theibizasun
Grupo Playa Sol, the hotel group which is currently in the hands of the receivers, has received enquiries from several sources interested in buying the chain, which is the largest on the Island, with a total of 11,000 beds and employing 1,300 people. The General Director of the group, Ximo Sola, said that there were apparently at least four companies involved, but that the matter needed to be given careful consideration before any final decisions could be made, but he reiterated that the group would not change hands for some time, until all the legal processes had been completed. He added that the law stipulates that a chain of this nature should be sold en bloc and not split up into individual entities, as there are several services which do not supply just one of the businesses, but cover several. "Our aim is to wind up our participation with the minimum loss of jobs". Although 2013 has been a very good year for the group, with occupation better than the average, a large proportion of the money generated has gone to pay off some of the enormous debt inherited from the previous proprietor, Fernando Ferré, a figure which is in excess of three hundred million euros. Sola admitted that to pay this off just from the earnings of the hotels would take many years, adding, "The company is viable, but the debts from the past make it difficult to operate".
One hotel which was previously operated by GPS, the Hotel Playa Real in Talamanca, will change hands in the near future. It used to be rented from the proprietors who have now decided to sell to a British company, headed by David Shamoon, who successfully turned round the fortunes of two hotels in Marbella, the Marbella Club and the Puente Romano, when he took them over in the 1990s, converting them into luxury destinations for the wealthier members of society. At the moment the Playa Real has two-hundred and fifty rooms, but the complex will be gutted to increase the size of the facilities and therefore upgrade its star rating. The reconstruction work is expected to commence shortly but it is possible that it will not be possible to reopen the hotel in time for the 2014 season, as a vast amount of work will be involved if the vision of the new owners is to be realized.
http://ultimahora.es/ibiza/noticia/...a-playa-real-para-convertirlo-hotel-lujo.html
