Tag: meeting rooms

Impact Hub Opens its 4th Co-Working in Madrid Spanning 2,300 m2

28 November 2018 – Eje Prime

Impact Hub is expanding in Madrid. The co-working company has just opened its fourth centre in the Spanish capital, a space spanning 2,300 m2 in the Justicia neighbourhood, which is home to 250 work spaces. It is the company’s second opening in the city so far this year, according to a statement by Impact Hub.

The co-working office is located in the Barceló area, in the heart of Madrid, and is distributed over three storeys. In addition to the work spaces, the property houses fourteen meeting rooms of varying sizes for events and meetings.

This new opening follows another that the company completed in April in Chueca, where it has a centre spanning 2,000 m2 on Calle Piamonte. Nevertheless, the company’s expansion activity will not end with this fourth centre.

During the first quarter of 2019, Impact Hub will open its fifth centre in Madrid in Torre Picasso, as revealed by Eje Prime. That co-working office will occupy 2,000 m2 of space in the property owned by Pontegadea, which has leased the commercial premises in the iconic skyscraper to the company.

When it opens in Torre Picasso, the company will have more than 9,000 m2 of flexible office space and will positioned as the fourth player in the co-working sector in Spain. The company’s first two centres are located in the Las Letras neighbourhood.

Antonio González, Director General of Impact Hub Madrid, highlights that his company aspires to be “a bridge between diverse organisations to join efforts and talent towards a common goal: that of generating a positive impact from the field of entrepreneurship and innovation.

In Madrid and Barcelona alone, the market for co-working offices grew by 71% to September, according to data from a report about flexible working spaces compiled by the consultancy firm Cushman & Wakefield.

Original story: Eje Prime 

Translation: Carmel Drake

Baraka Triggers the Immediate Suspension of the Building Work at Edificio España

23 November 2018 – El Economista

The magistrate of the Court of First Instance nº 67 of Madrid has ruled that the building work on Edificio España in Madrid be suspended immediately due to the risk alleged by Baraka before that legal body.

Baraka, the company owned by the businessman Trinitario Casanova, filed a lawsuit before the courts of Madrid in August requesting the suspension of the building work on the hotel in Edificio España, in Madrid, which is now owned by the hotel chain Riu. The hotel firm purchased the iconic building in Plaza España from Baraka last year.

Baraka is claiming in the courts that the commercial premises inside the building, spanning 15,000 m2, belong to it and that Riu is refusing to sign across the deeds.

The hotel group Riu indicates that it has not yet received any notification to suspend its building work, according to sources speaking to El Economista. The hotel chain clarifies that Baraka does not have any contract with purchase rights or to register on public record the commercial space in Edificio España. Indeed, they note that at the time of Riu’s purchase of the building, Baraka signed “a non-representative mandate contract to search for investors for the commercial area, which it has failed to do”, despite repeated requests from the hotel chain.

The firm points out that a sales agreement has been reached with Corpfin Capital Real Estate for the commercial area, which was signed in September and which is on the verge of being executed. Riu is threatening to sue Baraka for damages and losses if the building work at Edificio España is affected. The hotel chain is going to invest between €380 million and €400 million in the project, including the purchase of the building (around €272 million) and its renovation.

The future hotel will be a four-star property and will have 589 rooms, 15 meeting rooms and almost 3,000 m2 for social and corporate events. The inauguration of the hotel is planned for September 2019 and the property will operate under the brand Riu Plaza.

Original story: El Economista (by Alba Brualla)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Sabadell Sells Bal Hotel & Spa in Gijón to Grupo Artiem

27 December 2017 – Revista Hostel Pro

The 5-star Bal Hotel & Spa has 45 fully equipped rooms (doubles, junior suites and suites), as well as 4 meeting rooms, a restaurant, a piano bar, an extensive spa measuring 450 m2, a gym, 3 padel courts, a car park and a large garden area for events. It is located in Asturias, just 10 minutes from the city centre of Gijón.

