Accessibility statement from Barceló Hotel Group
First publication date: June 19, 2025
Last updated: December 18, 2025
I. Organization and Scope
- Responsible entity: Barceló Hotel Group
- Websites covered:
- https://www.barcelo.com
- https://reservation.barcelo.com
- Mobile Apps: A full audit was not conducted; only a basic manual smoke test was performed on the mobile website using iOS (VoiceOver + Safari) and Android (TalkBack + Chrome). A comprehensive accessibility assessment of the mobile user experience is included in the evaluation plan, and a full audit will be scheduled at a later stage.
- Audited Modules: Booking Home, LP Hotel Booking, Navigation Menu, LP Destination, LP Hotel Info, CBE and Extras; and, additionally (July–December 2025), Corales Suites, Corales Resort, Login/Register, Booking (Corales), 12 URLs for Corales, and hotel information sheet. In design, four Figmas were reviewed: Flash Sales, Corales, Step 3, and the Corales menu.
- Methodologies and Tools: Comprehensive audit with manual testing (NVDA, keyboard-only, mobile screen readers) and automated evaluations (axe DevTools, WAVE).
II. Regulatory Framework, Level of Compliance, and Legal Deadlines
This website is partially compliant with the UNE-EN 301 549:2023 standard, due to the exceptions indicated in section 5. We are also voluntarily working to meet the relevant criteria of the WCAG 2.2 Level AA Guidelines.
Legal references and schedule:
| Date | Obligation under Law 11/2023 (transposition of Directive (EU) 2019/882 in Spain) |
| 28 June 2025 | New digital products and services introduced in the market must be accessible from the moment they are launched. |
| 28 June 2025 | Effective date of application of the framework derived from Directive (EU) 2019/882 (EAA). |
| 28 June 2030 | End of the transitional period provided for in certain cases (e.g., continued use of certain previous products and/or pre-existing service contracts, according to the applicable transitional regime). |
III. Measures to Support Accessibility
A comprehensive accessibility audit was conducted by A11ySolutions specialists, utilizing automated tools and tests with screen readers.
Methodologies and tools used
Integration of accessibility testing into the development and QA workflow.
Internal training programs (February-June 2025):
Strategic introduction to accessibility.
WCAG 2.2 for technical teams.
Inclusive design for UX/UI.
Development of accessible components.
Annual roadmap with quantifiable budget and goals.
Since the last update, the improvement plan has been implemented continuously, with a significant number of issues already corrected and verified between July and December 2025 (e.g., improvements to datepickers and announced messages/statuses, dialogs and carousels with appropriate semantics, reflow, and visible focus).
Likewise, the preventive approach was reinforced through design accessibility reviews (Figma) and complementary audits in real environments on new areas and critical flows. The corrections have prioritized high-impact barriers related to keyboard operability, ARIA structure and semantics of dialogs/carousels, visible focus, messages and statuses announced by screen readers, reflow to 320px, text resizing (up to 200%), and contrast.
IV. Evaluation Method
A comprehensive audit was carried out by specialists from A11ySolutions using:
- Desktop training:
- NVDA + Chrome (Windows 11)
- NVDA + Firefox (Windows 11)
- Keyboard-only navigation
- Complimentary automatic assessments: axe DevTools, WAVE.
Mobile smoke test:
VoiceOver + Safari (iOS)
TalkBack + Chrome (Android)
V. Non-Accessible Content (representative examples)
Module |
Barrier detected |
WCAG Criteria |
Priorities |
Status |
Home Booking |
Date picker inaccessible by keyboard |
2.1.1 Keyboard |
High |
Corrected |
Core Booking Engine |
Insufficient contrast on "Select" buttons |
1.4.3 Minimum contrast |
High |
In progress |
Extras (mobile) |
Dialogs without role="dialog" or aria-modal (or equivalent semantics) |
4.1.2 Name, role, value |
Medium |
Corrected |
Booking Home |
“Room and Guest popup”: accordion control not accessible |
2.1.1 Keyboard |
High |
Corrected |
Core Booking Engine |
“Select dates”: datepicker not implemented in an accessible manner |
4.1.2 Name, role, value |
Medium |
Corrected |
Global menu (Header) |
Navigation menu controls are not focusable with Tab or operable with a keyboard. |
2.1.1 Keyboard |
High |
In progress |
Global menu (Header) |
White text in the "News" section lacks sufficient contrast against the background images. |
1.4.3 Minimum contrast |
High |
In progress |
Global menu (Header) |
At 200% zoom, menu content is obstructed |
1.4.4 Change text size / 1.4.10 Reflow |
Medium |
In progress |
Login/Register |
Error messages are not announced by the screen reader in the "My Barceló" pop-up |
4.1.3 Status messages |
Medium |
In progress |
Note: The improvement plan is underway, and this list will be updated as fixes are released.
VI. Compatibility with Browsers and Technical Aids
Evaluated with the two most recent stable versions of Chrome and Firefox, and with the following combinations of assistive technologies:
- NVDA + Chrome (Windows 11)
- NVDA + Firefox (Windows 11)
- VoiceOver + Safari (iOS)
- TalkBack + Chrome (Android)
There may be limitations in browsers that are more than three versions old or in Internet Explorer 11.
VII. Feedback and Contact
If you detect accessibility barriers, please get in touch with us:
- E-mail: a11y@barcelo.com
- Customer service telephone number. (local number)
We usually respond within 72 business hours.
VIII. Statement Preparation
This statement was reviewed and updated on December 18, 2025, based on the detailed audit described in Section IV, as well as the remediation and verification follow-up carried out between July and December 2025.
It will be reviewed at least every six months or after significant changes to the site.
Statement prepared by A11ySolutions for Barceló Hotel Group following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and the statement model recommended by W3C.
