SES HOSPEDAJES legal framework

Royal Decree 933/2021, which came into force on 2 December 2024, sets out new obligations for tourist accommodation operators in Spain, with the aim of strengthening public safety and preventing unlawful activities. The key aspects of these regulations are detailed below:

1. Who is affected by Royal Decree 933/2021?

These regulations apply to all natural or legal persons offering accommodation services in Spain, including:

• Hotels, hostels, boarding houses and guest houses. 
• Rural tourism establishments.
• Campsites and motorhome parking areas. 
• Tourist apartments and holiday homes.
• Digital platforms and tourism operators acting as intermediaries in these activities. 

2. Main obligations

a) Record-keeping:

Establishments must keep an electronic register containing detailed information about each guest. This register must be retained for three years after the service ends.  

b) Data submission:

The data collected must be sent to the Ministerio del Interior (Ministry of the Interior) through the SES.Hospedajes platform within a maximum of 24 hours of the booking being confirmed or the guest arriving.

3. Required information

The information that must be collected and reported has increased significantly, with up to 42 data items per guest, including: 

• Full given names and surnames.
• Identity document number and type. 
• Nationality and date of birth.
• Full address of the usual place of residence. 
• Contact telephone numbers and email address.
• Details of the financial transaction, including the payment method and bank details.

It is important to note that all guests over 14 years old must sign the arrival form.  

4. Penalties for non-compliance

Failure to comply with the obligations laid down may result in financial penalties:

• Minor offences: Fines of 100 to 600 euros for irregularities in completing records or delays in reporting data. 
• Serious infringements: Fines of 601 to 30,000 euros for failing to keep documentary records or omitting mandatory notifications.  

5. Additional considerations

• Geographical scope: Although the decree applies nationwide, autonomous communities such as Cataluña and País Vasco retain their own registration systems, so establishments in these regions must comply with both sets of regulations.
• Data protection: The information collected must be processed in accordance with current personal data protection legislation, ensuring its security and confidentiality.

6. Automation with iButlers

To make it easier to meet these new obligations, iButlers offers automation solutions with the following features:

• Automatic guest registration:
  • Efficient collection of the required data during check-in. 
• Integration with SES.Hospedajes:
  • Automatic submission of information to the Ministerio del Interior platform within the specified deadlines.
• Secure storage:
  • Retention of records for the mandatory three-year period, in compliance with security and privacy standards.

Implementing these tools not only ensures regulatory compliance, but also optimises day-to-day operations and improves the guest experience.

1. Procedures and corrections in SES.Hospedajes:

• Amending submitted data: You can correct inaccurate data after submission by accessing the platform and using the option to correct submissions. If the error persists, you can delete the incorrect submission and enter the correct data again. 
• Problems and resubmitting information: If communication problems occur, it is essential to resend the data as soon as the issue is resolved. Pay close attention to the error message sent by SES.Hospedajes, as failure to report data may result in financial penalties, with the amount depending on the seriousness of the infringement. 

2. Regulations and compliance:

• Out-of-hours data registration: The regulations require data to be submitted electronically to the SES.Hospedajes platform as soon as possible after the guest arrives, regardless of the time. Although no restriction on the hours for entering data manually is specified, it is important to fulfil the registration obligation promptly.
• Retention of records and documents: Arrival forms must be signed by everyone over fourteen years old who uses the accommodation services. It is advisable to retain these paper documents in accordance with current legislation. 
• Guest check-in and records: Guests must provide their details and sign the accommodation check-in form. If they do not, they may be refused entry. 

3. Password management and technology:

Choosing a registration method: If the “envío de comunicaciones por servicio web” (Submit information via web service) checkbox is not enabled on the SES.Hospedajes platform, no web service access will be created, making it impossible to submit guest registration reports through iButlers. However, you can continue to submit them manually by logging in to the SES.Hospedajes portal.

SES.Hospedajes passwords: It is important to know that the password used to submit information to the SES.Hospedajes platform via its web service is not the same as the password used to access the SES.Hospedajes web application; they are two different passwords. If the password expires, you will need to change it to continue accessing the platform and submitting data correctly.