Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, a luxury brand in the FRHI Hotels & Resorts (FRHI) portfolio, will manage the 432-room Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I in Barcelona, Spain. Fairmont will assume management of the property and will officially rebrand the hotel Fairmont Rey Juan Carlos I, Barcelona this autumn. The partner for this agreement is Barcelona Projects and JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group was retained to run the operator selection process.
As part of the agreement, the property will undergo an extensive renovation starting in 2015. The hotel will remain open throughout the revitalization period.
“This is an exciting asset for our portfolio in a key European gateway city,” said Jennifer Fox, president, FRHI International and Fairmont Brand. “Barcelona is one of the most popular destinations in Europe and a key hub for the cruise market, as well for MICE travel, a segment in which Fairmont has established itself as an industry leader. We’re thrilled to be adding this celebrated hotel to our portfolio and look forward to continued growth of the Fairmont brand in Europe and globally.”
The Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I, designed by renowned architect Carlos Ferrater, was the winner of the National Prize for Architecture in 1993. It was inaugurated by the King and Queen shortly before the Barcelona Olympic Games of 1992 and offers a wide breadth of amenities including the Polo Restaurant, Club Lounge, and a lobby bar. It provides large banquet and meeting space of 26,900 square feet and includes a fitness and spa with both indoor and outdoor pools, plus 13 treatment rooms. The hotel also provides direct access to the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya, a world-class congress center offering over 43,000 square feet of exhibition space and a 2,000-seat auditorium.
With a central location downtown, the hotel is situated on Barcelona’s main avenue, Avenida Diagonal, and offers panoramic views over the city and the sea. Situated near Barcelona’s famous shopping districts, Plaça Catalunya and Passeig de Gràcia, it is also next to Camp Nou, the stadium of the famous “Barca” Football Club and adjacent to the Royal Polo Club of Barcelona.
“Fairmont hotels are gateways to their destinations and are known for being distinctive, elegant and a true reflection of their locale; the Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I is the embodiment of this,” commented Martin Kandrac, executive vice president, real estate and development, FRHI Hotels & Resorts. “The addition of such a high profile asset, in a key gateway city, is an important part of our growth strategy in Europe and the hotel joins other iconic hotels in key markets such as The Savoy in London, Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in Hamburg, and Fairmont Monte Carlo.”
Barcelona is the capital city of Catalonia, Spain’s second largest city and one of the largest directly on the Mediterranean Sea. As the 10th most-visited city in the world, Barcelona is host to several million tourists each year. It is also home to historical monuments including eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
