Controversial Senator Hotel opens in Marbella

THE four-star Senator Hotel in Marbella is due to open, thanks to an agreement between the owners, Hoteles Playa, and the town hall.

The hotel will have 186 rooms, with an average price of between €206 and €234 per night in a single room, and between €309 and €364 for a double. The Senator is one of the 18,000 buildings erected illegally during the tenure of corrupt former mayor Jesus Gil.

The hotel owners paid approximately €7m to legalize the hotel, which is much lower than the amount they were previously told by the town hall. They will pay €3 million for the land the hotel is located on. Owners have also agree to pay the town hall €4.05 million towards the expansion of the Palacio de Congresos.

The enlargement of the Palacio de Congresos alone was initially priced at €25m of which they had to pay half. Meanwhile, the opposition party complains that the amount Hoteles Playa has paid is too low, describing it as “ridiculous”.

The mayor of Marbella, Angeles Muñoz, claimed that the opening of the hotel would be good for the town as it would create jobs and boost the local economy.