As tourism and hospitality move rapidly toward digitalisation, sustainability and structural change, one international association has brought the industry’s management leadership together: the International Circle of Hotel Executives (CIDH – Círculo Internacional de Directivos de Hotelería).

CIDH was founded in 2017 by Vicente Romero together with a group of leading figures in Spain’s hotel industry. Its main purpose was to create a specialised, independent and international forum for senior and middle managers: a platform for collaboration, for sharing operational know-how and for raising the professional standing of hotel managers worldwide.

Scale and reach: 40,000 leaders in one network

Today CIDH is one of the world’s strongest professional networks, bringing together more than 40,000 senior and middle managers from hotels, international chains and resorts across five continents. Its main offices and representations are in Spain, the United States (Miami), Thailand (Bangkok), Mexico and Ethiopia, and its activities extend worldwide.

Specialist structure: committees and working groups

To respond to the complex and changing needs of the hotel industry, CIDH has organised its work into several specialist committees:

  • Innovation & Tech Committee: smart hotels, bringing artificial intelligence into operational processes, and upgrading PMS and FF&E systems.
  • Sustainability & ESG Committee: developing carbon-reduction strategies, optimising energy use and meeting environmental standards in hotels.
  • Wellness & Health Tourism Committee: assessing, equipping and developing spa and wellness-focused hotels and resorts.
  • Talent & Education Committee: advanced management courses, mentoring for young managers and raising the quality of the hospitality workforce.
  • International Relations & Legal Affairs Committee: facilitating cross-border connections, providing legal advice to managers and laying the groundwork for joint investments.

Agreements and partnerships with global organisations

To play an influential role internationally, CIDH has signed numerous agreements and strategic alliances with respected institutions and organisations:

  • Spanish Confederation of Executives and Managers (CEDE): representing the hotel profession in major economic and management decision-making in Europe.
  • National and regional tourism bodies: close cooperation with tourism associations and organisations in Europe, Latin America and Asia to standardise services.
  • International tourism fairs: formal, structured participation in leading events such as FITUR (Madrid), ITB (Berlin) and WTM (London).
  • Universities and research centres: joint training programmes with hotel schools in Switzerland, Spain and the United States, bringing the latest research into hotel operations.

Five features that set CIDH apart

  • Borderless networking (Global Directory): direct contact among 40,000 hotel managers for information exchange, cross-border collaboration and career moves.
  • Excellence certification and accreditation (Excellence Certificate): awards and specialist audits of management quality based on CIDH international standards.
  • Full supply-chain coverage: specialist advice on opening, renovating and equipping (FF&E) hotels.
  • Sustainable tourism development: guiding hotels toward green standards and efficient resource management.
  • Strategic reports: member access to the latest market research, customer behaviour trends and revenue management strategies.
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