The company enters the travel agency sector with Barceló Viajes.

The chain opens its first hotel in Mallorca. Three years later, a new style of hotel is developed: Barceló Pueblo Palma, designed for a family audience with a wide range of services at a good price.

The company starts to grow in the Balearic Islands with the construction of Barceló Pueblo Ibiza and the acquisition of Barceló Hamilton in Menorca. Then, in 1970, it expands to mainland Spain with the opening of Barceló Pueblo Benidorm.

Barceló Viajes acquires the tour operator Turavia, the first step in the internationalisation of the group. In 1985, the first hotel in the Caribbean is inaugurated (Barceló Bávaro Beach Resort, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic), positioning the group as the first Spanish hotel company in the region. Five years later, it arrives in Costa Rica with the acquisition of Barceló San José Palacio Spa & Casino and the Playa Tambor complex.

The chain reaches one of its milestones: it enters the US hotel market with the purchase of its first property in Washington and a second in Orlando. This makes the Barceló Hotel Group the first Spanish hotel company to establish operations in the United States.

The Mallorcan group acquires Barceló Praha, its first hotel in a European capital, marking the beginning of a clear commitment to urban hotels.

30 years after its creation, the Barceló Hotel Group opens its first urban hotel in Spain: Barceló Sants (Barcelona), one of the company's flagships.

Expansion continues with the opening of new hotels in Venezuela, Mexico, Turkey, Ecuador and Uruguay.

Barceló acquires North American hotel operator Crestline Capital, which manages almost 7,000 rooms in 12 US states. This marks the creation of Barceló Crestline Hotels & Resorts, strengthening Barceló's presence in the country.

The Barceló Hotel Group launches its first website, www.barcelo.com, and creates a new bookings centre, BarceloRes.

The chain adopts a five-year strategic plan (2005-2010) with the objective of continued growth and reaching 200 hotels. During this period, the chain opens an average of 20 hotels per year.

As the Barceló Group celebrates its 75th anniversary, it receives some of the most prestigious awards for its business career:

- Community Gold Medal to the brothers Gabriel and Sebastián Barceló Oliver, Honorary Co-Presidents of the Barceló Group.

- Tourism Merit Plaque and Best Manager Award 2006 to the two Co-Presidents, awarded by the consulting firm AT Kearney.

- Prince Felipe Award for Business Excellence, in the category Business Competitiveness, Large Company.

After becoming one of the top 30 hotel chains in the world, the Barceló Hotel Group reaches 24th place two years later.

In May 2009, Sebastián Barceló Oliver, Honorary Co-President of the Barceló Group, leaves the business.

Due to the economic crisis, expansion slows down and some unprofitable sites are abandoned. The chain keeps its accounts healthy and decides to take advantage of the drop in occupancy to carry out refurbishments. Over seven years, the chain invests 1 billion euros in the renovation of some of its most emblematic hotels.

The group decides to launch a new multi-brand strategy under the umbrella of the new Barceló Hotel Group. The new brands are Royal Hideaway Luxury Hotels & Resorts (Luxury), Barceló Hotels & Resorts (Upper Upscale), Occidental Hotels & Resorts (Upscale) and Allegro Hotels (Upper Midscale).

In the same year, Barceló Emperatriz is opened, a 5-star hotel designed through a co-creation process. This innovative dynamic allowed future guests to decide on everything from the services to the decorative elements through the project website and social networks.

The Barceló Group acquires 100% of the North American management company Crestline Hotels & Resorts, one of the most important independent operators in the country.