Business activity licence for hotels, hostels, youth hostels, etc.
IngenieriaBCN has extensive experience in the public residential sector. We have processed all types of business activity licences for hotels, hostels, youth hostels, tourist apartments, etc.
We handle business activity licences, as well as building and installation projects. All with the utmost professionalism and rigour. We monitor and control all construction work, as well as the full legalisation of the installations.
We also take care of all procedures for the registration and legalisation of public residential establishments with the tourism departments and the Regional Council.
All our projects have been successful and our clients have received their final licences without any problems.
We specialise in this type of licence for hotels, hostels, youth hostels and tourist apartments in Barcelona, as well as throughout Catalonia and Spain.
What licence is required for a hotel, hostel or youth hostel?
For a hotel, aparthotel, hostel, youth hostel or tourist apartment, obtaining the corresponding business activity licence for public residential use is an essential and mandatory requirement.
Once the business activity licence has been obtained, the registration and authorisation must be processed with the tourism department or the Regional Council for the full legalisation of the public residential activity. They will carry out an inspection once the establishment is fully fitted out to check the correct condition and operation of the activity.
We must also bear in mind that a hotel, hostel or youth hostel is a building or property fitted out and prepared to provide accommodation services to people. They may also offer additional services such as a bar or restaurant, leisure areas, meeting rooms and conference facilities, etc.
What is needed to open a hotel, hostel or youth hostel?
Depending on the autonomous region, province and regulations in force, different permits will be required to open a hotel, hostel or youth hostel.
In the case of Barcelona, the City Council has developed a Special Urban Development Plan for Tourist Accommodation (PEUAT), meaning that a viable space must be found for opening and building a hotel, and no work should be carried out without first requesting an urban planning compatibility report in order to move forward with the process.
Once all prior permits have been obtained from the City Council, prior approval must also be requested from the tourism department of the Generalitat de Catalunya or the Regional Council, depending on whether it is a hotel, hostel or youth hostel.
Permits to create a hotel, aparthotel, hostel or youth hostel.
Once all prior permits and authorisations have been obtained, and in compliance with the current regulations for setting up a hotel, aparthotel, hostel or youth hostel, the following permits must be processed:
- Business activity licence: To open a hotel, hostel or youth hostel, a chartered industrial engineer is required to prepare a technical project for the business activity licence, including a report and plans justifying the establishment, all in compliance with current regulations. This documentation will be submitted to the City Council or the Environmental Control Entity (EAC) for prior approval. Once the public residential establishment has been fitted out, a control inspection must be carried out by the City Council or the EAC.
- Building licence: A chartered industrial engineer must prepare a technical project to obtain the building licence for the construction or adaptation of the property to meet the regulatory requirements of a hotel, aparthotel, hostel or youth hostel. The most important aspect at this stage is to analyse the feasibility and optimisation of the spaces.
- Electrical project: In most cases, the electrical installations in the property are not up to date or legalised for use as a hotel, hostel or youth hostel. In this case, it is essential for a chartered industrial engineer to prepare an electrical project to adapt the electrical installation in accordance with current regulations, for its subsequent legalisation and connection to the electricity supply.
- Gas projects: If the hotel, hostel or youth hostel requires a gas installation because it has kitchens or gas air conditioning, a chartered engineer must prepare a gas project for its subsequent legalisation and connection to the gas supply.
- Air conditioning project: If the establishment has an air conditioning installation and its power exceeds 70 kW, an engineer is required to prepare an air conditioning project for its subsequent legalisation.
- Authorisation from the tourism department or Regional Council: For public residential establishments such as hotels, hostels and tourist apartments, the authorisation and registration of the activity must be processed with the tourism department of the Generalitat de Catalunya. In the case of youth hostels, registration must be carried out with the Regional Council. In both cases, an inspection must be passed by the corresponding department, where compliance with all current regulations for the activity will be checked.
