AEHCOS

What AEHCOS does

AEHCOS (Asociación de Empresarios Hoteleros de la Costa del Sol) is a non-profit professional association founded on 27 July 1977 in Torremolinos, Spain, and registered with the Málaga Provincial Delegation of the Andalusian government's Department of Labour and Industry. It represents hotels, apartments, hostels, campsites, and rural accommodations across the Costa del Sol region in the province of Málaga. The association claims to be the largest hotel association in Spain, with more than 40 years of operating history, and provides member services spanning tax and labour advisory, grants management, environmental compliance support, training programs, and a directory platform that indexes establishments across approximately 30 municipalities.

The association generates revenue through recurring monthly membership fees calculated on a per-room/per-apartment basis with minimum and maximum caps per establishment, ranging from EUR 0.47 to EUR 1.15 per room depending on star rating, with a EUR 295 monthly ceiling. Distribution is direct to member establishments; AEHCOS does not sell or distribute products downstream. Member-facing platforms include the AEHCOS Talent job portal (launched April 2026), the Quality Q certification directory, and the Hotel Directory, alongside an annual EXPOAEHCOS trade fair and the Premios AEHCOS awards ceremony.

AEHCOS operates as a member-governed body led by a President (José Luque García) and an Executive Committee composed of representatives from major member hotel groups including Grupo El Fuerte, ML Hoteles, Holiday World, Soho Hoteles, Sol Don Hoteles, B bou Hoteles, and Toboso Hoteles. It maintains institutional representation seats at CEHAT (national), FAHAT (Andalusian regional), HOTREC (European), CEOE, CEA, and CEM, and operates commercial partnership agreements with more than 20 providers covering banking (CaixaBank, BBVA, Santander), energy (Endesa, Iberdrola, Gas Natural), insurance (Mapfre, Sanitas), and training (Cambridge University Press & Assessment, EXAMIA, Universidad de Málaga).

Name

AEHCOS

Legal name

Asociación de Empresarios Hoteleros de la Costa del Sol

Website

https://aehcos.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AEHCOS is a non-profit hotel association founded in 1977, representing accommodation establishments across the Costa del Sol in Málaga province, Spain, via recurring membership fees and a portfolio of advisory, training, directory, and advocacy services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Torremolinos

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: AEHCOS generates revenue through membership fees from hotel and accommodation establishments. Fees are calculated per room/apartment based on star rating and category, with minimum and maximum caps per establishment.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AEHCOS is a non-profit hotel business association representing hotels, apartments, campsites, hostels, and rural accommodations across the Costa del Sol region in Málaga province, Spain. It provides member services including tax and labour advisory, grants management, regulatory compliance support, training programs, networking, and operates the AEHCOS Talent job platform and comprehensive hotel directory. Membership fees are calculated per room based on star rating, with monthly caps.

