Kategora launches the commercialisation of Kategora Oceanika, with a projected net return of 6.5%
Located in Torremolinos (Málaga), it will open its doors in March as the largest wooden hotel building in Southern Europe
Kategora, a developer specialising in the Living sector, has launched the commercialisation of Kategora Oceanika, its first Flex complex on the Costa del Sol, promoted by Málaga-based developer Nuovit and conceived as the largest wooden hotel building in Southern Europe. Located in Torremolinos (Málaga), the asset will open its doors in March 2026 under the name Kora Olea and will be operated by Kora Living, the hotel brand of the Kategora group. It is now coming to market with a projected return of around 6.5% for its investors, with apartments available from €238,000.
Situated just minutes from Los Álamos Beach, with excellent connections to Málaga city centre and the international airport, Kategora Oceanika is located in one of the most promising enclaves on the Costa del Sol, a region that combines tourist appeal, consolidation as a destination for digital nomads, and growing economic dynamism. «The commercialisation of Kategora Oceanika represents the application of our Flex model to an asset conceived from the outset to combine sustainability, operational efficiency and profitability, in a location with enormous potential such as the Costa del Sol,» highlights Kepa Apraiz, CEO and founder of Kategora and Kora Living. «Sustainability, when properly integrated, not only reduces environmental impact, but also strengthens the solidity of the asset and its attractiveness to long-term investors.»
The project has involved a total investment of €40 million and has a built area of 10,000 m², comprising 180 apartments: 150 one-bedroom and 30 two-bedroom units, organised into six typologies ranging from 30 m² to 49 m². The asset will be managed by Kora Living, the hotel brand of the Kategora group, under the name Kora Olea, which refers to the botanical genus of the olive tree and connects the project with Mediterranean culture and Andalusian identity. The proposal follows Kategora’s Flex model: accommodation located in strategic urban areas, well connected and aimed at short- and medium-term stays, with a clear vocation for integration into the local environment.
Kategora Oceanika stands out for its pioneering architectural and construction approach. The project has been developed by Málaga-based promoter Nuovit and designed by the architecture studios Bakpak and Eovastudio, with interior design by HMY Consulting & Design, while Egoin Wood Group has taken on the engineering, industrialised timber fabrication and assembly. The result is the largest hotel building constructed in wood in Southern Europe, a benchmark for construction innovation applied to the Living sector.
The choice of wood as a structural material —in the form of laminated timber and PEFC-certified CLT, ensuring the wood comes from sustainably managed forests— has significantly reduced the building’s embodied carbon compared to conventional solutions. In total, the project integrates 3,500 m³ of radiata pine and larch wood, equivalent to 3,500 tonnes of CO₂ stored within the structure itself.
This approach has been recognised by the industry even before its opening. The development promoted by Nuovit has been awarded the Gómez-Pintado Foundation Prize for Timber Construction Projects and the Rebuild 2025 Award in the Timber Construction category, consolidating it as one of the country’s most advanced hotel projects in terms of sustainability and construction innovation.
The complex also incorporates a wide range of passive and active energy-efficiency strategies, including aerothermal systems, 144 photovoltaic panels —with a total capacity of 79.2 kWp— cross ventilation, movable solar shading, a highly efficient building envelope and the use of native low-water-consumption vegetation, among others. «The combination of timber, industrialisation and passive design has a direct impact on energy efficiency and thermal comfort, enhancing the user experience throughout the year, especially in a destination with the climate conditions of the Costa del Sol, while enabling more efficient management that positively affects the asset’s long-term profitability,» highlights Eneko Balda, Chief Development Officer at Kategora. Thanks to this comprehensive approach, the project has achieved a 3-star rating in the BREEAM “Very Good” certification.
Beyond its architectural value, Kategora Oceanika has been conceived as a space for living, working and leisure. The complex features more than 1,200 m² of indoor communal areas and over 5,000 m² of outdoor spaces, including coworking areas, a gym, outdoor dining spaces, a swimming pool, a calisthenics area, children’s play zones, a solarium and gardens. Some of these services will also be open to external companies and users, reinforcing its vocation as a cultural and economic driver for the area.
The first floor exemplifies this holistic vision, organically connecting the apartments with the communal areas through gardens and outdoor pathways. Wood, stone and vegetation shape social hubs fully integrated into the landscape, fostering an experience aligned with the Mediterranean environment.
With an estimated net return of 6.5%, Kategora Oceanika strengthens Kategora’s presence in Andalusia and advances the consolidation of its Flex Living model, managed through its hotel brand Kora Living. Its strategic location on the Costa del Sol —one of the country’s leading tourist destinations, attracting more than 14.7 million passengers per year by air, rail and sea— is further reinforced by its proximity to Málaga Technology Park, an economic hub that has experienced growth well above the Andalusian (+19) and national (+6) average in the number of companies per 1,000 inhabitants, and whose GDP has grown by 25% between 2014 and 2024. This context positions the complex as a well-placed asset to generate long-term value, combining tourist demand, business dynamism, high architectural quality and professional, sustainable management.
