Around 30 hotels reopen after the winter following 27-million-euro improvements

The winter is over and the Costa del Sol is, in the most part, ready for the next influx of visitors for the high season. The majority of hotels which close during the winter have already reopened while the remainder will do so over the next week; the objective is for the destination to be 100 per cent operational by the start of April as part of a concerted effort to reduce the effects of seasonality.

What's more, the level of investment, as well as the money spent on improvements, has increased. A total of 31 establishments, with a total of 9,000 beds, have made the most of the winter stoppage to carry out improvements of more than 27.3 million euros, 175,000 of which have gone on refurbishing tourist apartments, according to figures from Aehcos, the Costa hotel sector association.

Its president, Luis Callejón Suñé, said that since 2015, the sector has focused its efforts on bringing its facilities up to date, spending 162 million euros not only on improving the aesthetics of the buildings, but also installing energy-saving facilities, better accessibility and the installation of new technologies.

"The sector knows that this is the right path to follow but now it's time for public authorities to take action to ensure that all of the facilities that are needed for holidaymakers are in place," said Callejón.

Among the biggest investments made in recent times has been in the Meliá Costa del Sol hotel in Marbella, which now has a new façade and will soon boast a new night terrace and facilities for 'premium' customers. These are scheduled to be finished by mid-May. In Torremolinos, the Aguamarina is being turned into a superior four-star hotel, with all rooms converted into suites.

The tourism sector is now focused on the imminent arrival of Semana Santa but one project that won't be ready is the old Hotel Don Miguel in Marbella with the completion date for its 64.5-million-euro overhaul being set back to after July.