Product overview

AEHCOS is the Asociación de Empresarios Hoteleros de la Costa del Sol, a hotel business association representing establishments across the Costa del Sol region. Rather than a single product, it offers a portfolio of member services including the AEHCOS Talent employment platform, Quality Q certification directories, regulatory compliance services, and various advisory services (tax, labour, grants, environment, communications). The association also maintains a comprehensive hotel and apartment directory covering all municipalities from Estepona to Nerja.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AEHCOS Talent Online employment portal connecting hospitality professionals with job opportunities across the province of Málaga, allowing associated hotels to post vacancies and job seekers to register and discover employment opportunities.
• Partner Advisory Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 89.05% hotel occupancy in Costa del Sol in June 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cambridge University Press & AssessmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2026Partnership to provide English language training and official certifications to more than 23,000 hospitality professionals on the Costa del Sol.
• EXAMIAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 26 May 2026Official Cambridge examination center partner facilitating English language certifications for AEHCOS member hospitality professionals.
• CIFAL Málaga- UNITERminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2021Collaboration agreement for training and institutional development in the tourism sector.
• CEHAT (Confederación Española de Hoteles y Alojamientos Turísticos)coreOthersNational confederation representing Spanish hotels and tourist accommodations. AEHCOS is affiliated as a member association.
• FAHAT (Federación Andaluza de Hoteles y Alojamientos Turísticos)coreOthersRegional federation of hotel and tourist accommodation associations in Andalusia. AEHCOS participates with representation on the governing board, including José Damián Toboso elected as Vice President for Coast in 2026.
• HOTREC (Hotels, Restaurants & Cafés in Europe)coreOthersEuropean umbrella association representing hotels, restaurants, and cafés at EU level. AEHCOS maintains affiliation for European representation.
• CEOE (Confederación Española de Organizaciones Empresariales)minorOthersSpanish confederation of business organizations. AEHCOS is affiliated for national business representation.
• CEA (Confederación de Empresarios de Andalucía)minorOthersAndalusian employers confederation. AEHCOS maintains membership for regional business representation.
• CEM (Confederación de Empresarios de Málaga)minorOthersMálaga employers confederation. AEHCOS participates for local business representation.
• Cámara de Comercio, Industria y NavegaciónminorOthersChamber of Commerce for commerce, industry and navigation in Málaga. Collaborates with AEHCOS on training courses and certification programs.
• ITH (Instituto Tecnológico Hotelero)coreTechnology or IntegrationHotel Technology Institute providing innovation and technology services to the hospitality sector. AEHCOS collaborates on technology initiatives and training.
• Universidad de Málaga (UMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Málaga with agreements covering training, research and development. Joint initiatives include professional development programs for tourism sector.
• CINNTA (Centro de Innovación Turística de Andalucía)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTourism Innovation Center of Andalusia. AEHCOS is one of the founding patrons of the foundation, contributing to tourism innovation in the region.
• Patronato de Turismo de la Costa del SolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTourism board of Costa del Sol. Public institution collaborating on tourism promotion and destination marketing.
• ENDESAminorOthersEnergy company with commercial agreement for preferential rates to AEHCOS member establishments.
• Gas NaturalminorOthersNatural gas provider with commercial agreement for AEHCOS members.
• IBERDROLAminorOthersElectricity company with commercial agreement for AEHCOS members.
• MAPFREminorOthersInsurance company with agreements for health and other insurance products for AEHCOS members.
• SanitasminorOthersHealth insurance provider with agreements for AEHCOS member establishments.
• UNICEFminorOthersAEHCOS participates in UNICEF's Hotels Friend program supporting donation initiatives.
• Regrasol (Grupo Biodiesel)minorOthersAgreement for collection of used cooking oils from member establishments for conversion to automotive biofuel.
• Clínica Santa ElenaminorOthersHealthcare clinic with agreements for preferential medical services for AEHCOS members.
• Foro de Seguimiento para el Saneamiento Integral de la Costa del SolminorOthersForum for comprehensive sanitation monitoring of Costa del Sol. AEHCOS participates as member organization.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CEHAT (Confederación Española de Hoteles y Alojamientos Turísticos): Spanish national confederation representing hotels and tourist accommodations across Spain. AEHCOS is an affiliated member association; CEHAT is the national apex body operating with a similar trade-association mission and member-fee model.
• FAHAT (Federación Andaluza de Hoteles y Alojamientos Turísticos): Regional federation of hotel and tourist accommodation associations in Andalusia. AEHCOS participates directly on its governing board and shares the same trade-association mandate at the regional level.

Broad incumbents

• Confederación de Empresarios de Andalucía (CEA): Andalusian employers confederation in which AEHCOS maintains membership for regional business representation. Broader employer-focused mandate compared to AEHCOS's hotel-specific focus, but with parallel representation and services to member firms.
• Confederación Española de Organizaciones Empresariales (CEOE): Spanish confederation of business organizations providing AEHCOS with national business representation. Operates as an apex business body, broader than AEHCOS's hotel-specific mandate but with overlapping advocacy function.
• HOTREC (Hotels, Restaurants, Pubs & Cafés in Europe): European umbrella association representing hotels, restaurants, and cafés at EU level. AEHCOS maintains affiliation for European representation, making HOTREC a tier-up institutional peer with broader geographic scope but analogous lobbying and member-service function.

Regional players

• American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA): U.S. national trade association for hotels and lodging operators. It is functionally analogous to CEHAT/AEHCOS, offering advocacy, training, and member services to hoteliers, but operates in a different geography.
• UKHospitality: UK trade association representing hotels, restaurants, pubs, and broader hospitality. It mirrors AEHCOS's trade-association role in representing hospitality businesses before government, but in the UK market.

Others

• CINNTA (Centro de Innovación Turística de Andalucía): Tourism Innovation Center of Andalusia, of which AEHCOS is a founding patron. It is an enabling ecosystem organization focused on tourism-sector innovation rather than a competing trade association.
• ITH (Instituto Tecnológico Hotelero): Spanish Hotel Technology Institute providing innovation and technology services to the hospitality sector. AEHCOS collaborates with ITH on technology initiatives and training, making it an adjacent ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.
• Patronato de Turismo de la Costa del Sol: Public tourism board for the Costa del Sol destination, collaborating with AEHCOS on tourism promotion and destination marketing. It is a destination marketing organization, not a competing trade body, but materially related through joint initiatives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AEHCOS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aehcos

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AEHCOS