canary islands law hotel adjustable beds chambermaids

Canary Islands Pass Law for Hotel Adjustable Beds to Aid Chambermaids

Parliament Approves Landmark Law for Chambermaids’ Health

The Parliament of the Canary Islands approved a new law on 15 April, mandating that tourist complexes across the islands install adjustable beds and motorised trolleys. The aim is to reduce the physical burden suffered by chambermaids, known locally as ‘kellys’. The legislation, originally proposed by the Socialist Group in 2024, marks a significant victory for a sector that has campaigned for better working conditions for a decade.

A Decade-Long Fight for Dignity

This achievement is not the result of an overnight demand. To understand their struggle, one must look back ten years to 2016, when chambermaids first organised as a collective to denounce their working conditions. Their primary concern was the severe deterioration of their health caused by the job, leading them to demand broader legal changes. These included early retirement, as the physical toll often leaves workers incapacitated before they reach the minimum retirement age.

Details of the New Regulations

The new law includes specific provisions for the less populated ‘green islands’ and small municipalities, penalties for non-compliance, and a flexible implementation schedule extending to 2033. Heritage establishments with a maximum of 30 rooms are exempt. Initially, adjustable beds were not the main focus for the kellys. They centred their attention on the overall physical deterioration resulting from their duties, which required them to make beds, clean, change towels, and mop floors at a relentless pace. However, their early activism laid the groundwork for this historic fight.

The Political Path to Legislation

In November 2023, the Canary Islands Government’s Councillor for Tourism and Employment, Jéssica de León (PP), announced a subsidy for the private sector to replace traditional hotel beds with adjustable ones, though she did not confirm if this would be enshrined in law. The leap to a specific legislative proposal came in early 2024 from the Canary Islands PSOE. They proposed amending the 1995 Canary Islands Tourism Law to impose an obligation on tourist complexes to have all beds be mechanically or electronically adjustable, mirroring legislation in the Balearic Islands to make cleaning work less injurious.

This first attempt met with rejection from the Canary Islands Government (CC-PP), which favoured implementing it by decree rather than law, arguing a law “would imply an increase in spending”. The Socialists’ proposal included government financing for part of the bed purchases for establishments with fewer than 50 places, a penalty procedure, and a schedule for hotels to incorporate them progressively from 2025 to 2029.

Studies, Pressure and Final Approval

Meanwhile, the regional government commissioned a study on psychosocial and ergonomic conditions in the Canary Islands hotel sector. The Tourism Ministry stated the analysis, involving technical visits to 228 hotels, would identify risk factors and lead to necessary measures, though it still did not mention a legal requirement for adjustable beds. Despite this, the debate grew, and the issue gained stronger parliamentary traction after weeks of political and union pressure.

The regional parliament contradicted the autonomous government’s stance and unanimously agreed to process the implementation of adjustable beds via law to reduce chambermaids’ workload. In December, the Consultative Council of the Canaries endorsed the bill. Finally, in April 2026, the full Parliament of the Canary Islands approved amending the Tourism Law to make adjustable beds and motorised trolleys obligatory. Vox abstained, calling it a “pikolín law”.

A “Magnificent” and Balanced Law

The driving force behind the initiative, Gustavo Santana of the Socialist Parliamentary Group, called the new law “magnificent”. He noted that “only 12% of Canary Islands hotels have adjustable beds and 6% have motorised trolleys,” adding that “it demonstrates that we can legislate in favour of the working class, with a balanced and flexible law to incorporate the beds and trolleys over the coming years. This law is an investment, not an expense,” he concluded.

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