Spain’s Official State Bulletin Has Declared 10 Hotels on the Costa del Sol to be Essential Services as They Will Accommodate Medical Staff and Drivers

The Official State Bulletin has recognised almost a dozen hotels on the Costa del Sol as part of a list of ‘refuge hotels’ which will cater to the demand of workers who are currently carrying out essential services during the coronavirus pandemic. 

In the province there are currently 10 hotels which have been chosen by authorities to become refuge hotels. These include, Antequera Golf and Los Dolmenes in Antequera; Ilunion Malaga, Soho Malaga, Angel Suites and Atarazanas in the city center; Blue Bay Banus Hotel in Marbella; La Cala Resort in Mijas; and Marina Turquesa and MB Boutique in Nerja.

These hotels are expected to accommodate the needs of workers who contribute to the functioning of essential services during the state of alarm. These include: maintenance workers, health care personnel, workers in the agricultural and fishing sector, airport staff, telecommunication staff and many more people who are linked to the activities which are permitted under the Royal Decree 464/2020 which declared a state of alarm to manage the current health crisis caused by COVID-19.

This measure has raised some controversy. The president of the Costa del Sol Hotels, Luis Callejón Suñé, assured that these hotels were initially offered as unstaffed accommodations for the authorities to use as they pleased, but now they are being asked to open with staff to attend to any necessities. He was also shocked to learn that the publicly owned chain of hotels, Paradores, was not listen on the Official State Bulletin, despite it having been approved by the medical inspections.

The Junta has listed a total of 48 establishments which will be assigned as a refuge hotel fro workers who preform essential tasks during the state of alarm. Almeria will have four, Cadiz will have 17, Cordoba will have 6, a further 3 will be issued in Granada, 2 in Huelva, 2 in Jaen, 3 in Sevilla and finally Malaga will have 10 of these refuge hotels.

In total the 48 refuge hotels in Andalucía will provide a restaurant service, as well as any additional services needed to offer adequate accommodation when authorised to do so, and exclusively to the people who are staying there. Furthermore, “those professionals transporting goods will also be allowed to access the restaurant and restroom services, even if they are not housed at the facility”, states the Vice President of the Junta and Ministry of Tourism, Juan Marin. He has thanked the solidarity of the Andalucian hotel sector and added that he hopes “that these hotels provide an essential service and contribute to the fight against the pandemic”.