Barceló Hotel Group Partners With Laliga To Develop A New Sports Bar Concept In The Middle East And North Africa

Barceló Hotel Group has signed an exclusivity agreement with LaLiga to develop a new entertainment concept for its hotels in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA): LaLiga TwentyNine’s. An innovative sports bar concept that combines gastronomy, leisure, technology and sports, that will showcase worldwide the image of LaLiga and all Spanish football clubs, allowing fans and sports lovers to experience football and other sports in a unique and experiential way.

Sara Ramis, Chief Marketing Officer of Barceló Hotel Group said: “At Barceló Hotel Group, we continue to bet on experiential innovation, creating unique and differentiated experiences in our hotels. LaLiga TwentyNine’s is an original concept that unites us with a prestigious brand to develop a new kind of sports bar in which our clients will enjoy surprising experiences linked to sports.”

To bring this project to a global audience, Barceló Hotel Group is the strategic and exclusive partner for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. One of the top international hotel chains in the world, Barceló Hotel Group currently operates 18 hotels across four countries  in the MENA region and continues to see significant growth.

Recognized by the latest edition of World Travel Awards as “The best hotel management company in the World”, Barceló Hotel Group opened its first hotel in the MENA region in 2006, in Casablanca (Morocco) and has since continued to grow its portfolio, adding new hotels in urban and vacation destinations as Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. In the UAE, the hotel chain operates four hotels, and will see a fifth opening in 2020. 

Jaime Buxó, Chief Development Officer of Barceló Hotel Group, said: “The Middle East and Africa is one of the top strategic zones in the development plans of  Barceló Hotel Group.  We have already implemented four of our brands in this region: Royal Hideaway, Barceló, Occidental and Allegro, and manage 18 hotels and 4,500 rooms, with flagship hotels including Dukes The Palm, a Royal Hideaway Hotel (Dubai), Barceló Concorde Berges du Lac (Tunisia) and Barceló Anfa Casablanca (Morocco), to name a few. At the moment, we are evaluating new projects under management or rental, and are aiming to double the number of hotels in the region within the next 5 years.”

LaLiga TwentyNine’s takes its name from 1929, the year that LaLiga was created. It will combine gastronomy, entertainment, football, and other sports in a unique and interactive environment, with technology playing a key role. 

Featuring unique experiences in a multipurpose space, LaLiga TwentyNine’s will feature different zones where customers will enjoy unique experiences, beyond those created around ElClásico or the derbies of LaLiga Santander.

Part of the space will be dedicated to gastronomy where the culinary experience will take centre stage. There will also be a multipurpose stand that recreates the stands found in LaLiga stadiums, providing spectators with the sensation of being inside the ground itself, surrounded by other fans experiencing the emotion of live sport. Visitors will be able to watch LaLiga matches and other major sporting events from international and local competitions, such as tennis, basketball, or baseball. Special events will also be arranged with LaLiga Santander ambassadors or clinics with coaches from LaLiga clubs.

For those wishing to further push the boundaries of innovation and gastronomy, a space called B-eat Experience will also be available in certain sites. This premium area will combine unique gastronomic experiences with 360º projections. Designed as an exclusive area, this zone will be created in select LaLiga TwentyNine’s around the world.

In addition, the sites will have a zone dedicated to eSports for gamers, a fan engagement area, a merchandising area and a ‘Beat Center’, where fans can learn more about LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank, buy LaLiga products or participate in contests and quizzes about the competition.

Óscar Mayo, Business, Marketing and International Development Director at LaLiga, said: “This ambitious project represents LaLiga's commitment to innovation in its international development and the creation of new business lines that add value to our clubs”. He added, “we are doing this hand in hand with strategic partners like Barceló Hotel Group that are globally recognized by their reputation of having deep experience in the hospitality and restaurant sector, to help take the concept of a traditional sports bar much further through unique user experiences.”