All these permits and procedures are more agile and faster when working with an engineering company with experience and knowledge of the sector. That is why we place at your disposal our specialised technical team, with extensive experience in obtaining all permits: business activity licence, building licence, electrical project, installation project, subsequent authorisations, etc. Our experience and our clients are a guarantee of success and satisfaction.
What are the procedures for a business activity licence for a hotel, hostel or youth hostel?
Public residential establishments in Barcelona, whether hotels, aparthotels, hostels or youth hostels, are classified according to the “Ordenança municipal d’activitats i d’intervenció integral de l’administració ambiental de Barcelona” OMAIIA, under Annex III.2.
According to Annex III.2, the procedure is as follows: A chartered competent engineer must prepare a technical activity project, report and plans justifying that the activity complies with all current regulations. Once the project has been completed and adapted to the client’s needs and current regulations, it is submitted to an Environmental Control Entity (EAC) for review and prior approval. This entity will subsequently carry out a control and verification inspection once the establishment has been fitted out. If everything is correct during this inspection, the Environmental Control Entity (EAC) will issue a Certificate of Conformity, which will be submitted to Barcelona City Council together with the previously submitted and approved project. Once all this documentation has been submitted to Barcelona City Council, the licence will be obtained immediately after the fees have been paid.
Do I need other projects for the legalisation of a hotel, hostel or youth hostel?
When opening a public residential activity, it usually starts from an empty building or property, which must be adapted to the needs and current regulations. Therefore, building works and installations will need to be carried out.
- Building project: If works need to be carried out to adapt the public residential establishment, a chartered technical engineer must be contacted to prepare the building project, report and explanatory plans justifying the works to be carried out, as well as the control and coordination of the construction work.
- Electrical project: According to the Low Voltage Electrotechnical Regulation (REBT), a public residential establishment, whether a hotel, aparthotel, hostel or youth hostel, is considered a premises open to the public. Therefore, a chartered engineer is required to prepare the electrical project and manage its subsequent inspection and legalisation through an Inspection and Control Entity (EIC). All of this is required for the subsequent connection of the electricity supply.
What requirements should I take into account to obtain a hotel, hostel or youth hostel licence?
There are a number of requirements to take into account when obtaining a licence for a public residential activity, whether a hotel, aparthotel, hostel or youth hostel, in Barcelona, the province of Barcelona and Catalonia:
Electrical installation:
Hotels, hostels and youth hostels are considered premises open to the public under the Low Voltage Electrotechnical Regulation (REBT). Therefore, a chartered technical engineer is required to prepare an electrical technical project for its legalisation. The entire installation must be carried out using special halogen-free cable: fire-retardant cable with low smoke emission and reduced opacity.
If the establishment has an electrical installation, but it has not been carried out using special halogen-free cable, all the wiring must be replaced in compliance with current regulations, using halogen-free cabling.
Accessibility for people with reduced mobility:
For the legalisation of a hotel activity, the establishment must provide access and be adapted for people with reduced mobility. There are two regulations governing this aspect: the national regulation, the Technical Building Code, section SUA (Safety of Use and Accessibility), and the Accessibility Code of Catalonia (Decree 135/1995).
The Technical Building Code is more up to date and more restrictive than the Accessibility Code of Catalonia. For this reason, while awaiting a new law from the Generalitat de Catalunya regulating accessibility for wheelchair users in activities, the Generalitat de Catalunya has published tables (TAAC — Accessibility Table for Activities in Catalonia) regulating when accessibility for people with reduced mobility is mandatory in activities, and which regulations apply in each case.
With these TAAC tables, the applicable regulations and minimum requirements for each activity are established in each case, depending on the surface area of the establishment, the change of use or activity, whether works are carried out or not, etc.
They also establish a new type of toilet called a Usable Toilet Facility, which has smaller dimensions than an adapted toilet and may be used when indicated by the TAAC tables.
Ventilation for public residential use activity:
All commercial activities must have ventilation, either natural ventilation through openings to the outside or forced/mechanical ventilation by means of a fan or extractor.
