Student housing operator and manager Nido Living is finalising the fitting out of what will be its second centre in Madrid and the fourth in Spain. The former Florida Norte hotel will reopen, completely refurbished, at the beginning of the academic year 2024-2025. It will do so under its new name, Nido Príncipe Pío, and will have 636 places available now for booking.

The British company has invested 120 million euros in the purchase and refurbishment of the eleven-storey building, which has been designed primarily to house students and young professionals. The brand concept, called flex living, combines both groups and offers them services such as swimming pool and roof terraces, gym, games rooms, cinema, study and coworking spaces.

First establishment in Valencia
The new residence will open its doors on 31 August, the same day as Nido Malvarrosa, its first centre in Valencia, and in which the company has invested another 20 million euros. The two student halls join those previously opened, one in Aravaca (Madrid) and the other in Seville.

Nido Living explains the choice of Madrid with data such as a deficit of 45,930 beds for students, despite the fact that the capital has the highest number of university students and places in halls of residence. According to data from Fragua by Atlas Real Estate, there are actually 15,838 beds in residential complexes, compared to 61,768 students in need of accommodation.

Location and communication
The new Madrid residence is located next to Madrid Río and opposite Príncipe Pío metro station. Public transport links it quickly to the main campuses of the Complutense University of Madrid, the Polytechnic University of Madrid, the Pontifical University of Comillas and the Nebrija University, among others. It is also just a few minutes' walk from the Plaza de España and the Royal Palace in the city centre.

Nido Living's CEO, Darren Gardner, is not solely focussed on  Spanish students and speaks of Madrid as "one of the preferred destinations for international and Erasmus students". He also explained, "One of the challenges the industry faces is the scarcity of land on which to build in Madrid and Barcelona, so opening a complex with so many places in the centre of the Spanish capital is a great opportunity to increase Madrid's prestige as one of Europe's great university cities.

The director of the new residence, Blanca Medina, stresses the importance of comfort, but also prioritises socialisation, and said, "We understand that the university stage is one of the most special, so our aim is to maximise this experience by offering fast service, common areas that are committed to personal relationships and events throughout the year created according to the interests of the students."

^{Photo: Nido Living}