The asset has been acquired by Grupo Artiem, which is also going to operate the property itself. Grupo Artiem, originally from Menorca, has a long history on its home island. It has recently started to operate hotels in the urban segment, incorporating the 4-star Artiem Madrid Hotel, with its 83 rooms, into the chain.

José Guillermo Díaz Montañés, CEO of Grupo Artiem, highlights: “The features of the property and its location in Asturias, a region that fits perfectly with our value proposition, make the Bal Hotel Spa Business & Leisure the perfect candidate for incorporating into Artiem Fresh People Hotels, given that our business philosophy is based on well-being, sustainability and people. The facilities and, above all, the team that we are incorporating into the Group will allow us to start to grow in the north of Spain and remain faithful to our philosophy and management model.

Íñigo Cumella, Hotel Broker and the person responsible for the operation, indicated: “this is a unique property in the area, both due to its quality as well as the variety of its services and facilities. On the other hand, its environment and location (just 10 minutes by car from both the beach and Gijón city centre) make it very attractive for leisure guests, as well as for the organisation of corporate meetings and the celebration of events. The completion of this operation once again highlights the significant investor interest in the hotel sector, where luxury assets such as the Bal Hotel & Spa are continuing to generate demand”.

Meanwhile, Inmaculada Ranera, Director General in España and Portugal added: “The month of December is proving to be particularly intense in terms of the closing of operations. We hope that this won’t be the last announcement of its kind before the end of 2017”.

Original story: Revista Hostel Pro 

Translation: Carmel Drake

RIU Starts Work On Edificio España To Open Hotel In 2019

24 October 2017 – Expansión

The Mallorca-based hotel chain RIU has started work to renovate Edificio España, which will house its first hotel in Madrid and which will be the company’s flagship property in the country.

The future RIU Plaza will have a four-star rating and will contain 589 rooms and 15 meeting rooms, with almost 3,000 m2 to be used for events. Moreover, the hotel will have a gastro bar in the reception, two restaurants and a sky bar located on the two upper floors, one of which will have a terrace and a swimming pool.

The hotel chain purchased Edificio España from Baraka back in June in a three-way transaction, shortly after the Murcian group owned by Trinitario Casanova had purchased the property from Wanda for €272 million.

Original story: Expansión (by R. Arroyo)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Nobu Hospitality Announces Opening Of Nobu Hotel And Restaurant In Barcelona

13 September 2017 – Hospitality Net

Globally established luxury lifestyle brand Nobu Hospitality, founded by Nobu Matsuhisa, Robert De Niro and Meir Teper, and the Selenta Group, a Spanish real estate and hotel group owned by Jordi Mestre, is delighted to announce their continued European expansion into Barcelona, Spain.

Set to open by the end of 2018, as part of a multi-million Euro refurbishment of Gran Hotel Torre Catalunya, this property will be an integrated mix of a Nobu Hotel and Restaurant reflecting the innovation and imagination that has become synonymous with the name Nobu. The property will continue to be part of the Selenta Group collection. The partnership agreement with Nobu Hospitality gives rise to the shared management of the new establishment.

Capturing the unique essence of the famous European city whilst reflecting the brand’s core aspirational lifestyle offering. The fourth European hotel and third Spanish property from the highly recognized brand, the 250 rooms and suites along with its meeting rooms, event spaces and Nobu restaurant will be under a long-term management contract with Nobu Hospitality.

Original story: Hospitality Net

Edited by: Carmel Drake

Senator Buys Hotel Parque Central de Valencia From Sareb

21 July 2017 – Hosteltur

Senator Hotels & Resorts has purchased Parque Central Hotel de Valencia from Sareb. The chain has operated the establishment since 2010 under its urban Senator Hotels brand. It has also taken ownership of the property’s garage.

The hotel in question comprises 192 rooms and is located in the subsequent development of Parque Central de Valencia next to the AVE station, in a very central area and close to the city’s historical centre and shopping district.

The establishment also has meeting rooms with capacity for up to 1,100 people, which are ideal spaces for holding conferences and banquets.

