Yannik Erhart

EY Family Enterprise Award of Excellence Class of 2023, Spain
CEO, Universal Beach Hotels, Spain

Yannik Erhart began a strategic plan to rebrand and reposition the hotel chain and launched the new Universal Beach Hotels brand in 2022.

Universal Beach Hotels is a hotel company and tour operator, established by Dr Alfred Erhart. The inception of the group was in 1947, when Dr Erhart recognized the desire of Europeans to travel and explore. Through his vision he foresaw the future of civil aviation and tourism which led to the creation of Universal Airtours S.A. in Switzerland. Two years later, he discovered the island of Majorca and was captivated by its beauty. 

Dr Erhart realized that there was a lack of quality hospitality establishments and decided to build his own hotels on the island. In 1963, he opened the first hotel, the Universal Hotel Aquamarín, without financial backing. 

In 1995, Philippe Erhart, from the second generation of the family, joined the company, focusing on the sustainable expansion and continuous modernization of the hotels. 

Yannik Erhart, the grandson of the founder, arrived in Mallorca in 2011 to diversify the marketing of hotels. At that time, the company had 16 establishments, and he began a strategic plan to rebrand and reposition the hotel chain. In January 2022, Yannik assumed the position of CEO of the hotel chain and led the company during the COVID-19 pandemic. He took advantage of the slowdown in activity to initiate a digital transformation plan and then launched the new Universal Beach Hotels brand in 2022.

Currently, Universal Beach Hotels has 18 establishments. In 2023, the inauguration of the comprehensive reform of Universal's first five-star hotel is planned with an investment of €11.5 million, as well as the merger of the Universal Hotel Aquamarín with Beach Club – with an investment of €5.5 million.

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