Ennismore and ActivumSG Capital Management have signed a long-term management agreement that will bring Ennismore’s lifestyle brand SLS to Europe for the first time.

Currently under construction, SLS Barcelona is a 490-room hotel on the seafront of Barcelona, Spain. It is expected to open in the second half of 2024.

The property will be located in 22@, a district of the city transformed into a hub for innovation, technology and start-ups via a major regeneration program, which is also now home to a vibrant mix of bars, restaurants and shops. It will be adjacent to the city’s major venue for outdoor music festivals and events and within walking distance to the CCIB convention center and the Museu Blau natural science museum.

SLS Barcelona will provide roof-top dining and bars as part of its distinctive food and beverage offer. It will also feature three swimming pools, an 8,309-square-foot ballroom, a spa and beauty salon, and a well-being and fitness center. Each guestroom will have a balcony.

The project is an investment by ActivumSG’s fifth real estate fund as part of a pan-European hotel strategy that ActivumSG began in Spain in 2015, initially targeting under-supplied segments of the market in major travel destinations. This strategy evolved during the Covid-19 pandemic to focus on those segments of Europe’s hospitality market that are best placed to recover as leisure and business travel recovers.

“Opening in Barcelona is a massive statement of our ambitions to grow the SLS brand in Europe,” said Chadi Farhat, chief operating officer, SLS Brand, Ennismore. “SLS Barcelona is in a great location that offers so much to guests. We’re excited at creating the ultimate luxury destination that guests will be torn to leave if they choose to explore the other delights of this great city.”

Saul Goldstein, founder and CEO, ActivumSG, said: “SLS Barcelona will be a distinctive glamorous lifestyle destination, supported by the powerful reach of the Ennismore and Accor’s distribution network. We couldn’t be happier to have SLS as our operating partner since it’s completely aligned with our vision to fill the gap in the lifestyle hotel market in this major European travel destination. It’s a fantastic result for our hotel strategy of creating great hotels in the best locations as the industry recovers from the pandemic.”