Palladium Opens 2nd Only You Hotel In Madrid

14 November 2016 – Expansión

Only You has come a long way since the end of February, when Abel Matutes Prats first introduced the future Hotel Only You Atocha and the project was still a building site. Now the scaffolding has been removed, and the second hotel owned by the brand that belongs to the Palladium Hotel Group is ready to go.

The establishment is expected to be opened within the next few days – definitely before the end of November – to join the firm’s other Only You property on Calle Barquillo in Madrid. This new hotel, located on Paseo Infanta Isabel, will have 206 rooms (192 doubles and 14 suites).

Designed by Lázaro Rosa-Violán

The interior designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán has worked with the Matutes family once again and has made the property its own. The firm has created an industrial environment, with old fashioned tiled floors, cobblestones, retro styles and multi-spaces, all under one roof.

The lobby, restaurant and reception all merge into one and are full of typical Rosa-Violán features. (…). In this vein, the hotel will house a retro American-style gym, which will offer a personal trainer service and running club.

Here, one sometimes feels that one is not in a hotel, but rather in a fashion store. A sensation sought and found. The dream of any hotel is to turn its restaurant into a pilgrimage destination, even for non-guests. Hotel Only You Atocha will have its own Trotamundos restaurant, with the gastronomy of chef Javier Mora, alongside Jon Giraldo and Jaime Liebermande (chefs from Spoonik in Barcelona), who will present a mixture of cuisine from Latin America, Asia and Spain.

The bar will also be large, and will offer a comprehensive wine list and cocktail menu. There will be a Mamá Framboise (cake and pastry) stand in the lobby of the hotel, with recipes from Alejandro Montes.

The top floor will house a Youniverse restaurant, which will serve breakfast. The space has different corners and themed trolleys with tables both inside and on the terrace. In addition, the hotel has a well-appointed treatment room managed by Caroli Natura Bissé and adaptable meeting rooms for events. (…).

Only You Hotel Atocha is located opposite the train station of the same name.

Original story: Expansión (by Nerea Serrano)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Infinorsa Renovates Torre Europa To Attract New Tenants

8 August 2016 – Expansión

Torre Europa is completing the final details (of its renovation process) ahead of the debut of its new image from September. The iconic building – one of the first multiple ownership office buildings in Madrid, constructed in 1985 – will boast a new external façade, as well as a refurbished entrance lobby, floors and common areas, in order to appeal to new tenants.

Infinorsa, the majority owner of the property, has launched an ambitious transformation project, in which it is investing €20 million, with the aim of updating and improving the inside and outside of Torre Europa, equipping it with more light and technological innovations, and whereby allowing it to charge 20% higher average rents. Until now, the rent for Torre Europa has fallen in the middle band for buildings in Azca. With the changes, the rental charge could exceed €27.5/sqm/month.

Tenants

The building, designed by the architect Miguel Oriol e Ybarra, is located in Madrid’s financial district of Azca, just a stone’s throw away from the Santiago Bernabéu stadium and the Palacio de Congreso. The property has 32 floors and is 121 metres tall.

Following the departure of the building’s main tenant, KPMG, a few months ago, Torre Europa, with a leasable surface area of 43,000 sqm, currently has around 20,000 sqm of space available for rent. “High quality spaces are currently in demand. We must respond to the new paradigm, with brighter and technologically prepared spaces. This transformation seeks to adapt the property to the needs of the day, whilst at the same time retaining its essence and enhancing its unique qualities”, explained Fernando Ferrero, Director of Operations at Infinorsa.

The renovation process has been complicated by the fact that it has been performed at the same time as the current tenants are occupying approximately half of the building. For this reason, the construction work has been carried out during the night: “This has made the process more expensive, but, in return, we have caused less disruption to the tenants”.

Inside and outside

The work inside the building has involved the renovation of the entrance hall, the common areas and the floors, which is expected to be completed in September. The transformation of the hall will give rise to a much airier entrance, with higher ceilings and a brighter space overall. In terms of the floors, the glass of the windows will go down to the floors, in order to benefit from the natural light and the height of 260 cm per floor.

In terms of the changes outside, the plan involves covering the pillars with steel to preserve the structure, at the same time as updating the image. Similarly, an integrated glass canopy will be added to the external structure. This work is expected to be finalised during the first quarter of 2017.

In terms of technology and other new features, the building will have LED lighting and sensor systems to control both the light and ambient temperature. In addition, Torre Europa will have the technological tools to benefit from big data and geolocation services. Sources at Infinorsa explain that the project fits with the push that the Administrations are giving the capital’s financial district.

Original story: Expansión (by Rebeca Arroyo)

Translation: Carmel Drake