The Social Hub’ says ‘hola’ to Spain with two new locations – bringing its industry-leading, community-focused hospitality concept to Barcelona and Madrid
• Formerly The Student Hotel, the rebranded ‘The Social Hub’, launches two new hubs in Barcelona Poblenou and Madrid. Situated in bustling neighbourhoods, the new hotels will allow guests to experience cities like a local
• Experiences include breath-taking rooftop bars and pools, buzzing communal spaces catering to co-workers, guests and locals, rooms for 1-night to 1-year stays and inspiring meeting spaces to host business and local events
Fancy an autumnal getaway to Spain or Europe? Then check out the latest new offering from ‘The Social Hub’ that has launched two shiny new properties in Barcelona’s Poblenou district and in central Madrid overlooking the Royal Palace gardens.
Opening within the next month, both locations offer the perfect springboard into their host cities - whether you’re looking for the space to relax, unwind, work, learn, connect with others or simply have fun, The Social Hub is the perfect place to immerse yourself in the local culture. With just as much heart, soul and ping pong as ever, The Social Hub sees its community through a new lens – one of shared mindsets with people that want to create connections.
Complete with student, short and long stay accommodation, hotel rooms, co-working and meeting spaces as well as a curated events program, with the two new openings, The Social Hub will have 15 hubs across Europe across a selection of urban locations including Amsterdam, Berlin, Florence and Vienna.
The Social Hub Madrid which is in soft opening at the moment has its grand opening on 27 October, and The Social Hub Barcelona Poblenou opens its doors on 1 November.
With its 200 ambassadors and curated monthly events program, The Social Hub is social at heart, connecting its community with each other as well as the culture of the cities they’re in. Those looking to keep active can enjoy yoga and Pilates classes, cycling tours, or meditation, whilst culture seekers can attend lectures, book clubs and language lessons and more – there’s opportunities to meet new people and try something new.
This autumn, The Social Hub is launching The Community Table as part of its events program, offering a place for guests to meet likeminded members and changemakers. Hubs in locations such as Barcelona and Madrid will hold weekly Community Dinners, as well as talks about topics and initiatives that help create a better society, hosted by ambassadors such as Alejandro Palomo and Andrea Faroppa Cabrera.
Located in the creative and innovation heart of the city, the new Barcelona hub is situated just behind the Diagonal Norte – in the “it” district and must-visit neighbourhood of Poblenou. Poblenou also part of Barcelona’s 22@ area; an area of urban redevelopment known as a technology and knowledge cluster of the city.
The hotel just a few steps away from design university BAU and the Museu del Disseny for any culture seekers, as well as being a 20-minute stroll to the beach for travellers looking to chill and soak up some sunshine.
Poblenou also plays host to some of the city’s most exciting events: check out Palo Alto, a monthly second-hand market joining fashion, music, entertainment, and street food, or Llum Festival, combining art and technology through luminous installations – all on the doorstep of the hub.
The hub’s interior design by Miriam Barrio is inspired by Poblenou and the industrial soul of the neighbourhood, blending historical richness with exciting Avant Garde through rich earthy tones and wood textures. The hotel boasts two tranquil pool terraces for guests to enjoy – a fourteenth-floor rooftop bar and pool terrace with 360 panoramic views of the city, as well as a third-floor terrace with a swimming pool and chill-out facilities, perfect for balmy Barcelona days all year round.
For those looking to collaborate and be inspired, the hub has the biggest co-working space across The Social Hub portfolio at more than 3000m2. It also has a selection of contemporary queen, king and studio rooms for comfortable short- and longer-term stays.
For the party animals, the top floor hosts the Playroom: a totally soundproof larger suite and event space guests can spend the night, ideal for hosting friends or for those looking for a truly unique experience to remember. Designed by local illustrator Miranda Makaroff in her colourful style, it has retro furnishings and tactile materials including wall carpets, with a raised level backdrop featuring sunken sofas and a raised bed.
