Agreement signed between Hotel Investment Partners and Room Mate Hotels

730 565 Hamish Kilburn
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Agreement signed between Hotel Investment Partners and Room Mate Hotels

Hotel Investment Partners (HIP) to invest EUR23 million in fully refurbishing the first hotel resort to be run by Room Mate Hotels…

Hotel Investment Partners (HIP), the largest owner of hotel resorts in Spain, has signed an agreement with Room Mate Hotels, the chain owned by Kike Sarasola, to manage the new Pax Barracuda hotel in Palma de Mallorca.

The agreement involves two hotels (Calviá Dreams and Barracuda), which HIP will convert into one by investing EUR23 million in a full-scale refurbishment and repositioning project. The opening of this new hotel will mark the renowned Spanish chain, Room Mate Hotels’ debut in the world of hotel resort management.

HIP’s strategy for assets such as these – large-scale properties with prized locations – is to create value via an investment and management plan designed to reposition the hotel on the market. “After investing EUR23 million in completely transforming the hotels, it was paramount to select the right management firm to operate them. We are in no doubt that Room Mate Hotels will bring the hotel management expertise needed to fully complete the repositioning process”, said Alejandro Hernández Puértolas, Founder and CEO of HIP.

“Entering the resort sector with HIP in a place like Mallorca is a surefire recipe for success for our first beach hotel,”  said Kike Sarasola, CEO and Founder of the Room Mate Group. “With this investment we are making a bold commitment to the Magaluf area, as so many other great chains have done, including the Escarrer de Meliá family. Our guests wanted Room Mate to open a beach hotel, so we’re going to take them by surprise once again.”

The brand new Pax Barracuda will open in April 2020 following 18 months of renovation works. It will boast a new and updated look and feel, and offer a range of guest experiences that will make it one of the most unique and appealing hotels in the area. The new hotel will have a four-star rating (the former Calviá Dreams had three stars and the Barracuda four) and 391 rooms. This is slightly fewer than before given the number of junior suites and suites has been considerably increased – a new premium 22-room building will be added, while the main building will also offer an additional 18 premium rooms. The new Room Mate Hotels beach complex – with a built area of 39,481 sqm and situated on a plot comprising over 19,665 sqm – is set to create more than 240 direct jobs.

The rooms and communal areas have been designed by the highly-esteemed Barcelona interior designer Jaime Beriestain. The new design will also feature complementary services including beauty treatments, a gym, children’s club and activities in the swimming pool areas. To further enhance the experience, guests will be able to choose from a range of new dining options, from an all-you-can-eat buffet to à la carte restaurants, and will also be able to enjoy show-cooking that will be held in open spaces and feature a wide variety of culinary options.
This is a unique project designed to completely transform both the hotel’s concept and range of services, and target guests with a medium-high purchasing power, including families. It also aims to upgrade the service to bring it into line with the Room Mate’s exacting standards and create additional value as part of the hotel’s repositioning process – a process that also affects the marketing strategy, which aims to reduce the number of guests who come via tour operators.

Room Mate Hotels, which was founded in Spain in 2005, boasts 26 hotels – equating to close to 1,800 available rooms – and has a further 11 hotel openings in the pipeline. Its philosophy is based on the idea that the best way of travelling is by visiting friends in different cities, friends with similar lifestyles who can show us what they have learnt and experienced in the city by giving us a guided tour.

Design plays a defining role at Room Mate Hotels. Renowned designers such as Patricia Urquiola, Lázaro Rosa Violán, Tomás Alía, Lorenzo Castillo, Pascua Ortega and Teresa Sapey, amongst others, have all showcased their design prowess on the company’s hotels throughout the world.

Main image credit: Room Mate Hotels

Hamish Kilburn / 11.07.2019

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