News from Andalucia, and the Costa del Sol
In association with
SEPTEMBER 7th - SEPTEMBER 13th
GOOD SPORT
The Mayor Estepona, Antonio Caba, has announced plans by a Madrid company to build a luxury hotel on the Dos Hermanas urbanisation. The 100-bedroomed hotel would be on an annex to the existing Club Leisure Sport complex and involve an investment of 1,300 million pesetas.
NEW HIPERCOR IS GO
Work is beginning on the new Hipercor and el Corte Inglés complex just off the N-340 in Algeciras. First to be constructed will be a three storey undergound car park. The ground floor will be occupied by Hipercor, the next two floors will be El Corte Inglés outlets whilst the top floor will be a leisure zone with restaurants and a multi-screen cinema.
OVER 10,000 NEW STUDENTS
Málaga University will offer 10,272 places to new students this academic year in the 52 courses on offer. It places the city third in the number of new students behind Sevlla and Granada.
ANDALUCIA JOINS CAR-LESS DEMO DAY
Sevilla, Málaga, Granada and Jerez de la Frontera have all announced they will take part in the European Day without Cars on September 23. Across Spain 24 towns and cities are participating. In Málaga 40 hectares of the city will be closed to traffic from 07.00 to 22.00 and local bus services will be strengthened by 20 per cent to compensate. The local council has also asked residents not to park in the city centre the night before, so that the day itself can be enjoyed to the full. Certain delivery vehicles will be allowed to pass, but only between the hours of 07.00 - 09.00 and 15.00-16.00.
Local ecologists have welcomed the gesture, but have asked what happens the rest of the year. They call for greater investment in public transport and say traffic should be limited in far larger areas of city centres all year round.
POOL OLYMPICS
The Virgen del Carmen Olympic swimming pool in Torremolinos has reopened after a series of improvements and refurbishments. It is ready for the 2000 to 20001 sporting season with over 20 courses and activities on offer.
FOUR STAR TREATMENT
A construction compnay has put a proposal to Mijar Town Hall to convert an unfinished building into a four star hotel. The building, known as Los Minaretes, is a La Cala beside the N-340 and in front of La Butibamba. An investment of 2,000 million pesetas is planned.
SOPHIE'S CHOICE
Sophie Rhys-Jones, Duchess of Wessex and wife of Prince Edward, has been staying in Sotogrande on both a private and public visit. In May, the duchess was in Sotogrande representing her own public relations company, RJH, in negotiations with Sotogrande SA. On this visit she took time out to be guest of honour with Snata Maria Polo Club and presented the prizes at their prestigious tournament.
Another member of the British royal family who frequently visits Sotogrande is Sophie's brother-in-law Prince Andrew, Duke of York. He is a keen golfer and member of the Club Valdarrama.
NEW HOTELS FOR THE EASTERN COSTA DEL SOL
Rincon de la Victoria council has given the go ahead for the construction of a new four star hotel at La Cala del Moral. More than 1,000 million pesetas are to be invested in the project, which will create what the council describe as a "considerable number" of jobs.
In La Herrradura the first egcological hotel of the Costa Tropical is to be built with a budget of 4,300 million pesetas. The new addition to the Fuerte Hotel chain will welcome 824 guests and create around 300 direct and indirect jobs.
The hotel is described as ecological because greater care of the environment is paramount in both its construction and operation. Special attention will be made to the hotel's menu and food preparation, as well as to the best use of water, energy and waste.
MALAGA'S GAME IDEA FOR 2012 OLYMPICS
By Howard Brereton
Mayor of Málaga, Francisco de la Torre, was quick to respond to the news that Sevilla has been unsuccessful in its application to host the 2008 Olympic Games. The city was rejected because of the lack of hotel accommodation and the Málaga Mayor believes a joint bid between Sevilla and Málaga would resolve the problem. He now suggests a joint bid be made for 2012 and has even coined the phrase "Olimpiada del Sol" for such an event being held in Andalucia.
The idea has been welcomed in the city, with the provincial president of the |Partido Popular, Joaquin Ramirez, suggesting that a forum and foundation be immediately set up to promote the idea.
It is still not clear how the idea will proceed, with Sevilla already rejecting an invitation from Madrid to jointly host 2012 with the capital. Madrid has made it clear it will be making an application in any case, and both Mallorca andValencia have already said they would like to take part in the Madrid bid.
BENALMÁDENA SEES STARS
Andalucia Hotel chanin Hoteles Playa, has announced it intends to invest 2000 million pesetas in upgrading the Costa Azul Hotel located at Torremuelle, on Benalmádena Costa. The hotel was acquired by the group in April. When the works are completed the Costa Azul should meet four-star standards.
There are 21 hotels in Benalmádena, of which the majority are three-star and offer 7,866 beds. The exceptions are the five-star Torrequebrada and the four-star Triton, Rivera and Alay. The Costa Azul hopes to join the ranks of the latter three in May next year.