Incubator and Technological Innovation in Hospitality

Spark brings students closer to cutting edge hospitality innovation.

Through Spark, we’re building a global sphere to foster hospitality innovation, including pre-incubation and incubation services for startups which are bringing disruptive thinking to our industry and inspiration to our students.

We’re inviting students, alumni and industry partners to develop and test new hospitality solutions in living laboratories on campus.

Spark is also being embedded across our entire academic curriculum, putting innovation and entrepreneurship at the heart of the Les Roches Way of Life.

Get the latest updates from Spark

Meet some of the innovative startups we’re supporting; and find expert opinion and commentary on hospitality’s developing technologies.

See all posts

Hospitality’s personalization problem – and how to solve it

In hospitality, the customer is king… but how can hotels ensure their customers feel like royalty when so many online...

See all posts

Happy holograms: students gauge potential of futuristic tech in hotels

“Spark projects such as this one teach students to focus on the requirements of a real company in the knowledge…

The potential of generative AI in the hospitality & tourism industry – and how Les Roches is leading the way

By Pablo Garcia, Director of Spark Crans-Montana, Innovation Sphere by Les Roches The hospitality and tourism industry is constantly evolving,…

From virtual to reality: how Spark helps bring ideas to life

Les Roches students have been working with alumnus Kaiz Patel to bring his virtual reality hospitality training solution to life….

Discover Spark

We Inspire our students to develop an innovative mindset.

Events
Conferences
Spark TV & stories

Spark surrounds our students with innovative thinking. From guest speakers and alumni we invite to bring their experience and insights into the classroom, to exclusive networking events focused on technology, sustainability and more, there’s so much for Les Roches students to take from Spark.

One of our main events is Space and Underwater Tourism Universal Summit (SUTUS). We were delighted to host the fourth edition of the Space and Underwater Tourism Universal Summit (SUTUS) at our Marbella campus in September 2023. More than 500 professionals from 45 countries revealed the most ambitious challenges in this exciting tourism sector, while also sharing knowledge and business opportunities. Access SUTUS website here

Our Speakers Include

Ashraf Fala

CEO of O’ROOTS

BBA class of 2012

Elena Fabbrini

Founder and CEO of Nest

BBA Class of 2014

Farhad Ahadov

Co-Founder of Regibus International

BBA Class of 2020

Minnie Ang

Founders of Soufflé

BBA Class of 2011

Salma Miss

Founder & Managing Director of Disrupt

BBA Class of 2012

Tarfa Al Farhan

Founders of Soufflé

BBA Class of 2011

Tiago Brito

Co-Founder of The Rice Straw

BBA class of 2019

We Ignite our students’ passion for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Real-world consultancy challenges
Entrepreneurial opportunities
Living laboratory for hospitality innovation

Our Spark truly ignites. For students it means opportunities to work on real-life business consultancy and academic challenges, using genuine commercial cases provided by our industry partners.

Students also play their part in testing cutting edge products and services, helping to shape the future of hospitality innovation.

We Incubate disruptive startups by students, alumni and others.

Pre-incubation/incubation services
Startup coaching
Research & Development Center

Spark is helping to bring new concepts and new innovations to life, through specialized pre-incubation and incubation services offered at Crans-Montana and Marbella campuses.

Students can rub shoulders with some of the most creative minds in hospitality, as well as having the chance to pitch their own concepts to earn pre-incubation/incubation support.