ANA DEL BARRIO Madrid

Madrid

Updated Monday, January 29, 2024-23:56

The hotel sector in Madrid continues to be in full swing, adding new accommodations every new season. The latest project to land in the capital comes from Coming to Town,

the company of Ignacio Catalán

- son of the president of AC Hotels by Marriott, Antonio Catalán - and his partner Salvador Torrens.

Yesterday, the plenary session of the City Council approved a special urban plan to implement a hotel in an old church, located in the Huertas area. The text went ahead with votes in favor of the PP and Vox and against the PSOE and Más Madrid, which

criticized the excess of accommodation that is being opened in the central area

, which is causing an excessive tourist load.

Ignacio Catalán

thus follows in the footsteps of his father, Antonio Catalán

, one of the great hotel entrepreneurs in this country, after founding the NH chains and, later, AC Hotels by Marriott, of which he is president.

Ignacio already launched

the Toc Hostels chain

in 2014 , specializing in modern hostels aimed at younger people. Now, Catalán is embarking on a new adventure in two plots located between the streets of San Pedro and Verónica, which belonged to the San Vicente de Paul Society, a charitable organization of lay Catholics.

On San Pedro Street, the current building has five floors and a basement, which had a religious use. The other building on Verónica Street has three floors and a nave where

a church was located in which there was no longer a religious rite.

The renovation works will maintain

the façade of the temple

, but contemplate partial demolitions and new works, for which an investment of five million euros will be undertaken.

Terrace, garden and pool

The two plots will be grouped into a single property of 2,363 square meters,

which will have 24 parking spaces

. The main entrance to the new hotel will be on San Pedro Street, the ground floor of which will house the reception, administration and common rooms.

Through this access you can also enter the garage and

the 65 rooms on the upper floors

. The reception will have access to the patio, where the common areas such as the terrace, garden and pool will be installed.

The establishment is located behind the Paseo del Prado towards the Huertas area, in a neighborhood that has been booming since the Landscape of Light - which includes the Retiro and the Paseo del Prado - was declared a

UNESCO World Heritage Site.

But this is not going to be the only hotel that opens in this area. Just 700 meters away, at 5 Ruiz de Alarcón Street, the City Council has given the green light to build

another luxury five-star establishment in the Jerónimos neighborhood.

The City Council argues that it is an area

with an undersupply of tourist accommodation

, despite the fact that it is a privileged enclave due to its proximity to the Prado Museum.

Catalan investors

Behind the initiative is

the Catalan company Inverbuilding

, which plans to invoice 1,500,000 euros per year, according to the project's financial report.

The original building was built in 1905 by the architect Enrique María Repullés y Vargas in order to house

the offices of the Sociedad General Azucarera de España

.

The property - owned by Barclays Bank that merged with CaixaBank - underwent two extensions in subsequent years, with the property now six stories high and with a basement. The remodeling includes restoring the protected facades and building 14 rooms per floor,

as well as a swimming pool and a jacuzzi for clients

.

These two projects are added to the new openings planned in the coming years. Next to the Madrid Casino, in Alcalá, 17, the founders of Prosegur will open

another luxury establishment with 60 rooms

.

And finally, a short distance away, Pescaderías Coruñesas together with the UMusic record company will inaugurate another new five-star that will unite three historic buildings:

the Reina Victoria Theater, the Meneses Building and the Casa Allende

.