SPAIN 2027 · PARTICIPATION RULES V1.0 · 9 NOVEMBER 2026

Challenge criteria

The Concord 50 recognises independent hotels in Spain most consistently recommended by AI to international travellers. The edition comprises a national ranking from 50th to 1st and honourable mentions by travel occasion.

1. Eligibility

Legally registered hotels and aparthotels in Spain may participate when they have their own commercial identity, independent ownership and operation independent of a hotel chain. All price levels, official categories, sizes and locations are welcome, including city, value and seasonal hotels. Properties must be operating and have verifiable public information; a seasonal closure is compatible with participation where a reopening date is publicly available.

Each physical property is assessed separately. Independent owners may enter several hotels, each with its own application and assessment. Individual holiday rentals, unopened projects and accommodation without hotel registration fall outside this edition’s scope.

2. Ownership, operation and affiliation

• Independent ownership: a hotel may belong to an individual, family, company or fund independent of a hotel chain. Independent property ownership must be accompanied by independent operation.
• Independent operation: the owner or an independent operator manages the property under its own hotel identity. Independently owned portfolios may enter each qualifying property.
• Consortia and commercial representation: collections, associations and distribution networks such as SLH, Relais & Châteaux and Preferred are compatible with eligibility where ownership and operation remain independent. Concord reviews the actual relationship as well as the affiliation name.
• Chain brands, franchises and chain management: properties subject to these relationships fall outside this edition, including chain soft brands such as Autograph Collection, Curio Collection and Tribute Portfolio, even where the real estate is independently owned.

Concord reviews official websites, corporate disclosures and evidence of ownership, operation and affiliation, and may request further business documentation. Borderline cases receive a written decision with reasons. Hotels have five calendar days from notification to submit clarifications; review of these cases may continue after entry closes. Decisions are recorded and general clarifications are published here.

3. Entry and deadlines

Entries close on 18 December 2026 at 23:59 Madrid time (CET, UTC+1). Email verification for applications submitted on time remains open until 21 December 2026 at 23:59 Madrid time. Each verification link lasts 48 hours; a fresh link can be requested within the verification window.

An authorised hotel representative enters using their name, role and professional email. They must accurately declare ownership, operator, brand and affiliations. Concord may verify their authority. Entry is free. Each property has one assessment record; duplicate submissions are consolidated after checking representation.

Concord may also identify hotels through research until the same 18 December cutoff. Both entry routes share the eligibility policy and assessment process. Earlier entrants will receive these rules before assessment and may correct or withdraw their entry.

4. Comparable opportunities

Occasions include gastronomy, romance, wellness, family, design, rural escape and city break. Location, transport access and value for money feature in requests where relevant to verified positioning. A well-located budget city hotel has an assessment route based on the stay it offers.

Concord classifies all hotels using public evidence. Applications contribute verifiable facts. Selecting up to three occasions describes the property; final test assignment follows the evidence and common criteria.

5. Assessment and ranking

Questions specify destination, traveller needs and budget in source-market languages, without naming the hotel. Tests are repeated across AI engines. The principle is one national score calibrated across comparable testing opportunities, reflecting consistency and suitability of recommendations.

The technical annex will be published on 23 November 2026, before entry closes and final assessment begins. It will specify coverage, competitive-set granularity and minimum size, prompts, languages, engines and versions, repetitions, weights, calibration, accuracy rubric, minimum evidence, uncertainty, tie-breaks and incident handling. The formula and thresholds remain under validation until that annex is published.

Final assessment uses a documented common methodology version. Honourable mentions follow criteria and limits in the annex. If the evidence cannot support the intended ranking, Concord will explain the limitation and revised schedule before publishing results.

6. Every participant’s results report

Every verified participant receives their results report. The free report covers the scope of testing, observed recognition by occasion and language, recommendation examples and evidence limitations, together with the property’s ranking outcome where comparable. Hotels receiving few recommendations still receive a report explaining their results.

Verified participation requires confirmed email, checked representation where requested, and validated eligibility. Applications falling outside the scope receive the reason. Reports go to verified contacts following publication of results. The selected 50 additionally receive a free badge, certificate and social card.

7. Independence and review

Concord Passport administers the challenge and also offers commercial services to hotels. Customer status and sponsorship are kept outside eligibility, test assignment, scoring and recognition decisions. Results are documented before commercial use; material commercial relationships are disclosed. Methodology and results undergo documented review. The identity and scope of any external review will be published once confirmed.

8. Corrections, withdrawal and versions

For corrections, eligibility review or withdrawal, email connect@concordpassport.com with your reference. Assessed participants will have a five-calendar-day factual checking window before results are finalised. Verified corrections follow common criteria and are recorded. Errors found after publication will appear in a public correction log.

This version establishes eligibility, affiliation policy, free participation and entitlement to the report. Material changes will carry a date, reason and explanation of their effect on entries. Affected participants will be notified and may clarify or withdraw. Planned technical details will be published as a separate annex. Publication and presentation dates will be announced once confirmed.

Version history: v1.0 · 9 November 2026 · First publication of participation rules.