OCU recommends claiming the expenses and damages caused by the closure of the complex

MADRID, 18 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Marina d'Or tourist complex has unexpectedly closed all its hotels and its spa since yesterday, September 17, so it has notified all its clients by telephone or email of the cancellation of reservations, which represents a preview of the end of the season of the so-called 'Vacation City'.

In principle, the operation was extended until next December, but the company controlled until now by the American fund Farallon Capital Management has decided to close its season unexpectedly this Sunday.

The company has confirmed to Europa Press the early closure of its facilities, but has not specified the causes of this closure or when it plans to open next. Nor have they attributed the closure to the purchase of the macro tourist complex by Grupo Fuertes just a month ago.

It would therefore be the first decision taken in the emblematic complex of Oropesa del Mar (Castellón) after the purchase by the Fuertes Group (owner of brands such as El Pozo or Cefusa), a little over a month ago from the American fund. Farallon Capital Management. The founder of Marina d'Or, Jesús Ger, had previously sold it to this company.

The 'Vacation Town' on the coast of the Valencian Community, oriented towards family tourism, has a five-star spa hotel, two four-star hotels (Marina D'Or Playa and Gran Duque), as well as a water spa. salty and multiple leisure spaces and tourist apartments.

Built on an approximate area of ​​1.4 million square meters, of which more than half a million are dedicated to green areas and garden areas, it had several sports and recreational facilities due to the tourist nature of the urbanization. The entire complex was later updated of the pandemic, when the American fund provided a series of investments to improve the facilities.

Precisely, in August the new purchase operation was announced, according to which Grupo Fuertes would have become a shareholder and Hoteles Magic Costa Blanca, based in Benidorm, would be in charge of managing the holiday complex. At this time, the only thing missing is the approval of the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) for the business operation to be completed.

Magic Costa Blanca is a group with a great presence and reputation in the area and that already has a portfolio of 10 hotels and 2 apartment complexes in Benidorm, Alfaz el Pi, Gandia, Finestrat and Villajoyosa.

Marina d'Or has been characterized by intense advertising activity and sponsorship of beauty contests as well as different sporting events. The 2008 crisis was a hard blow for the holiday complex, but after the purchase and capitalization of its bank debt by Farallon and the investment of several tens of millions undertaken by the fund to improve the complex (and face the impact of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021), it can be said that Marina d'Or is completely healthy.

Now it remains to be seen what happens to the real estate complex with the new owners. The group has an average staff of 941 professionals, which during the busiest season, in summer, reaches 1,420 professionals.

Marina d'Or usually closes for a couple of weeks at the end of the season to tune up for the new season. Last year the closing also took place a month earlier on October 13, and this year 2023 it was almost a month earlier.

Customers affected by the early closure who had reservations until the end of the year have already been contacted by the company and the amounts they had advanced will be refunded. However, the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) ensures that consumers must also be compensated for other associated expenses.

OCU considers that this closure policy causes unjustified harm to consumers and encourages claims for associated expenses such as transportation.

It also recommends keeping proof of all types of reservations and payments related to the planned stay at the complex, as well as additional services that can be used to formalize the claim.

In the event that users are not compensated for the expenses and damages caused, OCU reminds that they can use the resources made available to consumers for their claim.