The 15th edition of Interihotel, Europe’s leading hotel and restaurant event by Ambit Cluster, saw its highest number of visitors to its Barcelona showroom in October.
Held over three days at Fire Barcelona – Gran Via, Interihotel BCN25 welcomed more than 11,600 industry professionals from 53 countries to its ‘The Power of Encounters’ them
ed event, where more than 290 exhibiting brands showcased their design products and materials.
The event also hosted a comprehensive programme of conferences, workshops and panel discussions from leading figures in the sector, with 185 speakers sharing their insights including Tom Dixon and Peter Bundgaard of Space Copehagen.
Supported by Roca Group as Global Sponsor, BCN25 marks a record-breaking edition for Interihotel, with the highest number of attendees and exhibitors – 11,675 and 291 respectively – as well as the highest number of business opportunities identified.
Interihotel BCN25 also presented the Interiors Living Lab, consisting of four unique areas that each showcased new innovations, experiences and designs for hospitality spaces.
Firstly, the Concept Rooms Lab showcased two experiential spaces designed by the studios ILV* and PhiBa Architecture, inspired by the hotel chains Mercer Hoteles and Medplaya.
The Xperience Lab featured mixed reality demonstrators, immersive zones based on generative artificial intelligence, and interactive totems that allowed users to generate interior design scenes and product proposals.
The Materials Lab hosted the exhibition Conscious Materiality, curated by Matter Group, which invited attendees to rethink contemporary materiality from a critical, ethical and sustainable perspective.
Finally, the Craft Lab, a new addition curated by journalist Tachy Mora, invited visitors to explore how new experimental and hybrid expressions of contemporary craftsmanship can be integrated into hotel and restaurant design through seven exhibited works.
The event also premiered Interi-off, a programme of off-site interior design events around Barcelona. “Interi-off extends the impact of Interihotel beyond the walls of this event space, exploring the city through the hospitality design of our members and other entities that cooperate in Interihotel,” explains Joaquim Solana Monleón, executive director at Ambit Cluster.
Interi-off consisted of the Wellspaces Forum, a platform where neuroarchitecture, neurodesign, and open innovation converge to explore spatial design from a transversal, impact-oriented perspective; the Future Living Forum, a congress addressing opportunities within the living sector, including flexliving, coliving, and other hybrid forms of hospitality; and the AI Interiors Forum, a professional event focused on the impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence on creative processes related to the hospitality sector, followed by a practical workshop dedicated to its application in spatial and experiential design.
The event culminated in the Interihotel BCN25 awards, which saw professionals, studios and brands celebrated for the ways in which they are driving innovation and excellence in the sector.
Among the winners was Hotel Riad Brummell Medina, by Clàudia Raurell Architecture office, scooping the award for Best Hotel Design, and the Interihotel BCN25 Lifetime Achievement Award in Hotel and Restaurant Design went to Sandra Tarruella, from the studio Sandra Tarruella Interioristas.
Speaking to Sleeper, Solana Monleón reflects on the growth of Interihotel: “We began 15 years ago, and the first edition had just five exhibitors. It was very modest, but we have grown organically from there. We could have widened the event to encapsulate all interiors, but we stayed firm on our initial position on hospitality design. Over the years, we have grown by about 20% every year, and today we are closer to 300 exhibitors.”
Interihotel will return in 2026 with its 16th edition, held in Madrid.