Original story: Hosteltur

Translation: Carmel Drake

Hotel Chain Attica21 Acquires Its First Hotel In Madrid

11 January 2017 – Inmodiario

The hotel chain Attica21 has acquired its first property in Madrid, the Gran Hotel Las Rozas. Attica21 Hotels, which is owned by the Inveravante Corporation and which already owns hotels in Galicia and Barcelona, has completed the integration and refurbishment of this new hotel to ensure that it complies with the group’s standards. It will start to operate the property, now known as the Gran Hotel Attica21 Las Rozas, under the Attica21 brand from the beginning of 2017. The hotel is an urban establishment, which will generate 30 direct jobs.

Located in the heart of the Las Rozas Business Centre, next to the A-6 (A Coruña) motorway and just a few minutes from the centre of Madrid, the property is a modern, elegant and functional 4-star hotel with 90 double rooms, including 3 Junior Suites and 3 rooms for disabled guests.

Aimed at both business and leisure clients, the hotel has several restaurants, as well as facilities for holding events and company meetings. To this end, it has a cafeteria with a terrace, a hall for banquets and events with capacity for 200 people (Mirador Las Rozas) with an extensive outdoor space, gardens, terraces, facilities for celebrating civil weddings and an outdoor space for drinks receptions; as well as 570m2 of meeting rooms. Moreover, it has a Fitness Center, a gym, sauna and changing rooms with hydro-massage showers and private parking.

Attica21 Hotels

The chain Attic21Hotels, created in 2008, owns six 3- and 4-star hotels located in Galicia and Cataluña: Attica21 Coruña, Attica21 Barcelona Mar, Spa Attica21 Villalba, Aparthotel Vallès (Sabadell), Apartamentos Portazgo and As Galeras Hotel Apartamentos. Attica21’s hotels are characterised by their modern feel and by the broad range of services that they offer their clients; they also represent very good value for money. The chain is also renowned for its commitment to high quality catering.

Original story: Inmodiario

Translation: Carmel Drake

EY Gets Ready To Move 2,500 Professionals To Torre Azca

1 December 2016 – Expansión

EY is preparing to move into Torre Azca, previously known as Torre Titania, and is completing the final details of its move, which will be completed next March. The professional services firm will occupy 22,000 m2 of this 100-m tall building, which is owned by El Corte Inglés.

EY will occupy eleven office floors in this property, whose lower floors are occupied by the distribution group’s department store. EY’s employees will have direct access from the street. Specifically, 2,500 professionals will be located on floors 10 to 18, and the 19th floor will be used for external client meeting rooms, with more than 15 meeting rooms and an auditorium. Meanwhile, the 9th floor will house a canteen and a space for events and training. EY will also have a room with panoramic views of Madrid where it will hold presentations and events.

The firm will place is logo at the top of the tower, which will include more than 28 LED modules and will be visible from the Paseo de la Castellana and from Paseo del Prado. EY has been advised by the real estate consultancy CBRE regarding the design of the new offices and the logo, which is currently being installed.

Besides Torre Azca, EY will also lease 2,000 m2 of additional space in Torre de Mahou for its reprographic team. The President of EY España, José Luis Perelli, explained to Expansión that the move to the tower will be completed in several phases. “Two floors have already been occupied by employees from the finance team, who moved in in October. They are busy resolving questions and ensuring that everything is working property, in an effort to minimise problems when most of the staff move in”.

Perelli explains that the move to the new headquarters responds to a change, not only in the building needs, but also in the culture. “We need collaborative spaces that allow us to prioritise the resolution of clients’ needs with multidisciplinary teams”.

The Director of Human Resources at EY in Spain, José Luis Risco, explained that EY’s staff will be able to work on “any floor in the building because the technological means will allow it”. The company is committed to “paperless, open spaces, without any offices”, which promote flexibility and interaction between workers.

Nevertheless, to facilitate the need for so-called Chinese walls, workers will be able to use soundproof rooms on every floor so that they can work with their teams and have confidential conversations.

