceló Vadell was born in 1966 in Palma de Mallorca, into the family that gave its name to the hotel group. Before joining the family business he had a political career: he was a Partido Popular (PP) senator for the Mallorca constituency in the Spanish Senate, from 21 November 1989 to 13 April 1993. He then left politics to focus on the family's affairs on the island.

The Barceló group dates back to 1931, when Simón Barceló founded a small passenger and freight transport business, Autocares Barceló, in Felanitx, southern Mallorca. In 1954 the family moved into tourism with the travel agency Viajes Barceló, then opened its first hotel, the Hotel Latino in Palma, in 1962, marking the birth of the Barceló Hotels & Resorts chain.

The following decades saw the group expand beyond Mallorca: its first hotel on the Spanish mainland opened in Benidorm in 1970, followed by international growth with the Barceló Bávaro Beach complex in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, in 1985, and entry into the US market with a hotel in Washington in 1992. Today Barceló Hotel Group counts more than 300 urban and leisure hotels rated 4 and 5 stars, with over 65,000 rooms across more than 30 countries, under four brands (Barceló Hotels & Resorts, Royal Hideaway, Occidental and Allegro), making it Spain's second-largest hotel chain. The group also owns a travel arm, Ávoris.

Barceló remains an unlisted family company, now in the hands of the founder's grandchildren, the third generation. According to a shareholder breakdown published by Preferente.com in December 2017, Simón Pedro Barceló Vadell, son of Gabriel Barceló Oliver, held the largest individual stake (24%), ahead of his five sisters (5% each). His cousin Simón Barceló Tous, son of Sebastián Barceló Oliver (Gabriel's brother), shared a comparable stake with his own siblings.

On 29 January 2026, the board of Barceló Corporación Empresarial formalised a generational handover: it accepted the resignation of Simón Barceló Tous from his role as executive director, after he reached the age limit of 65 set by the group's bylaws, while keeping him on as co-chairman. Simón Pedro Barceló Vadell, already co-chairman, was named chief executive officer, now holding both roles at once. In its statement, the board praised his cousin's «long and successful career» leading the group.

The handover came as the group posted record results: in 2025, Barceló recorded revenue of 7,867.5 million euros (up 4%) and net profit of 313.4 million euros (also up 4%), with gross operating profit of 676.7 million euros, according to accounts published in June 2026.

In the photo below, taken on 16 April 2015 at the World Travel & Tourism Council global summit, Simón Pedro Barceló Vadell is shown as co-chairman, the title he held at the time. His role has since evolved: since January 2026 he has combined the co-chairmanship with the group's chief executive role. Married with three children, he appeared on Forbes' billionaires list in late July 2026, with a personal fortune estimated at around 1.3 billion dollars. No ongoing legal proceedings were linked to him at that date.

Photo credit: Simón Pedro Barceló at the World Travel & Tourism Council global summit, 16 April 2015 (CC BY 2.0 licence, World Travel & Tourism Council), Wikimedia Commons.

This portrait was prepared with AI assistance, then cross-checked, verified and edited by our editorial team, who take full editorial responsibility for it. Facts verified on 18 August 2026.