La Junta de Andalucía mantendrá la residencia de tiempo libre de Marbella y generará ingresos.
The transformation of the former free time residence in Marbella (Málaga) into a hotel complex will generate at least four million euros in annual revenue for the Andalusian government through the exploitation fee. As part of the strategy developed by the General Directorate of Heritage to promote the valorization of unused or underutilized public heritage, the Minister of Economy, Finance, and European Funds, Carolina España, and the Mayor of Marbella, María Ángeles Muñoz, signed a heritage and urban collaboration agreement in February to promote the urban change that will revitalize and enhance the value of the former free time residence as a hotel complex.
The territorial delegate of the Ministry, Antonio García Acedo, emphasized that this operation will allocate over four million euros «to finance essential public services for the Andalusian citizens. For healthcare, education, care for the dependent, roads, etc.»
«It makes no sense to keep the parcel and building of the former free time residence unused, paying for its maintenance costs,» said the territorial delegate. «However, this agreement with the Marbella City Council will allow to give it a new use, creating jobs in the area, bringing new wealth to Marbella, Málaga, and Andalusia and increasing the budget allocated to public services by at least four million euros.»
In fact, García Acedo also recalled that «there is a precedent for the transformation of a former free time residence into a hotel, such as the one in Cádiz, successfully converted into a 4-star commercial and hotel complex by Q-Hotels, employing around five hundred people.»
The agreement signed between the Ministry of Economy, Finance, and European Funds and the Marbella City Council allows the government to retain ownership of the property, which will be awarded through the General Directorate of Heritage via a competitive procedure with transparency and publicity, for the surface rights exploitation for a period of 75 years.
Through this method, the regional government retains ownership of the property, establishing a set of obligations for the awardee, who will be required to make a series of investments in the initial years after the award, aimed at ensuring the successful operation and preservation of Andalusian historical heritage.
Planning Study in progress
The Free Time Residence in Marbella, located on the Mediterranean Highway in Marbella, covers an area of nearly 197,502 square meters of land, with a current built area of 23,395 square meters. The complex is listed in the General Catalog of Andalusian Historical Heritage and the agreement stipulates that any urban action taken will fully comply with this registration.
The specifications include the obligation of the awardee to comply with regulations regarding the protection of the Andalusian Historical Heritage, with non-compliance expressly stated as grounds for termination. Additionally, it includes a research study conducted by the Department of History, Theory, and Architectural Composition, along with the favorable report from the Territorial Delegation of Culture in Málaga.
The Planning Study promoted by the Andalusian government, which proposes changing the current urban classification of the plot from a general equipment system to a hotel facility, is currently under process by the Marbella City Council.
Free Time Residences
The Andalusian Government’s Council decided in November 2023 to eliminate the free time residence service, due to its high deficit (since 2015, it cost the Andalusian coffers 140 million euros and generated only 16 million euros in revenue), as it does not constitute an essential public service and its original social purpose (offering affordable vacation stays to workers and their families) had disappeared, due to the improved economic and social situation experienced by Andalusian society.
In fact, in 2022, the 85,575 stays recorded in the free time residences of Andalusia accounted for 0.07% of the total overnight stays made in Andalusia by Andalusian citizens, which, according to the INE’s National Survey of Residents’ Tourism, reached 117.8 million.
The change in urban classification of the plot of the former free time residence in Marbella is not the only one being promoted by the Andalusian Government to reintroduce use to plots that, with their current urban classification, mostly designated for public uses, are ineffective in meeting current needs.
These actions are part of the strategy developed by the General Directorate of Heritage of the Andalusian Government since 2019 to utilize unused or underutilized heritage and, in this way, generate savings and revenue.
