In a significant development for the tourism sector in Maspalomas (Gran Canaria), the Lopesan Hotel Group has secured the necessary licenses to construct a five-star hotel with 1,200 beds in the tourist hub of Meloneras, located within the destination of Maspalomas Costa Canaria. With a hefty investment of €61 million, the hotel will mark the first newly constructed establishment in this tourist zone in 14 years, following the inauguration of the Lopesan Baobab Resort in 2009.
This ambitious project successfully navigated the hotel moratorium outlined in the 2013 Canary Islands Law for Tourism Renewal and Modernization, which permits the construction of new hotels only if they are rated "five stars or higher."
Lopesan Hotel Group emphasized that, while they have undertaken comprehensive renovations in all their properties in Gran Canaria over the past decade, there has been no new construction during this period.
Situated on a sprawling plot of nearly 50,000 square metres adjacent to the ExpoMeloneras congress centre, also owned by the Canarian-based chain, the luxury establishment will feature 533 rooms spread across seven floors.
Despite its strategic location, catering to the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) segment, Lopesan sources assured that the hotel will not exclusively target conference and exhibition clientele.
"The license is for a five-star hotel, but it will not be exclusively for conferences, as five-star hotels solely dedicated to the conference segment do not exist," explained sources from the hotel group.
Plot where the new 5-star hotel will be built
The Urban Planning Department of the Municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, where Maspalomas Costa Canaria is located, clarified that the developer will be able to build on a plot of just over 48,000 square metres. The construction will comprise a "congress, commercial, leisure, and office hotel," allocating 14,380 square metres for tourist-complementary residence and an additional 14,380 square metres for commercial and administrative use.
The municipality detailed that the hotel itself will have seven floors and the rest will have three floors, along with underground parking facilities capable of accommodating 508 vehicles and ten above-ground spaces at the entrance level of the hotel building.
Urbanism Councillor Davinia Ramírez highlighted in a statement that these licenses "put an end to the stage of blockage that hindered the growth and development of this tourist destination." She added, "We take the first step in expanding and improving our accommodation offerings."
