Aena puts out to tender the construction of a hotel in Terminal 2 of El Prat Airport.

BarcelonaThe project ofexpansion of El Prat Aena is stepping on the gas. Aena wants an airport with greater capacity, but also with more services. One of those it has never had is a hotel, unlike what happens in other cities around the world. This pending issue is beginning to be resolved with the first steps toward putting out to tender the construction and operation of an establishment in Terminal T2. All this, the same week that the airport manager presented a €700 million renovation of Terminal T1, where it will advance the façade by approximately 38 meters to provide more space for check-in and security checkpoints.

Aena aims to attract large hotel operators and international investors to build a hotel in Terminal 2, which will accompany the renovation of a terminal that has been forgotten. The future establishment will have a maximum of 20,000 square meters spread over six floors, which will not exceed the height of the adjacent buildings. The plot where it will be built, measuring 8,550 square meters, is located opposite Terminal 2 and next to the terminal's parking block, where a few years ago homeless people lived. The space has not been used for years, since it ceased to be used as surface parking. Previously, it had served as a taxi waiting area.

The tender includes a 75-year surface right. The hotel aims for a minimum of four-star construction and a capacity of at least 300 rooms. In addition to offering accommodation, it is planned to have other services such as restaurants, conference rooms, shopping areas, and a gym. The fee to be paid by the successful bidder will vary based on revenue, but a guaranteed minimum annual fee must always be paid. According to Aena, the successful bidder may change the brand or manager of the establishment during the contract period, provided it is of a similar category and is part of an international hotel group.

The El Prat hotel is not the only one that Aena has put up for bid. Aena has the same plans for Barajas Airport, where it has planned an 18,400-square-meter establishment in Terminal 2. Interested parties can submit bids for both projects, either independently or jointly, within the next four months.

Providing hotel facilities at El Prat and Barajas Airport fits into Aena's plans to attract more economic activity to the surrounding land and to develop an airport city with logistics, aeronautical, and cargo companies. In this context, the manager awarded a 50,000-square-meter plot for logistics uses in Cilsa—owned by the Port Authority of Barcelona and Merlin Properties—before the summer after running out of space in the ZAL. More recently, DHL invested €80 million in launching a 10,000-square-meter warehouse, also dedicated to logistics.