Sebastian Barcelo Oliver, cofounder of the Spanish company that owns Barcelo Hotels & Resorts, died May 2 in Palma de Majorca, Spain. He was 79.
Barcelo and his brother Gabriel were considered tourism pioneers in Spain and the Dominican Republic, turning their family’s small bus company into one of Spain’s largest tourism and hotel companies, Grupo Barcelo.
The brothers are credited with developing the resort-hotel concept in Spain. They took their concept to the Dominican Republic in the 1980s, opening the Barcelo Bavaro Beach Resort in 1985.
Other Spanish chains soon followed the company and its development of all-inclusive resorts throughout the Caribbean and Mexico.
Sebastian succeeded his brother as chief executive of the Barcelo Group in 1993 and retired in 2000. The company is now run by his son, Simon, and nephew Simon Pedro.
Barcelo Hotels & Resorts is a privately held company that owns or manages more than 180 properties in 16 countries.