chic&basic hotels

What chic&basic hotels does

chic&basic hotels is a privately held boutique design hotel chain headquartered in Barcelona, operating 13 properties (10 hotels and 2 hostels plus 1 additional Porto property) across 5 European cities: Barcelona (7 properties), Madrid (1), Porto (3), Lisbon (1), and Budapest (1). The company positions each property with a distinct thematic identity — Cuban-inspired Habana Hoose, fashion-forward Velvet, minimalist dot in Madrid, Asian-themed Tokyo Hoose — under a shared "playful stays" brand philosophy, with central urban locations and 24-hour reception as core service standards. Customer-facing assets include a multilingual booking website (7 languages) with a best price guarantee, a centralized multi-property booking system, and the Cooltura cultural programming platform that hosts photography festivals, microtheatre, fashion collaborations, and local art exhibitions.

The underlying technology stack is operationally standard for boutique hospitality: Mews Systems B.V. property management, Bookline for certain properties, a Quicktext chatbot for customer service, and Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity, and Hotjar for web analytics. There is no proprietary technology platform disclosed and no mobile application. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the official website and walk-in reception bookings; no OTA exclusivity arrangements are referenced. The corporate structure is a holding model of wholly-owned local subsidiaries — CHIC&BASIC BORN, S.L., CHIC&BASIC LEMON, S.L., CHIC&BASIC TALLERS, S.L., HVA PATRIMONIAL INVERSORA XXI, S.L., ARGENTERIA 2021, S.L., HOTEL NOVA, S.A., CBHOTELS OPORTO/CONCRETE/TOKYO HOOSE LDA, SHH OPCO PORTUGAL LTD., and SHH OPCO HUNGARY KFT. — each owning a specific hotel asset across Spain, Portugal, and Hungary.

Revenue mechanics are driven primarily by per-night room bookings with multiple rate tiers (free cancellation at 24h/48h/5d/7d/25d/30d, non-refundable, long-stay with full deposit), plus ancillary consumption (minibar, F&B, late check-out) and group/corporate bookings. The company is independently owned with no disclosed external institutional investment, parent company, or public listing. It has 101–250 employees and markets itself through content, cultural programming, Instagram, Facebook, and email newsletters rather than paid performance channels. Recent recognition includes a 2016 Photolover distinction, a 2025 Bronze Laus Award, and a 2025 Spain Travel Awards Best International Hotel nomination.

Name

chic&basic hotels

Legal name

CHIC&BASIC BORN, S.L.

Website

https://chicandbasic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

chic&basic hotels is a privately held Spanish boutique design hotel chain operating 13 distinct properties across Barcelona, Madrid, Porto, Lisbon, and Budapest, targeting experience-seeking leisure travelers via direct booking, central urban locations, and an integrated Cooltura cultural programming platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Accommodation Services: Core revenue from hotel room bookings across their portfolio of boutique design hotels in Barcelona, Madrid, Porto, Lisbon, and Budapest. Rates vary by room type, season, and cancellation flexibility, with prices per room per night including applicable taxes.
2. Ancillary Services: Additional revenue from minibar consumption, restaurant services, late check-out requests, and other consumption during guest stays. Items removed from minibar or complimentary offerings are charged at retail prices.
3. Corporate/Group Bookings: The company operates multiple rate types including Long Stay rates requiring 100% deposit at booking, and non-refundable rates with total prepayment, indicating B2B and extended-stay revenue streams.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

chic&basic hotels operates a chain of 13+ boutique design hotels and hostels across Barcelona, Madrid, Porto, Lisbon and Budapest. Each property has a distinct creative concept (e.g., Cuban-inspired Habana Hoose, Asian-themed Tokyo Hoose, minimalist dot), and the group sells room nights through a direct-to-consumer booking platform with multiple rate types and cancellation policies.

Product overview

chic&basic hotels is a chain of boutique design hotels operating in Barcelona, Madrid, Porto, Lisbon, and Budapest. The portfolio consists of 13 distinct properties: five hotels in Barcelona (Habana Hoose, Born Boutique, Velvet, Lemon Boutique, Reding), two hostels (Zoo, Tallers), one in Madrid (dot), three in Porto (Gravity, Tokyo Hoose, Concrete), one in Lisbon (Casa Teva), and one in Budapest (Honest Budapest). Each property maintains individual character and personality while sharing the brand's core philosophy of playful, groundbreaking concepts, functional design, and unbeatable central locations. The brand also operates a cultural program called Cooltura, which showcases fashion, art, photography, design, performances, and music events. The offering is a portfolio of independent boutique hotels under a unified creative brand, not a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• chic&basic Habana Hoose: Boutique hotel in Barcelona
• chic&basic Born Boutique
• chic&basic Velvet
• chic&basic Lemon Boutique
• chic&basic Zoo
• chic&basic Tallers
• chic&basic Reding
• chic&basic dot
• chic&basic Gravity
• Casa Teva by chic&basic
• Honest Budapest by chic&basic
• chic&basic Tokyo Hoose
• chic&basic Concrete

