In hospitality, as in so many other sectors, the rules change when you move from theory to execution. For ten years at Macca we have developed real estate projects in different lines: housing, retail, urban planning and hotels. But only after experimenting directly with different operating schemes did we understand that, for a hotel to be a profitable asset, the operator is as critical as the design or the location. Perhaps more so.
The mistake of believing that operating is easy
The first attempt was with an international operator that promised experience. We had the asset ready, but execution was poor. We ended up terminating the contract. Blackroom, with three active hotels, took over the operation to avoid a major loss. That intervention reinforced their approach: profitability based on operational efficiency.
Third parties without structure: the second mistake
We received multiple offers from local operators. Many were focused exclusively on channels such as Airbnb or acted more as marketers than operators. They did not master the ins and outs of expense control, day-to-day operational management or critical management decision making. In several cases, fixed costs outweighed the efficiencies generated. Operator and investor interests were not aligned.
Traditional brands: too big for medium-sized projects
We also analyzed working with traditional hotel brands. But many of their requirements in terms of standards, personnel structure and costs were designed for projects with more than 100 rooms. In medium-sized developments, such as those we have done in cities like Medellín, that rigidity translates into an operational and financial burden that does not compensate. Even so, there are contexts where a global brand makes sense: in Medellín we developed MAMA SHELTER with Accor, and for Puerto Antioquia -a strategic development in Apartadó- we are moving forward with a large-scale project under the HAMPTON by Hilton brand.
Blackroom: operating with developer logic
Faced with these limitations, we decided to structure an operating model that would respond to the real needs of the developer. That model evolved and was consolidated as Blackroom: a hotel operator that today operates independently, without imposing brands, and works with both its own hotels and third-party projects. Its approach is clear: to operate with investment logic and optimize the usefulness of the asset without unnecessarily burdening it.
Choosing a carrier is not a tactical decision
The biggest lesson is this: the hotel operator is not a supplier. It is a structural decision. If it is not aligned with the project's strategy, it not only limits its profitability: it can turn it into a permanent source of problems.
Today we can say it with the experience of corrected errors: choosing the right operator is as important as choosing the right batch or the right designer. And ignoring it costs more than it seems.
Alejandro Gonzalez
Co-Founder of Macca Desarrollo Inmobiliario
