The two hotels in Calvià are slated for demolition: the first of the century and the Government wants to do more

PalmThis Friday is a historic day for the Balearic Islands: the regional government has begun the demolition of the old Teix Hotel in Magaluf and the Colón Hostel in Peguera, the first such demolition in the 21st century in the Balearic Islands to free up space. The streets where the former establishments are located were closed off by the local police, and only the cars of the attending politicians, of which there were many, were allowed access. In front of the Teix Hotel, the president of the regional government, Marga Prohens, announced plans to replicate this initiative in other municipalities across the islands, specifically in Cales de Mallorca and Sant Antoni de Portmany. The regional government intends to continue demolishing "obsolete" hotels with the aim of "moving away from an offering that no longer adds value to the islands and improving services and the quality of life for residents," explained President Prohens. In fact, the regional government will allocate 15 million euros from the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS) to the acquisition and demolition of such facilities.

The mayor of Calvià, Juan Antonio Amengual, has supported Prohens' initiative and insisted that both demolitions represent "the beginning of a more welcoming future for all tourists and, above all, for residents." He explained that this project will be one of "urban regeneration and expansion" and will allow for "the recovery of land for public use." He announced that a 14-space public parking lot will be built on the site of the Hostal Colon, and new types of services will be developed on the site of the Hotel Teix, although he did not provide specifics. He described the event as a step in the transformation of the Balearic Islands as a tourist destination. "One of our objectives is the modernization of our destination as an essential requirement for the transformation of the tourism model," he said. Prohens, who celebrated that the municipality "has 25 hotels that are open year-round," affirmed the initiative.

After the statements were finished, the politicians – including the President of the Government, Marga Prohens; the Minister of Tourism, Jaume Bauzá; the delegate of the Spanish Government, Antonio Amengual, among others – turned towards the facade of the Teix hotel and watched for a couple of minutes as the bulldozer began to take a small part of the facade.

The purchase of the Teix Hotel in Magaluf was formalized by the Calvià Town Council on March 20th, following a private purchase agreement reached with the former owners in early February. The acquisition of the property, which had been closed for years, was financed with funds from the European Union's Next Generation Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, managed through the Government. This demolition follows that of the former Colón hostel in Peguera, also acquired by the Town Council under the same conditions. Thus, the total investment allocated to the purchase and demolition of both establishments amounts to nearly 6 million euros. For the Town Council, the demolition is not only an urban planning operation, but also a "declaration of principles" regarding "commitment to a more welcoming, livable, and sustainable city model, where the land serves the people, and not the other way around."

"We have never advocated for degrowth"

The Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Sports explained to ARA Baleares that this initiative aims to limit tourist accommodations and open previously private spaces to the public. "We were the first to set limits. From the outset, we've stated that this is the absolute limit on accommodations. We never advocated for degrowth, but rather for limits and restraint," he explained. Bauzá declined to give an exact date for when the works would begin.