In line with current intelligent buildings, EY’s new offices will be equipped with the latest technological solutions. For example, there will be a wifi connection throughout the tower, and the building will have 25 video-conference rooms as well as a centralised system for booking meeting rooms, which will allow users to reserve a meeting room from anywhere in the world using an app.

The new offices are located in the heart of the financial district, just a stone’s throw from Torre Picasso – EY’s headquarters until now – and are well connected in terms of public transport. The property also has a car park.

Original story: Expansión (by Rebeca Arroyo)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Aena Plans To Sell Off Land & Move Its HQ To Barajas

21 June 2016 – El Confidencial

(…). Aena has launched an ambitious plan to generate the maximum possible returns from its vast land holdings, above all, those located around the two jewels in the group’s crown: the Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez and Barcelona-El Prat aerodromes.

The airport manager, whose main objectives since it debuted on the stock exchange has been to optimise its real estate assets, has decided to split the land auction that it has launched into three batches to obtain the maximum benefit from its wealth: the first is limited to Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez; the second to Barcelona-El Prat airport; and the third comprises all of the strategic and real estate consultancy work.

According to El Confidencial, the only way of participating in the bid is by invitation and to this end, the company led by José Manuel Vargas is now making contact with the best international firms in the sector.

In order to benefit from the extensive plan, the company has also decided to consider transferring its headquarters to the capital’s airport, where Aena has ambitious plans, not only to construct offices and hotels, but also to complete its service offering, with meeting rooms for executives, as well as new hangars and warehouses. (…)

Behind Aena’s plans is the logic that the airport manager is the tenant of the buildings that it currently occupies in the capital and which it would vacate if this operation ends up going ahead: the building on Calle Arturo Soria 109, which houses Aena Desarrollo Internacional, and the property on Peonías 12, in the elitist area of La Piovera.

New times, new businesses

(…). Aena owns 2,000 hectares of land around its aerodromes, land that is concentrated in Madrid (which accounts for 40% of the total or 800 hectares) and Barcelona (18% or 360 hectares). The vast size of this space, together with the hub nature of these two infrastructures, are the two pivots around which the public company is designing its master plan.

On the one hand, it wants to take advantage of the boom in e-commerce and of the growth of companies such as Amazon, to construct and lease warehouses that will become the large storerooms of these types of companies in our country. (…).

On the other hand, Aena also wants to build new hangars for airlines on land closer to the airport terminals, something that it has already done under the terms of the agreement signed with Globalia for its subsidiary Air Europa at Terminal 1.

Finally, the airport manager wants to build hotels, offices and meeting centres in the vicinity of Barajas and El Prat, an initiative aimed at turning the two jewels in its crown into genuine airport cities and meeting points, which will allow executives from all over the world use these two infrastructures as their operational bases. (…)

Original story: El Confidencial (by Ruth Ugalde)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Sabadell Awarded Hotel Barceló Cervantes In Oviedo

26 October 2015 – Expansión

Banco Sabadell has just been awarded the Hotel Barceló Cervantes, in Oviedo (Asturias) in exchange for debt it was owed. The hotel used to belong to an individual and has now been transferred to HI Partners, which is continuing to rapidly grow its portfolio of hotel assets.

The hotel in the Asturian capital has 72 rooms and a 5-star rating, and will continue to be managed by Barceló. It is located in the city centre, in a building that was used as a large luxury home at the beginning of the twentieth century; two glass-fronted wings were subsequently added to the property (see picture above). It has a restaurant, bar and 12 meeting rooms with capacity for more than 300 people.

HI Partners’ hotel portfolio includes another hotel managed by Barceló, namely the Barceló Estepona Thalasso, a 4-star establishment located on the coast of Malaga.

One of the other key assets owned by Banco Sabadell’s manager is Hotel Prestige Coral Playa, located in Roses (Girona) with 167 rooms. HI Partners also owns hotels in Huesca, Tarragona, Navarra, Tenerife, Cádiz, Almería, Valencia and Barcelona, where it was recently awarded one of Husa’s properties.

Original story: Expansión

Translation: Carmel Drake