“Majorca cannot compete on price. Quality is the key”

Europe's largest resort complex, the Bellevue, in Alcudia, opens its doors on April 13 with Hotetur, the Majorcan hotel chain which part owns the complex with Britain's leading tour operator Airtours, promising the 6'000 weekly guests a summer of “surprises and quality.” It was only this time last year that Airtours and Hotetur agreed the joint venture and last September Airtours bought a 50 per cent stake in the hotel chain, which is part of the Spanair-Marsans group. Hotetur, inturn, obtained an “important stake” in Airtours. Joan Mateu Colom, Hotetur's director of human resources said yesterday that around 800 million pesetas have been invested in the Bellevue complex this year, nearly half of the 2'000 million peseta renovation budget announced last March. Guests this summer will be “surprised at the changes,” he said. Not only by the overall quality of the 1'500 apartments, but also the services, facilities and entertainment on offer. From specialist chefs and restaurants catering for the tastes of the various nationalities who will be staying at the Bellevue, “the heart of Alcudia,” to an 80-strong animation and entertainment team which has been brought together from castings which have been held across central Europe. Colom admits that the joint venture with Airtours, which extends far beyond the realms of the Bellevue and into an international expansion programme, has “given Hotetur new impetus” and vision. Colom explained that Hotetur is a company “right in the vanguard,” young at heart, looking for new challenges and that the company is “very happy” with the prestige and important “weight” the Airtours deal has brought. When Colom joined the company six years ago, Hotetur employed around 100 staff, now the figure is 3'000, but Colom is keen to stress that Hotetur is a very personal “young and dynamic” company and none of the staff “are mere numbers.” The company has installed a state of the art in-house computer management system, offering the very latest communication facilities and staff access to any training or information they need.