When you’re traveling over the course of more than one day, it’s sometimes very convenient to have the option of a hotel on airport property. Over the years I’ve done so many times:
- The TWA Hotel (JFK)
- Crowne Plaza Changi Airport (SIN)
- The Grand Hyatt (SFO)
- Hyatt Regency DFW (DFW)
- Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- The Westin at DTW
Spain’s Two Largest Airports Join the Trend
Despite handling more than 120 million passengers combined in 2024, neither of Spain’s largest airports, Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas (MAD) and Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat (BAR) airports, currently have a hotel on its respective property. However, the country’s government-owned airport operator, Aena, has announced it has initiated the process to develop hotels on the respective properties of both airports.
The Barcelona hotel will be located in front of Terminal 2 (T2), which is currently mainly used by low-cost carriers. The Madrid hotel will be located within the airport’s Terminal 2, where Air Europa, Spain’s second largest independent airline, is the main tenant.
Hotel Details and Development Plans
The hotels will need to have at least 300 rooms each and offer a four-star level of service. They will each be required to offer services such as restaurants, conference facilities, retail establishments, and a fitness center. The design will be flexible, adaptable to the needs of the hotelier, while respecting urban planning and sustainability criteria set by Aena.
Aena plans to start a bidding process in the not-too-distant future and expects to attract interest from multiple international hotel operators. The winning hotelier(s) will be offered 75-year contracts to manage the hotels.
PC: Aviación al Día
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