Hotel group Sercotel and technology consultancy SEIDOR have named Controlá the winning startup of the first edition of OpenStay Lab, their joint open innovation programme designed to connect the startup ecosystem with real-world challenges in the hospitality industry and test technological solutions in operational hotels.
Controlá's selection marks the conclusion of a process that began with 14 applications. Following the assessment and selection stages, four startups progressed to the pilot phase, testing their solutions across nine Sercotel hotels, working alongside the hotel group's teams and with technological support from SEIDOR.
The proposals were assessed against criteria including innovation, technical and financial feasibility, scalability, impact on the guest experience, and improvements in productivity and efficiency. Following the completion of the pilots and an evaluation of the results, Controlá was selected to move forward to the next stage.
During OpenStay Lab, Controlá developed a solution that provides immediate notification when a guest vacates their room at check-out, using this information to adjust the room's heating and air conditioning. The aim is to reduce unnecessary energy consumption when rooms are unoccupied while also helping to streamline certain hotel operations.
Sercotel has confirmed that it will invest in Controlá to take the project forward. Both parties are finalising the terms of the agreement and the investment amount, which will fall within the maximum €100,000 allocated by OpenStay Lab to winning projects.
Luis Miguel Martín, CIO at Sercotel, commented: “OpenStay Lab has enabled us to test solutions in our hotels and make decisions based on real-world results. With Controlá, we are now entering a new phase as we continue to improve our operational efficiency.”
Meanwhile, Alberto Delgado, Director of Digital Transformation Consulting at SEIDOR, emphasised: “The programme demonstrates the value of applying technology to real-world processes, testing it against business needs and turning the insights gained into informed decisions. The selection of Controlá is a good example of how working with startups can accelerate the development of solutions with the potential to scale.”
OpenStay Lab was launched in November 2025 as a joint initiative by Sercotel and SEIDOR, as part of Sercotel's Innovation Hub. The call for applications attracted 14 technology startups, of which four were selected to run pilot projects at the hotel group's properties: Controlá, Defcon8, ProcessAP and Jaippy.
The four solutions addressed specific challenges in hotel operations, including energy efficiency and room management, water consumption, robotic task automation and online reputation management. The pilots provided an opportunity to test the solutions in real-world conditions and assess their potential for wider implementation and scalability.
With Controlá's selection, Sercotel and SEIDOR bring the first edition of OpenStay Lab to a close and are preparing a second call for applications, scheduled for November 2026.
