Canadian group Four Seasons intends offering the hotel from March. But while June is the scheduled month to reopen, the CEO of owners Emin Capital, Jordi Badia, notes that they are still waiting for permission for the project to complete the landscaping of the gardens. "If the gardens are not finished, we will not be able to open on the scheduled date, but we hope to obtain permission soon and that this will not affect the calendar."
Two pilot rooms (one suite and one junior) have been furnished and give an idea of what the hotel will be like when it finally does reopen. Badia adds that all the furniture has been expressly designed and tailored for the project.
In general terms, the new hotel will have a smaller surface area than the original building - 18,600 square metres rather than 21,000 - and 108 suites rather than 148 rooms. It is said that it will be the most expensive hotel in Spain.
The decrease in surface area is because of the demolition of buildings that were illegal. Badia explains that the previous owners, the Mallorcan Barceló Group, had wanted to renovate and market the buildings as luxury homes. "But they will all be demolished because they are illegal. We haven't done so yet because we are waiting for the licences."
Since the elections in May, Pollensa town hall's attitude towards the hotel redevelopment has changed. Now headed by Marti March, who was the Balearic education minister for eight years during the two PSOE-led administrations, the left-leaning town hall is taking a tougher stance than the previous administration. The granting of the licence for the gardens has so far been eight months in the processing.
March was invited to take a look around on Tuesday but declined, citing "scheduling reasons".
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And the lesson dear readers? Well if you’re super rich, you can ignore planning rules, rip up the heritage book, flought building regs and do what the hell you like. It was an iconic hotel, with significant historical importance and a rare interior. They ripped that to pieces. They demolished it. Now, it looks decidedly average. And, it’s an insult to local heritage. Hideous, anyone with an inch of morality should boycott this demolition of a once iconic hotel :(
Are they serious? I’ve seen better Premier Inns.
Nice will be outstanding beautiful have never seen a faster approval from the authorities for all the works , Great for everyone involved especially from the Gov side hope the lunch was nice after the inspection !