Products and services

• chic&basic Habana Hoose Boutique design hotel in Barcelona offering playful accommodations with Cuban-influenced creative concepts.
• chic&basic Born Boutique Boutique design hotel located in Barcelona's Born neighborhood featuring artistic and cultural expressions as part of its identity.
• chic&basic Velvet Boutique design hotel in Barcelona offering elegant accommodations with a fashion-inspired distinctive creative approach.
• chic&basic Lemon Boutique Boutique design hotel in Barcelona featuring bright, refreshing design concepts.
• chic&basic Reding Boutique design hotel in Barcelona featuring functional design with a central location.
• chic&basic Zoo Hostel-style accommodation in Barcelona with a playful, unconventional approach to hospitality.
• chic&basic Tallers Hostel in Barcelona offering budget-friendly accommodations with the chic&basic design philosophy.
• chic&basic dot Boutique design hotel in Madrid featuring maximalism in size and minimalism in design based on the 'less is more' philosophy.
• chic&basic Gravity Boutique design hotel in Porto, nominated for the 2025 Spain Travel Awards in the Best International Hotel category.
• chic&basic Tokyo Hoose Boutique design hotel in Porto featuring Asian-inspired design concepts, marked as NEW on the website.
• chic&basic Concrete Boutique design hotel in Porto featuring industrial-inspired design aesthetics.
• Casa Teva by chic&basic Boutique design hotel in Lisbon featuring local character and the chic&basic creative approach, marked as NEW on the website.
• Honest Budapest by chic&basic Boutique design hotel in Budapest offering authentic local experiences with the chic&basic playful philosophy, marked as NEW on the website.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Photographic Social Vision FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016chic&basic collaborates with the Photographic Social Vision Foundation for the DOCfield>16 documentary photography festival. The hotel chain opened its properties to host exhibitions and events exploring identity, European issues, refugee crisis, and social topics. Partnership supports the brand's cultural positioning and community engagement mission.
• Art Deal Project Gallery / Art Photo BCN FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016chic&basic serves as exhibition venue for Art Photo BCN festival (3rd edition). Hotels transformed into art galleries with photographers' works displayed on walls and above beds. Includes guided tours for collectors and institutions. Partnership reinforces Barcelona cultural scene engagement.
• Microtheatre movementminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016chic&basic Barcelona hosts 'Theatrical Microtasting' - short theatrical performances (15-20 minutes) every Wednesday and Thursday, supporting local theatre and providing unique entertainment for guests and residents. Microtheatre originated in Madrid in 2009.
• Read or DieminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Partnership with Read or Die independent publishing fair - a creative community call supporting the printed format. Provides meeting point connecting different agents of creation and emerging publications with hotel guests.
• Fashion designer Pablo Erroz and artist Luis VidalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Collaboration creating exclusive 'Anarchy in Bed' cushions - fashion and contemporary art merging with hotel decoration. Represents brand's commitment to creative collaborations.
• ACLAM fotominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Photography education space hosting courses, conferences, and workshops during Art Photo BCN festival. Partnership extends cultural programming beyond hotel walls.
• World Press PhotocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016chic&basic Barcelona hotels host World Press Photo exhibition, one of the world's most prestigious photography competitions. Contributing to Photolover 2016 distinction recognition.
• Fenòmens FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016chic&basic sponsors 'Fenòmens' series featuring hybrid artistic creations taking the body as central point, combining movement, technology, music, performance, image, and dance. Supports contemporary and urban art.
• Sight Management StudiominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2015During Barcelona Fashion Week 2015, Sight Management Studio (international modeling agency) set up 'Sight Model Lounge' at chic&basic for meetings between models and celebrities represented by the agency. Fashion-forward brand positioning partnership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Design Hotels: Original curated portfolio of independent design-led hotels globally, now part of Marriott Bonvoy. Represents a credible "incumbent" threat in the design-boutique space, offering independent hotels distribution under Marriott's loyalty and tech stack — a model a scaled chic&basic could either emulate or be acquired into.
• Senator Hotels & Resorts: Spanish independent hotel group with multiple city and resort hotels across Spain and select European destinations. Competes with chic&basic for the Spanish urban mid-upscale leisure traveller from a larger, more capitalised base.
• ME by Meliá: Design-led lifestyle sub-brand of Meliá Hotels International, a major Spanish incumbent. Competes in the same design-boutique urban niche from a much larger and capitalised parent (Meliá), offering scale, loyalty programmes, and global distribution that chic&basic lacks.
• Iberostar Hotels & Resorts: Major Spanish-headquartered hotel group with a growing portfolio of city-centre boutique and lifestyle properties across Europe and the Americas. A broad incumbent that increasingly competes with independent boutique chains in Spanish urban markets.
• NH Collection Hotels: Premium/lifestyle sub-brand of NH Hotel Group (Minor Hotels). Targets similar design-conscious urban travellers with hotels in Madrid, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Berlin, and other European cities — overlapping with chic&basic's footprint but operating at much greater scale.
• AC Hotels by Marriott: Marriott's design-forward urban lifestyle brand founded in Spain (originally co-founded by Antonio Catalán). Targets the same design-conscious urban business and leisure traveller with extensive city coverage across Europe and the Americas, with significant distribution and loyalty backing.

Direct peers

• Room Mate Hotels: Spanish design-led boutique hotel chain with themed urban properties across Spain and select international cities (Madrid, Barcelona, New York, Milan, etc.). Closest conceptual analogue to chic&basic: independent ownership, playfulness-forward brand identity, designer-led rooms, central locations, and a similar target persona of experience-seeking travellers.
• Petit Palace Hotels: Spanish boutique hotel chain operating in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, and other Spanish cities. Directly comparable on product format (small, design-forward urban hotels) and target market (urban leisure/business travellers), making it the closest scale-comparable competitor in Iberia.
• Only YOU Hotels: Spanish design-led boutique hotel collection with properties in Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, Malaga and Lisbon. Same design-led, character-driven boutique positioning with central urban locations — a direct competitor for the same experience-seeking leisure and creative-class guest.

Emerging players

• Único Hotels: Small Spanish boutique hotel collection (Unico Madrid, Único Sevilla) operating similarly themed, design-forward properties in prime urban locations. More limited portfolio scale than chic&basic but a directly comparable boutique positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookes-es.facebook.com/chicandbasic
• Instagraminstagram.com/chicandbasichotels

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries11 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 chic&basic hotels