Juan P. Julia Blanch
Quick Facts
Biography
Juan P. Julia Blanch is a Spanish LGBT activist and businessman. He is the founder and CEO of world's first gay-friendly Axel Hotels chain. He is the former chairman of the board of directors at International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) and the Catalan Association of Companies for Gays and Lesbians (ACEGAL), and had also founded Pride! Barcelona while he was part of ACEGAL.
Early life and career
Blanch was born in Barcelona in 1969. He founded Axel Hotels, the world's first LGBT and gay-friendly hotel with the first hotel opened in Barcelona, in 2003. Later in 2007, he opened its second hotel in Buenos Aires and then in Berlin in 2009. In 2017, Blanch moved his Axel Hotels headquarter registration from Barcelona to Madrid, although the company is still based in Barcelona.
He has been the chairman for the board of directors at International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA). He was the president of LGBT community festival, Pride! Barcelona, organized by his Catalan Association of Companies for Gays and Lesbians (ACEGAL). In June 2019, Blanch announced to leave the festival stating that it "has become too politicized."
Awards and honors
In 2008, Blanch was given National LGBT Chamber of Commerce award of "Entrepreneur of the Year". And in 2019, he was given SPARTACUS Travel Award for "Best Hotel" category for his Axel Hotels during the event held in Berlin.