(BARCELONA) - aparto, the award-winning international student housing platform fully owned by the global real estate investment, development and property manager Hines, has opened the doors of its first student residence in Spain.
aparto Barcelona Pallars, owned by Commerz Real, is located in 22@, the innovation district, and conveniently connected to the rest of the city offering 743 beds spanning ensuite, twin, and studio options. With a total area of 26,000 square meters, the building includes a wide variety of cutting-edge facilities including over 3,000 square meters of outdoor facilities such as an infinity pool over 40 meters long, a rooftop terrace, a garden with a variety of plants that attract butterflies, and two gardens with a mixture of aromatic plants, basketball and football courts and an amphitheater that can be used for presentations, concerts, or movie nights. Inside the building, more than 2,000 square meters are dedicated to common spaces such as a gym with the latest Technogym equipment, yoga studios, a performing arts theatre, cinema room, study rooms, game areas and a bar offering both food and drink services. Students at aparto Barcelona Pallars will also benefit from a wide range of services including fast Wi-Fi, housekeeping services, and linen change.
aparto offers medium and long-term stays from a few months to a year where residents feel at home while living in a tight-knit community. The focus on physical and mental well-being is a core feature at aparto, which includes a first-class experience program with sports and wellness classes, cocktail and cooking sessions, and a series of entertainment evenings such as movie nights, sports matches and tournaments including table tennis, soccer or basketball.
Designed by the architectonical firm Batlle i Roig, a pioneer in landscape architecture and built according to the highest environmental, sustainability and energy efficiency international standards, aparto Barcelona Pallars intends to pursue the Platinum LEED and WELL Gold certifications as part of aparto’s ongoing commitment to ESG.
Vanessa Gelado, senior managing director and country head of Hines Spain, said: “With this opening, aparto Barcelona Pallars will provide students with first-class accommodation in terms of facilities and services, focused on their safety and wellbeing, reflecting the demands of students who want to continue their university degrees and Masters in the city. Hines aims to fulfil the interest in beds available for rent in Barcelona, which currently cannot meet the demand, with 186,000 students for just 22,000 available beds*.”
aparto Barcelona Pallars is owned by Commerz Real. Commerz Real, a subsidiary of German bank Commerzbank, acquired the scheme from Hines and Henderson Park in March 2021. The aparto brand, an international student housing operator fully owned by Hines has a long track-record in the management of student housing across Europe. With this new opening aparto is active in four countries: Ireland, Italy, Spain, and the UK, spanning 16 operational assets in 11 European towns and cities, and arrives in Barcelona marking its growth ambition in Spain.
*Data source, Deloitte
About Hines
Hines is a global real estate investment, development, and property manager. The firm was founded by Gerald D. Hines in 1957 and now operates in 28 countries. We manage a $92.3B portfolio of high-performing assets across residential, logistics, retail, office, and mixed-use strategies. Our local teams serve 634 properties totaling over 225 million square feet globally. We are committed to a net zero carbon target by 2040 without buying offsets.
Since entering Europe in 1991, Hines has grown its European platform to include offices in 17 cities as well as a presence in 79 cities in 14 countries. Hines oversees investment assets under management valued at approximately €25.3 billion and provides third-party property-level services totaling 4.7 million square meters in Europe, in Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom.
To learn more about Hines, visit www.hines.com and follow @Hines on social media.
¹Includes both the global Hines organization as well as RIA AUM as of June 30, 2022.
About aparto
aparto is the Hines student housing platform with 16 operational sites in the UK, Ireland, Italy and Spain, with another property due to open in Spain. Its objective is to be one of Europe’s leading student accommodation operators, with a special focus on cutting-edge facilities, specific attention to the management of individuals’ health and safety and community engagement links. The brand ensures a person-centric residential experience thanks to the many facilities provided by each single site and the hosting of events and opportunities for networking open to all.
The entire student life experience is based on three core values:
- Service - namely cutting-edge facilities and a sector-leading experience program, with expert friendly staff to provide residents with the best student experience in their new home-away-from-home
- Belonging - to a community of like-minded individuals in great surroundings that promote health and wellness
- Community - providing direct links with the public and local facilities to share ideas, create memories and host joint projects
Instagram: @apartostudentspain
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/apartospain/
About Commerz Real
Commerz Real is the asset manager for real asset investments of German Commerzbank Group and has over 50 years of international market experience. More than 800 employees manage assets of around 34 billion euros at the Wiesbaden headquarters and 17 other locations and branches in Germany and abroad. The company combines comprehensive know-how in asset management and a broad-based structuring expertise to deliver its signature range of services of fund products focused on tangibles and bespoke financing solutions. www.commerzreal.com/en
