Palladium Hotel Group is marking the third anniversary of Palladium Cares, its global social and environmental impact initiative, with the programme entering a new phase that brings together employees, local communities and guests to create a positive change across each of the destinations where it operates.
Since launching in 2023, Palladium Cares has expanded across the Group’s 40 hotels and 8 brands in 6 countries, supporting employment, education, community development and environmental conservation. The initiative focuses on four key pillars: Our People, Our Community, Our Planet, and Our Company.
Over the past three years, Palladium Cares has continued to expand its social and environmental impact across the destinations where Palladium Hotel Group operates, strengthening vocational training and educational opportunities, supporting employees and vulnerable communities, and advancing initiatives in sustainable agriculture, conservation and the circular economy. From scholarships and emergency assistance to community partnerships and environmental projects, the programme continues to create meaningful opportunities for positive change. In its third year, it is building on this work by inviting guests to play a more active role, connecting them with local communities and ecosystems through experiences that bring responsible tourism to life.
Gloria Juste, Social Responsibility-Sustainability Vice President at Palladium Hotel Group, comments: “Over the past three years, Palladium Cares has grown into a global initiative that brings together our teams, local communities and partners to create meaningful, lasting change across our destinations. From expanding access to education and employment through our vocational training centres and scholarship programmes to protecting local ecosystems and promoting sustainable agriculture, we are committed to ensuring that our presence has a positive impact on the places and people around us.
“Our third anniversary marks the next step in this journey: inviting our guests to become part of that impact. We believe travel can be an opportunity not only to discover a destination, but also to connect with its communities, understand its environmental challenges and contribute to its future. By opening up our projects and creating opportunities for guests to get involved, we want to make responsible tourism a more tangible part of the holiday experience, while continuing to build on the work we have developed over the past three years.”
Vocational Training Centres: Creating Pathways to Employment
One of the key milestones in the third year of Palladium Cares has been the consolidation and expansion of its Vocational Training Centres, which help people in vulnerable situations access the job market and support the social and economic development of local communities. By identifying sector needs, the centres provide practical training in hospitality and other professional skills, complemented whenever possible by internships at Palladium Hotel Group hotels. This approach equips participants with the experience and skills needed to find employment, either within the Group or with other local businesses.
The program is present in Brazil, Mexico and Jamaica, and has expanded to Ibiza and the Dominican Republic over the past year:
• Brazil: The Young Apprentices Program at the Imbassaí Institute offers training in employability, personal development, agroecology and environmental sustainability. Around 700 young people received training in 2025.
• Mexico: The centre provides vocational, entrepreneurship and human development training, alongside community activities focused on health, culture and the environment. In 2025, 500 people received technical training, more than 600 participated in human development programs, and over 2,000 community activities were delivered. A second location opened in the Continental Zone in February 2026.
• Jamaica: Six training locations offer courses in restaurant service, bartending and housekeeping to 92 students, complemented by practical experience at the Group’s hotels whenever possible.
• Ibiza: In partnership with Cáritas Ibiza, the program launched in November 2025, offering kitchen assistant and housekeeping courses. Across two editions, 23 students began training, with hotel professionals delivering courses and internships providing hands-on experience.
• Dominican Republic: A new center opened in Higüey in 2026 in partnership with World Vision Dominican Republic, extending the program’s reach and creating new vocational training opportunities for vulnerable communities.
Agroparks: Promoting Sustainable Agriculture and Local Development
Palladium Cares’ Agroparks initiative promotes sustainable agricultural production while creating local employment opportunities, supporting community development and encouraging more responsible consumption. By growing local fruit, vegetables and aromatic herbs, the project supports a farm-to-table approach, helping supply fresh produce while strengthening connections with local communities and promoting more sustainable practices. The initiative also combines agricultural production with training in agroecology, beekeeping and environmental education, involving young people, families and local communities in practical learning experiences.
• Brazil: The Agricultural Training and Production Center in Imbassaí continues to support local production, vocational training and sustainable agricultural practices. In May 2026, the team relocated to a new site, which officially opened in June with dedicated training rooms and a computer room to expand its educational activities.
• Dominican Republic: The Palladium Cares Park in Punta Cana is under construction and will combine the production of regional fruit, vegetables and aromatic herbs with environmental workshops and educational activities for local communities, guests and employees. The project aims to promote responsible consumption, biodiversity and greater awareness of environmental conservation.
• Sicily: A new organic garden is being developed at Grand Palladium Sicilia Resort & Spa by transforming an area near the Mini and Baby Clubs. Through hands-on activities such as planting rosemary and vegetables, children and families can learn about sustainability, responsible food production and respect for the environment in an engaging, practical way.
Abel Matutes Foundation Scholarships Expand Educational Opportunities
Foundation Scholarship Programme covers 100% of university tuition fees for the sons and daughters of Palladium Hotel Group employees, as well as living expenses during the first three years of their degree. Launched in Mexico in 2024, the programme expanded to the Dominican Republic in 2025 and Jamaica in 2026, and currently supports 16 students attending leading private universities, including Universidad Anáhuac de Cancún, the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech), and Universidad Iberoamericana in the Dominican Republic.
