Police evacuate part of luxury hotel in Marbella again

by Else BeekmanElse Beekman
hotel guadalpin in Marbella

For the second time in less than a year, police have evacuated and cordoned off part of a luxury five-star hotel in Marbella, Andalucia. On Thursday at 5.30 am, access to the hotel was blocked, and staff were barred from entering until 2.30 pm.

This latest incident saw the closure of the hotel kitchens, jeopardising the hotel’s operations just as it had previously. The hotel’s 180 employees have expressed their determination to continue fighting for their jobs.

A long history of conflict

The hotel in question is the Hotel Guadalpín Banús, which has been embroiled in bankruptcy proceedings since 2009. Over the years, it has faced numerous conflicts between the operator, Grisoma, and some property owners of the land on which the hotel is built. Two of these owners, SPV Spain Project 17 SLU and Caja Rural de Granada, have long sought to reclaim their properties.

Previous eviction attempts

The hotel workers managed to halt previous eviction orders in November 2021 and May 2023. However, they could not prevent the eviction in July 2023. In October, a Málaga court ruling appeared to resolve the issue by granting Grisoma full operational control. Yet, following an appeal from the two property owners, a new eviction was scheduled for Thursday morning.

The current eviction

During the latest eviction, about fifty rooms and common areas, including the parking lot, restaurants, and kitchens, were shut down. Without these facilities, the hotel’s viability is severely compromised, forcing the operator to decide whether to close the hotel or reduce staff.

Employees in shock

The eviction has caused significant distress among the employees, who have received support from local politicians such as José Bernal and Antonio Párraga (PSOE), Victoria Morales (IU), and Francisca Caracuel (PP). Jacqueline Largacha, the head of the works council, stated that the workers are “in shock” and vowed to keep fighting. “We won’t let the hotel close. We will continue, although we don’t yet know how,” she told the media.

Legal and police involvement

The National Police deployed a large number of officers to secure the hotel around 5.00 am and prevent access to the areas being closed. At approximately 10.00 am, a court clerk arrived to execute the closure of the designated zones. The hotel reported that the eviction caused significant disruption for guests, as it is peak season and the hotel is nearly fully booked. One guest complained to the media that he was removed from the terrace by the police while having breakfast.

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