The regulation governing ventilation and the necessary air renewal in an activity is the Regulation on Thermal Installations in Buildings (RITE), according to which all activities must have a sufficient ventilation system to prevent a high concentration of pollutants or stale air.
In the case of hotels, hostels and youth hostels, all rooms must have natural ventilation to the outside. Rooms without natural ventilation or with only forced ventilation are not accepted.
Premises height
All activities must have a minimum floor-to-ceiling height for the development of the activity and its correct legalisation.
In the case of hotels, hostels and youth hostels, the minimum height must be 2.50 m. This height may be reduced to 2.10 m in passage areas, toilets, storage rooms and refuse rooms.
Fire resistance of the structure
Any structure where a new activity is to be implemented must meet fire resistance requirements to guarantee the safety of its occupants.
The minimum fire resistance requirements for the structure are set out in the Technical Building Code, section Fire Safety (SI).
Normally, if the structure is made of concrete, the minimum fire resistance values are almost certainly achieved. However, if the structure is metal/steel or timber, it must be fireproofed to comply with the minimum values. The structure can be fireproofed with paint, rock wool or perlite spray, or with plasterboard panels.
In Barcelona, it is mandatory for an external body to the one preparing the activity project to carry out a thickness control of the fireproofing material and issue a report. This must be submitted to Barcelona City Council together with the application for the business activity licence.
Evacuation route
The evacuation route from any point in the establishment to the street exit must not exceed 25 metres if there is only one exit. This evacuation distance may be increased to 50 metres if there are two exits.
For hostels or youth hostels installed on floors of residential buildings, where the establishment’s capacity is fewer than 20 people, the evacuation route may be considered from the establishment exit to the street exit.
Acoustic insulation
Activities must not cause nuisance to neighbours during operating hours, so they must comply with minimum acoustic insulation values.
According to the Barcelona Environmental Ordinance, activities are classified into four groups depending on the maximum sound level they may generate within the activity premises:
– Group I: emission level between 95 and 105 dB(A).
– Group II: emission level between 90 and 94 dB(A).
– Group III: emission level between 85 and 89 dB(A).
– Group IV: emission level equal to or below 84 dB(A).
In any case, emission level means the maximum sound level (LAeq60s) generated inside the premises or establishment. This must be measured in a representative and duly justified location.
In premises open to the public, the maximum sound level is understood as the acoustic pressure level of the establishment measured using LAeq60s in the central part of the public area where the highest sound level of the establishment is found, with all services operating at full capacity. The measurement must be taken with pink noise and/or music and with the sound equipment controls at maximum level, in order to obtain the real result.
Since the Barcelona Environmental Ordinance came into force, all new activities likely to generate noise and/or vibrations included in Groups I, II and III must submit an acoustic impact study together with the application for the business activity licence or opening licence for the establishment. This study must include a technical report and plans, prepared by an Environmental Control Entity (EAC).
The immission limit values in the bedroom of the nearest dwelling will be:
- Daytime period (7 a.m. – 9 p.m.): 30 dB(A)
- Evening period (9 p.m. – 11 p.m.): 30 dB(A)
- Night-time period (11 p.m. – 7 a.m.): 25 dB(A)
The outdoor immission limit values for the premises are determined by the acoustic capacity map of the location and surroundings of the activity, established by Barcelona City Council or by the council of each municipality.
Why choose Ingeniería BCN for the legalisation of your hotel, hostel or youth hostel?
We have extensive experience in the hotel sector, having legalised many hotels, hostels and youth hostels both in Barcelona and throughout Catalonia. Our experience and the satisfactory results of all our projects provide security and guarantees to our clients.
At IngenieriaBCN, we always carry out a preliminary visit to check that the chosen establishment is viable and complies with all the requirements for obtaining the licence and all the necessary permits for its correct operation.
We guarantee your licence on time and without complications.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be delighted to speak with you and carry out a feasibility study for your project.
