The Student Hotel has rebranded as The Social Hub reflecting its evolution under its new ownership structure.
The management team together with shareholders APG and GIC plan to double the number of properties to 50 across Europe.
In recent years the company has moved away from its student roots, embracing different types of guests as well as the local communities around its properties.
The Social Hub currently has 13 properties, with locations including Amsterdam, Berlin, Bologna, Florence and Vienna. Each one offers a range of facilities, including communal areas, student accommodation, hotels rooms, co-working, meeting spaces, gyms, bars, restaurants and events programs.
Doubling down on co-working
Under its new identity, The Social Hub is going to be expanding its co-working, meeting and community spaces The company already devotes 15% of its portfolio to this, with plans to double square meterage in future locations, as well as plans to retrofit its current properties in the near future.
The new openings in 2022 form part of the first wave in the company's expansion plan to increase the portfolio by 100 percent, with seven more sites already in the pipeline to launch by 2025.
As part of the expansion plans, this autumn will see The Social Hub opening two new properties in Spain – the first in central Madrid and the second in Barcelona’s Poblenou district. They will be the first properties to open under their new brand identity and expect to welcome 1000 new members and over 50,000 thousand guests at each property in the first six months. A third property will also open this year in Toulouse.
The Social Hub was founded in 2012 by Charlie MacGregor. Earlier this year Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC bought a “substantial stake” in the company alongside existing shareholder APG for an undisclosed figure. The deal valued the hybrid hospitality developer, owner and operator at €2.1 billion.
What they said
Charlie MacGregor, CEO and founder, The Social Hub, said: “We’re really proud to be announcing the evolution of our company along with the opening of our new properties in Spain. We have changed our name to The Social Hub to put social impact at the heart of everything we do. Now more than ever there's a need for genuine connection and positive change, we believe, together we create a better society!”
Frank Uffen, managing director, community and partnerships said: “The Social Hub sees our community through a new lens. Not only as students, travellers, digital nomads or entrepreneurs, but as one community with a shared mindset.”