The Social Hub secures €566m in refinancing to develop its portfolio

Amsterdam, 27 November 2023 – The Social Hub (TSH) has secured a €566 million refinancing facility with Aareal Bank and two participating lenders, one of which being Rabobank. Operated under TSH’s hybrid hospitality concept offering co-working, events, hotel, extended-stay rooms and student accommodation, the cross-border portfolio comprises 13 properties across the Netherlands, Spain, France and the UK. Aareal Bank acted as the arranger, agent, and security agent of the senior loan, which is classified by Aareal as a Green Loan under its own Green Finance Framework.  

With nearly 7,000 rooms across Europe and another 3,000 in the pipeline, The Social Hub, formerly known as The Student Hotel, has evolved into an enviable brand among tourists, students, and young professionals alike. 

“We are pleased to share that once again, our unique hybrid model has proved itself, with the lenders showing strength and confidence in The Social Hub,” says Charlie McGregor, CEO and founder of The Social Hub.  “We were delighted to be able to partner up with experienced lenders like Aareal Bank and Rabobank, who understand the demands of our business and demonstrate strong operational and local expertise. The successful refinancing of our portfolio will allow us to further invest in the growth and quality of our platform across Europe, with upcoming hotel openings in San Sebastian, Glasgow, Rome, Florence and Porto in the next eighteen months.” 

Michelle Weiss, Head of Hotel Properties at Aareal Bank, says: “We are delighted to establish this relationship with such a unique hospitality brand and operator as TSH.  The distinction between traditional hotel services, co-working, co-living, student accommodation and retail is becoming blurred. Today, people live, work and travel differently; they crave that social aspect and sense of community. TSH offers just the right blend of liveliness, style, and function in a concept that has been proven to be both highly resilient and attractive." 

Lenders’ legal counsel, led by Van Doorne in the Netherlands, further comprised White & Case in Spain, Pinsent Masons in Scotland, and De Pardieu Brocas Maffei in France, while TSH was advised on this transaction by Clifford Chance. The valuation was carried out by CBRE. 

– ENDS – 

For more information, extra images or interview request, contact press@thesocialhub.co  

About Aareal Bank  

Aareal Bank Group, headquartered in Wiesbaden, was founded 100 years ago and has since become a leading international property specialist. The Bank uses its expertise to identify trends, challenges and opportunities at an early stage, and to exploit them for the benefit of its stakeholders. Today, it offers smart financing, software products and digital solutions for the property sector and related industries, and is present across three continents: Europe, North America and Asia/Pacific. Aareal Bank Group’s business strategy focuses on sustainable business success, with environmental, social and governance aspects as an integral part of this strategy.  

Aareal Bank AG comprises the business segments: Structured Property Financing, Banking & Digital Solutions and Aareon. The Structured Property Financing segment encompasses all of Aareal Bank Group’s property financing and funding activities. Here, the Bank supports its clients in making large volume commercial property investments. The investment properties mostly comprise office buildings, hotels, shopping centres, logistics and residential property, as well as student housing. In the Banking & Digital Solutions segment, Aareal Bank Group supports businesses from the housing, property management and energy industries as a digitalisation partner – combining extensive advisory services and product solutions with traditional corporate banking services and deposit-taking. Its subsidiary Aareon, the leading supplier of SaaS solutions for the European property sector, represents the third business segment. It is digitalising property management by offering user-oriented software solutions that simplify and automate processes, support sustainable and energy-efficient operations, and interconnect all process participants.