Whether or not the projected hotel will be a 7-star hotel or a 5-star one is really besides the point, because even a luxury 5-star hotel is a major asset to Almuñécar. However, it doesn’t end there.
Why mention this? Well, the IU’s leader, Fermín Tejero, released a press note in which he said: “The last ‘scene’ of the ghost hotel [saga] took place with the Mayor absent on holiday and the developers for the hotel handing in a request for a building licence for a 5-star hotel and 50 apartments.”
The IU considers that this announced first phase is an indication where the project is really going.
He went on to point out that there are ‘hundreds’ of dwellings in danger of slipping down hillsides in Carmenes del Mar, La Marina del Este, and according to his latest information, in Citasol, too.
He points out that Carmenes de Mar was to have hotels, restaurants, a club and villas; none of which materialised, although the housing did.
Finally, he laments that the young people of the town are being deceived, in his opinion, over the promised new jobs involved.
So bearing his comments in mind, we quote the press release from the Banyan Tree hotel company, who held a press conference in the Casa de la Cultura on Monday the 25th of last month.
“The project consists of a 7-star hotel with 180 rooms, built upon an approximate surface of 13,000 sq/m. Up to 200 private dwellings will be built in three phases on a ground surface area of 32,000 sq/m.
The hotel will be managed by Banyan Tree, under its trade name of Angsana, which is internationally well known for its absolute luxury hotels, its spas have received several international awards.
The standard rooms will be 40 sq/m in size and count upon ample services, which could include a limousine, a helicopter or a private butler.
It is foreseen that the hotel and 50 private apartments (Phase I) will be ready for 2013. Phases II and III will be completed by 2014 and 2015 respectively.
The Apartments included in Phase I will be up to 500 sq/m in extension, and will have private swimming pools on their terraces and unbeatable views.
Another attractive offer will be that private owners can form part of the Exchange Programme, managed by the Banyan Tree chain, to swap apartments for holiday periods for other destinations covered by the hotel chain around the world.
During the building phase, it is foreseen that 250 jobs will be created and when the hotel is finished and operating, another 600.”
We haven’t included the press release in its entirety owing to an obvious lack of space, but with what we have quoted from the detractors and what we have included from the hotel project’s own press release, we hope that we have covered enough for our readers to decide for themselves.
(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)
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