Works at Spain’s only 7-star hotel to start in March

WORK on the first seven-star hotel in Spain, the Bahia Fenicia, planned for Almuñecar, will not begin this month as reported in Spanish daily La Opinion de Granada.

“Although construction was supposed to have started at the beginning of February, it is estimated that it will now start either the end of February or the beginning of March,” according to Eva Morena from Bahia Fenicia’s administration department.

They have not yet awarded the contract to build the hotel.

Once completed the €230 million, 200-room Bahia Fenicia will be the second seven-star hotel in Europe. The documents present the hotel as a ‘five-star luxury superior’ category, which is the highest allowed in Spanish law.

However, the promoter has requested a special dispensation from the Tourism Department to be officially named as a seven-star hotel. Bahía Fenicia is owned by the Danish company Fenicia Invest A/S but will be run by luxury chain Banyan Tree Holdings.

The plan is for the hotel and phase one, with some 50 private apartments, to be completed by the end of 2013 and for phases two and three to start running in 2014 and 2015.

The hotel will be built in the area known as ‘El Peñon del Lobo’, between the Eastern Marina and Cotobro. It is estimated that this hotel will provide more than 600 permanent jobs.

“This will position our town as one of the most exclusive destinations,” Former Almuñecar Mayor Juan Carlos Benavides said.

“The project has the full support of the town hall and given the degree of consensus between authorities, things should go smoothly,” he said.
Photo credit: Fotos de El Jubilado 
By John Jackson