Lluc Sanctuary faces fine for illegal tourist accommodation

The tourism councillor, José Marcial Rodríguez, said on Wednesday that the previous administration was aware of the "irregular practices" but didn't take action. The Bishopric of Mallorca now faces a substantial fine, Rodríguez adding that it will be offered the opportunity to present a defence, as is normal procedure for such cases.

What the sanction might be he is unable to say. He hasn't yet consulted the file. "I don't know exactly what the property is failing to comply with." He doesn't in fact know who owns what he describes as an inn rather than a hotel.

The procedure, he notes, could take up to a year.

In late 2015, the accommodation - much of it what were once monks' cells - was classified as a hostel. The Balearic government confirmed this, as the classification would guide the rate of tourist tax to be paid once the tax was introduced.