Convenient Poblenou is well-connected to the rest of the city via public transport, making it an ideal base for those looking to explore Barcelona and beyond on their travels. The cycling ring is also accessible from the area, offering more than 10km of cycling routes around the picturesque Mediterranean coast.
The Social Hub Madrid is an equally savvy choice for travellers – situated in the heart of the city and just around the corner from Plaza de España, one of the city’s newest urbanised, pedestrianised, and sustainable developments. The area is connected with beautiful walking routes that connect central Madrid's main attractions, including the Palacio Real, Gran Via, Conde Duque.
The hub has made home of a historic ex-publishing house, which used to host Spanish lifestyle and celebrity magazine Semana. It has a range of authentic original features including vaulted glass ceilings, wooden staircases, and a majestic stained-glass window. Spread over three levels, it features a stunning rooftop terrace with a swimming pool, solarium and a bar, with sweeping views of Palacio Real, Jardines Sabatini and the bustling city of Madrid.
Giving a warm welcome to the property, the entrance has been designed by Spanish artist Anna Taratiel, made of beautiful and colourful ceramics. Guests can also choose from a selection of bright queen, king and studio rooms inspired by the vibrant hues of Madrid.
For a quick and delicious refresher or to kickstart your day, the hub’s ground floor café will be managed in collaboration with specialty coffee makers Mision Café – serving brunch, delicious seasonal food and artisan coffee toasted in Madrid.
Charlie MacGregor, Founder and CEO of The Social Hub, commented: “We’re so excited to be opening our Barcelona and Madrid properties this autumn under our new identity of The Social Hub. Both properties are based in vibrant, innovative and exciting districts to explore, and are complete with features, spaces and experiences to provide our guests with an unrivalled experience. We’re also really proud of the events program we’re offering our community, and continuing to expand this through the launch of The Community Table.
Our new identity is truly representative of the journey we and our community have travelled over the last 10 years, and we’re so excited to continue to grow and develop our offering to further locations.’’
About The Social Hub
About The Social Hub
The Social Hub is a diverse community where people come to learn, stay, work, and play – previously known as The Student Hotel.
Designed to create meaningful, fun experiences, The Social Hub is your neighbourhood hub to discover, do better and make an impact; it's your space to call home.
Whether you're a local, traveller, student or professional, The Social Hub connects you with passionate people from all walks of life to meet, share ideas and experiences.
And it all happens under one hub. You'll find hotel rooms, student accommodation, coworking and event spaces, restaurants and bars, a gym, lounges – everything that brings people together.
Hybrid hospitality leaders
From design-savvy travelers to next-gen entrepreneurs, The Social Hub welcomes thousands of guests annually to its expanding portfolio of urban properties across Europe. Purpose-built or housed in historic converted buildings, The Social Hub’s industry-leading concept provides blended and flexible spaces to learn, stay, work and play for a night, a week, a month or a year – true, hybrid hospitality.
Founded in 2012, The Social Hub, formerly known as The Student Hotel, is headquartered in Amsterdam and has more than 800 employees. All The Social Hub properties offer a mixed-use with accommodation, bars, restaurants, gyms, retail shops, meeting and event spaces and high-profile coworking spaces. With over 11,000 rooms in Europe open and under development, The Social Hub aims to offer unique experiences to its community of international guests and locals.
The Social Hub’s total locations amount to 23, with 16 properties open in Berlin, The Hague, Delft, Vienna, Groningen, Eindhoven, Maastricht, Rotterdam, Paris, Florence, Bologna, Madrid, Barcelona, Toulouse and two in Amsterdam. Openings in 2023 include Glasgow, Porto and San Sebastián and more; by 2025, there will also be properties in Rome, Florence Belfiore, Lisbon and Turin.
On a responsible and impactful journey
The Social Hub is on a journey to be as responsible and impactful as possible – both in how we build our properties and how we engage with our communities. Our properties are developed and managed in accordance with BREEAM and GRESB standards and through our event programming we aim to inspire and activate our communities to contribute to a fairer and greener world. The Social Hub will start its journey towards B Corp Certification in 2023.