IBIZA GRAN ****ING UGLY HOTEL
4 SALE ! ! !
(ddi)
"...
NOT SO GRAND !
The Ibiza Gran Hotel ... which opened for business last year
has filed for "provisional bankruptcy"
after the banks refused to continue providing credit.
The hotel is currently closed in order to carry out work on the property,
and is due to open again in March, something the management is confident will happen.
However, in the short term, creditors of the company have been contacted
and told they will not be paid "for the moment".
All of the hotel's temporary staff have been released,
whilst the permanent members of the work-force have been paid 65% of their salaries
for December, while the rest remains pending.
The director-general of the 5-star hotel, which includes the new casino and restaurant,
Enrique Banegas, admitted the company's situation was "complicated".
He added that the future of the hotel would very much depend upon the ongoing
negotiations with several banks to provide short term financing.
He said the company had not wanted to hide its dilemma,
and so had filed for "provisional bankruptcy", although he was confident
the situation could be resolved before the specialised court,
(Juzgados de lo Mercantil), was forced to act.
The hotel is owned by Casino de Ibiza SA which has two participants
based in Mallorca, Perdesa SA and Empu SA, each of which have 39 per cent
of the hotel, with the Ibicencan companies Enfivest SL (12.33 per cent)
and Ibiza Mar (not known) making up the rest.
Around eight per cent of shares are held by a significant number of smaller investors,
although it has been rumoured that Enfinvest SL, owners of the small 5-star hotel
in Dalt Vila, el Mirador de Dalt Vila, recently sold their share in the hotel.
There are many reasons for the current problems faced by the company,
although Banegas highlighted the increase in the building costs, which rose
between 10 per cent and 20 per cent from the original budget of €45 million.
The year-long delay caused when the constructors, Dragados,
stopped work also did not help matters.
For these reasons the company sent a letter to each of their creditors
explaining it was not able to pay the money owed for the time being,
but that it was a situation the hotel hoped would last just days.
Banegas reiterated that he was confident the company would soon resolve the matter,
whilst declaring that the summer had been "spectacular".
However, despite the optimism expressed by Banegas on behalf of the company,
it soon also became clear the hotel was for sale at a price of €78 million,
although most of this information remains confidential.
The administrator of Casino de Ibiza SA, Enrique Fajarnes Ferrer, said
the decision had been taken voluntarily to protect its creditors and workforce.
He acknowledged the company was currently going through difficulties,
but said the aim was to continue forward.
...
These events come as three of the four new 5-star hotels on the island
announced they would be closing during January and February.
All claim they are carrying out urgent building work, although all admitted
that occupancy during the winter had been poor.
The managing director of el Mirador de Dalt Vila, Joan Daura, said
the hotel would be open again for Easter week, but said more infrastructure was needed
in the winter to try and bring more out-of-season tourism to the island,
adding that hotel occupancy would benefit from the installation
of marinas and golf courses.
The managing director of Aguas de Ibiza in Santa Eulalia claimed the hotel
would be open again on 1st March after work on the new Spa was completed.
However, he said it was now time for the Island Council to act and that together
the problems of winter could be solved.
He also called on the authorities to begin work on the second phase
of the Conference Centre in the town.
This leaves just the Fenicia Prestige Insotel in Santa Eulalia flying the flag,
although they admitted occupancy was low, and they were surviving
by launching special spa packages which were proving popular with residents.
All called for more action from the Island Council in improving winter activities
to try and encourage more tourism.
Being 5-star hotels, all are obliged to open 365 days of the year,
unless they are undergoing building work.
Just days before the shock announcement by Ibiza Gran Hotel,
the Island Councillor for Industry and Business Development, Joan Serra Mayans,
confirmed his party had not completely ruled out the building
of golf courses and marinas on the island.
Mayans reminded those listening that one of his party's promises in the lead up
to the 2007 election was to carry out a study into the feasibility of building
either of the two.
He added that the construction of both a golf course and marina was still a possibility,
and that a study was being carried out into whether the island would benefit
from such installations, and where would be the best place to build them.
..."
(ibizasun)