Aena, Spain’s state-owned airport operator, has selected Barcelo and a Hyatt-linked partnership to develop new hotels at Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat airports, marking a major step in the operator’s long-running plan to transform Spain’s two busiest airport hubs into full airport cities.
Barcelo Arrendamientos Hoteleros has been chosen for the Madrid-Barajas site, while Momentum Velazquez SL in partnership with Hyatt was selected for Barcelona-El Prat. Both awards are pending final ratification by Aena‘s board of directors, but the two bids have emerged as the strongest proposals following the opening and evaluation of offers submitted in the tender process.
The projects form part of Aena‘s broader Airport Cities initiative, a strategic plan introduced under the company’s 2022-2026 framework to unlock the commercial value of land surrounding the two airports. Aena president and chief executive Maurici Lucena has described the initiative as essential, noting that Madrid and Barcelona are the only two large airports in Europe that do not have hotels within their perimeters, despite handling more than 120 million passengers combined in 2024.
Each hotel will be built on adjacent airport land under a 75-year surface right agreement, with the winning operators responsible for funding construction and operations. Both hotels must have a minimum of 300 rooms and are targeted primarily at the four-star segment, although higher categories may also be considered. The built-up surface area will reach approximately 18,400 square metres at Madrid-Barajas and 20,000 square metres at Barcelona-El Prat, with both properties to be located next to Terminal 2 at their respective airports.
In Madrid, Barcelo‘s proposal included an additional financial contribution of 26.25 million euros, a variable fee of 19 percent for the full duration of the contract, and a guaranteed minimum annual payment of 3.5 million euros from the first stabilised year of operation. In Barcelona, Momentum Velazquez and Hyatt offered an additional 9.1 million euros and a guaranteed minimum annual payment of 2.4 million euros once the hotel reaches a stable operating phase.
Both complexes will be required to offer supporting facilities including restaurants, meeting rooms, retail spaces, and a gym. Aena intends the hotels to function as new activity centres for passengers, airline crews, business travellers, and companies operating within the airport environment. The hotels are expected to be in operation by 2029.
The selection of Barcelo for Madrid is also notable for historical reasons. The site at Barajas was originally awarded for hotel development in 2007, but the project stalled after a dispute with construction firm Sampol. Aena won a legal case in 2019 requiring demolition of the incomplete structure, clearing the way for the current tender.
The award to Barcelo in Madrid and Momentum-Hyatt in Barcelona confirms sustained demand from major hotel groups for airport-adjacent locations with strong and diversified passenger flows. Once formally approved by the board, the winning operators will hold long-term control over two of the most strategically positioned hospitality sites in Spain.
