Dalata Hotel Group Expands Mainland European Presence with First Property in Spain

The Dalata Hotel Group has announced an expansion of its continental European operations, with its first property in Spain, which will operate under its Clayton Hotel brand.

Dalata is Ireland’s largest hotelier – via its Clayton and Maldron brands – and is also heavily active in the UK and has a presence in Germany and the Netherlands.

The new hotel will be located in Valdebebas – an emerging neighbourhood of Madrid – adjacent to Madrid’s main airport Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, and will open in four years time. Dalata is working with Grupo Insur – a leading Spanish real estate company – on the project.

Due to open in the first quarter of 2029, the full-service Clayton Hotel – a new build project on the outskirts of Madrid – will include 243 bedrooms, a restaurant, bar, meeting and events, outdoor pool and a gym.

Valdebebas is a new urban development area in Madrid, boasting a broad range of international and domestic attractions which will drive tourism and visitors to the area.

While the airport will be a key demand driver, Valdebebas also has one of Europe’s largest exhibition and event centres, IFEMA Madrid, drawing 4 million visitors annually; as well as Real Madrid’s training centre, Real Madrid City.

Additionally, the new Spanish Courts of Justice, and the new Isabel Zendal Hospital – set to open in 2025 with the ambition of becoming the leading neurorehabilitation centre in Europe – are also located in the vicinity.

There is also a strong events pipeline, with a brand-new F1 Spanish Grand Prix starting in 2026, being held in the nearby Barajas district, which will be a significant driver of tourism and economic activity in the region.

Shane Casserly, Deputy CEO, Dalata, said: “Madrid is a leading global travel destination and is a key strategic location in our European expansion strategy. Situated adjacent to the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport in the fast-growing, vibrant Valdebebas district, this newly developed hotel will be ideally positioned to benefit from the area’s strong demand drivers, tourist attractions and rapidly growing events space. We are very excited to have secured such an attractive opportunity in one of our target cities in Europe and we look forward to working in partnership with Grupo Insur one of Spain’s leading real estate companies, to successfully deliver this exciting project.”