RIU achieves a historic milestone with the purchase of its first hotel in Barcelona

RIU Hotels & Resorts has just confirmed the purchase of the historic Hotel Princesa Sofia in Barcelona from its previous owners, Blasson Property Investments and BNP Paribas Asset Management Alts. The asset has a strategic location on Avenida Joan XXIII, just one block from Avenida Diagonal, right next to the Camp Nou, the iconic CaixaBank headquarters and opposite the Jardines de las Infantas and various University of Barcelona campuses, in the most elegant part of the Les Corts - Pedralbes district.

The hotel, which has 465 rooms spread over 19 floors and one of the largest event and meeting centres in the city, will be managed by RIU from 1st April 2027, becoming the 14th hotel in its Riu Plaza urban line, with which it is already present in world capitals such as London, New York or Chicago.

“With this hotel we are fulfilling a historic goal as we have been looking for the right opportunity to invest in the city of Barcelona for more than a decade, which has been a strategic priority for us since we launched our Riu Plaza line in 2010. We are facing this project with the same enthusiasm and professional dedication that we invested in the Hotel Riu Plaza de Madrid, which is our best-known asset today”, states Luis Riu, CEO of RIU.

The real estate transaction was brokered by aCapital for the buyer and by Eastdil and Colliers for the seller.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Which hotel has RIU Hotels & Resorts acquired in Barcelona? RIU has acquired the historic Hotel Princesa Sofia, located in the Les Corts - Pedralbes district.
2. When will RIU begin operating the Hotel Princesa Sofia? The chain will assume direct management of the establishment from 1st April 2027.
3. Under which brand will the new Barcelona hotel be integrated? It will be integrated as the 14th hotel in the Riu Plaza urban line.
4. Who were the owners of the asset before the purchase by RIU? The previous owners were the entities Blasson Property Investments and BNP Paribas Asset Management Alts.
5. What capacity and main facilities does the property have? It has 465 rooms spread over 19 floors and one of the largest meeting and event centres in the city.
6. Which firms advised on the sale transaction? The firm aCapital acted as intermediary for the buyer, while Eastdil and Colliers advised the seller.

About RIU Hotels & Resorts: The international RIU chain was founded in Mallorca, Spain, in 1953 as a small holiday business by the Riu family, founders and current owners in the third generation. The company focuses on holiday hospitality and more than 74% of its establishments offer the renowned All inclusive by RIU service. With the opening of its first city hotel in 2010, RIU expanded its range of products with its own line of urban hotels called RIU Plaza. RIU Hotels & Resorts has 101 hotels in 22 countries which in 2025 welcomed 6.8 million guests and employed a total of 38,955 staff. Currently, RIU is the 40th largest chain in the world, and the third in Spain by number of rooms.

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