The programme’s impact is reflected in the words of one Palladium Hotel Group employee in Riviera Maya: “For my daughter and my family, receiving this scholarship has meant the satisfaction of knowing that every sacrifice and all our hard work are rewarded.” Salvador Ortiz, Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Anáhuac University Network in Mexico, adds: “Through its scholarship program, Palladium creates opportunities for people who have demonstrated that they have the ability and interest to respond to the needs of the world.”
For the 2025–2026 academic year, the Foundation has also introduced the Mentor Plan, pairing each scholarship recipient with a Palladium Hotel Group executive who provides academic, professional and personal guidance throughout their university studies.
4 Causes 4 Quarters
Another initiative that has become firmly established within Palladium Cares is 4 Causes 4 Quarters, which mobilises Palladium Hotel Group teams around four key social challenges: protecting the planet, supporting the well-being of older people, helping children and tackling inequality.
Now implemented across the Group’s 40 hotels and corporate offices, the programme unites teams around a shared cause each quarter. During the past year alone, 4 Causes, 4 Quarters has reached more than 1,800 beneficiaries through partnerships with 53 NGOs and the involvement of more than 700 volunteers, while vocational training centres have expanded into new locations including Ibiza and the Dominican Republic.
In collaboration with local social organisations, employees participate in awareness-raising campaigns, volunteering activities and direct support initiatives, helping to address local needs and generate a positive impact in the communities where the Group operates.
As part of this commitment, Palladium Cares also continues to develop its Guest of the Month programme, which invites families referred by social organisations to enjoy a full stay at one of the Group’s hotels. Since the initiative was launched, more than 35 families have benefited from these experiences, offering them an opportunity to enjoy leisure, rest and well-being during particularly challenging circumstances. Through initiatives such as these, Palladium Cares continues to strengthen its engagement with local communities and extend the positive impact of its social responsibility efforts.
Palladium Cares and the Abel Matutes Foundation Mobilise Emergency Support for Communities Affected by Natural Disasters
As part of its commitment to the well-being of its employees and the communities in which it operates, Palladium Hotel Group allocates resources to provide assistance in exceptional circumstances and respond to the needs arising from unexpected crises. Through Palladium Cares and the Abel Matutes Foundation, the Group has activated emergency support initiatives to help those affected by natural disasters, providing both immediate relief and practical assistance during recovery efforts.
Following Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica in October 2025, the Abel Matutes Foundation and Palladium Cares mobilised resources to support affected employees and local communities. The response included assistance for 1,300 employees impacted by the hurricane, support for home reconstruction and temporary accommodation at the resort for nearly 300 employees. More than 30 suppliers also contributed donations, while Palladium volunteers helped prepare and distribute essential supplies to those in need.
Following the earthquake that affected Venezuela in June 2026, the Abel Matutes Foundation allocated resources to help address the basic needs of those impacted by the emergency. Palladium Cares also launched an internal communications campaign across the Group’s corporate offices and hotels to encourage employee solidarity and coordinate assistance through international support organisations, including Fundación Chamos. These efforts reflect the Group’s commitment to supporting its people and contributing to the well-being of communities during times of crisis.
Palladium Cares Expands Environmental Initiatives Across Its Destinations
Environmental projects have meanwhile continued across Palladium destinations, including:
• Posidonia conservation in Ibiza, in partnership with the Blue Life Foundation, combining marine restoration, research and environmental education. The programme has also seen the opening of the Palladium Blue Life HUB at Grand Palladium Select Palace Ibiza, providing a dedicated space for exhibitions, training and environmental awareness activities.
• Sea turtle conservation across Mexico, Brazil and Jamaica, including nest protection, monitoring and hatchling releases.
• Food waste reduction, with 856kg of unavoidable food surplus donated to social dining centres in 2025 through partnerships with Oreka in Tenerife and Ibiza, with Sicily newly added to the programme.
• Sustainable agriculture, with the established agricultural training and production centre in Brazil continuing to support training and local production, alongside the Palladium Cares Park under construction in the Dominican Republic, which will combine sustainable food production with community education and environmental activities for guests and employees.
• Circular economy initiatives, including Soap for Hope in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, where leftover guest soap is recycled into new bars for vulnerable communities, and Linens for Life, which repurposes unused hotel textiles into products including emergency kits and bags through partner NGOs.
Giving guests a role in positive change
Another notable milestone in the third year of Palladium Cares is the expansion of its initiatives to actively involve guests, building on the work already carried out with employees and local communities. This approach creates new opportunities for guests to contribute to positive change during their stay, from making donations to partner NGOs and visiting vocational training centres to taking part in Sandyfootprints, which combines visits to local organisations, such as schools and orphanages, with donations of essential materials.
Palladium Cares is also integrating social responsibility and environmental awareness into the guest experience through purpose-driven entertainment, including solidarity activities, meeting opportunities with partner NGOs and initiatives that highlight social and environmental challenges. Guests can further connect with the destinations they visit through experiences such as sea turtle releases, visits to Agroparks and sustainable gardens, and environmental workshops for families. Sustainability and biodiversity education are also being incorporated into Kids Clubs through activities designed to engage younger guests and encourage a greater appreciation of the natural world.
