RIU Hotels & Resorts has formalized the acquisition of the emblematic Princesa Sofía hotel in Barcelona, which until now belonged to Blasson Property Investments and BNP Paribas Asset Management Alts.
The transaction, considered one of the most notable hotel deals of the year in Spain, marks the entry of the Mallorcan chain into the Catalan capital after more than ten years scouting the market in search of an asset that fit its plans.
The property, with 465 rooms spread over 19 floors and one of the largest event and meeting complexes in Barcelona, is located on Joan XXIII avenue, very close to Diagonal avenue, next to Camp Nou, the headquarters of CaixaBank and opposite the Jardines de las Infantas and several campuses of the University of Barcelona, in the Les Corts-Pedralbes district.
RIU will take over the management of the establishment as of April 1, 2027.
The hotel will become part of the urban RIU Plaza range, becoming number 14 of this brand, already established in destinations such as London, New York and Chicago.
"With this hotel we fulfill a historic goal. We had been looking for the right opportunity to invest in Barcelona for more than a decade, which has been a strategic priority since we launched RIU Plaza in 2010. We are taking on the project with the same enthusiasm and professional dedication that we invested in the Riu Plaza Madrid, now our best-known asset," said Luis Riu, CEO of the company.
In the transaction, aCapital acted as adviser to the buyer and Eastdil and Colliers represented the seller.