Hines and Accor have announced plans for a hotel at MilanoSesto, the largest urban redevelopment project in Italy and one of the biggest in Europe, via an agreement with the Unione 0 real estate fund.
The Unione 0 real estate fund, managed by Prelios SGR and ultimately invested in by Hines and Cale Street, has entered into a binding agreement with Accor for a hotel to be developed on the Unione 0 private lot at MilanoSesto, on a 25-year lease, via the hotel group’s partner, Amapa.
Hines is also a strategic advisor and development manager of the entire MilanoSesto 13-year project. Prelios, meanwhile, acts as manager of the Unione 0 real estate fund and asset and project manager of the overall initiative.
Currently, construction continues on the Unione 0 private lot section at MilanoSesto, which spans 250,000 square metres, bordering the former Falck area railway station.
Excavation work for the hotel will start in August 2022 with construction set to begin on the buildings by the end of 2022. The buildings include the hotel (301 rooms), office space covering c. 48,000 square metres, student accommodation catering for approximately 700 people, affordable housing units (285 apartments) and free-market residential units (480 apartments). The area will also feature an initial 13-hectare section of the 45-hectare park, designed by international architecture firm LAND.
The hotel will have 301 rooms that will operate under two Accor Group brands: 204 rooms will be managed by Novotel and offer facilities like short-stay, rental accommodations, while a total of 97 serviced apartments will be managed by Adagio and used as medium-long stay accommodation. The hotel will span 19 floors covering approximately 16,000 square metres and will maintain the highest environmental, sustainability and energy efficiency standards, with the aim of achieving LEED Gold certification.
The hotel, designed by international architecture and design firm Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel (ACPV), will stand alongside the new Sesto San Giovanni station, designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop together with Ottavio Di Blasi & Partners, located near the future City of Health and Research (Città della Salute e della Ricerca – CdSR), a public clinical research and training healthcare complex, entirely funded by the Italian state and the Lombardy Region. It will also become home to the National Cancer Institute and the “Carlo Besta” Neurological Institute, with both centres of excellence expected to receive approximately 4,000 visitors each day.
Hines said the signing of this agreement is scheduled for early 2026.
“Working with an operator like Accor who is known for its great vision in the hospitality and accommodation sector is gratifying for us because we are fully confident that they can make the most of the opportunities that MilanoSesto will bring to the area. At Hines, we are committed to the regeneration of a long-neglected part of Milan with the goal of breathing new life into the former Falck area to provide new ways for existing businesses and communities to attract new residents, office workers, students and visitors while focusing on ESG initiatives,” declared Mario Abbadessa, senior managing director & country head at Hines Italy.
“Hines’ vision complements our sustainable hospitality approach and respect of the history of the area. We would like to thank our long-term partner Amapa, who we will collaborate with to manage the two facilities, in addition to the nine properties already managed together in Italy,” commented Jerome Lassara, VP development southern Europe at Accor.
Consultancy legal services were provided to the Unione 0 real estate fund by Gianni&Origoni-GOP, HVS Global Hospitality Services acted on matters relating to the feasibility study and identifying and selecting the operator, and Geller Capital Partners on commercial consultancy matters.
Hines is also a strategic advisor and development manager of the entire MilanoSesto 13-year project. Prelios, meanwhile, acts as manager of the “Unione 0” real estate fund and asset and project manager of the overall initiative.
