Complaints have been lodged with the Balearic Government's coasts department and Pollensa Town Hall regarding the use of the beach by the Hotel Formentor - specifically the provision of sunloungers that are exclusively for hotel guests.
A complaint filed with the coasts department on Monday was supported by the image shown here. Towels effectively fill the entire space between the sunloungers managed by the hotel and the shore. On the website for the Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor, as the hotel has been named, there is publicity which states: 'Enjoy rejuvenating moments of relaxation on our Resort's exclusive private beach.' Booking.com is one online agency that refers to a private beach.
On Friday last week, the town hall received a complaint from a holidaymaker who has been going to Puerto Pollensa for seventeen years and has been a regular user of the Formentor beach. This pointed out that the price for sunlounger rental had risen 100% and that loungers and Balinese beds were for exclusive use by guests. Even if these were unoccupied, use by anyone else was refused.
The only loungers not for exclusive are in "the worst location" by the beach restaurant wall. These therefore justify an "external use" (by the general public), the complaint concluding that "it is evident that the hotel is using the concession to prevent use by non-hotel guests".
Private use is a contravention of the Coasts Law, which also carries the obligation to "permanently" leave a strip of at least six metres between the shore at high tide and any type of seasonal facility, including sunloungers and umbrellas, that are for commercial purposes. Spanish regulations are clear that public maritime domain assets, such as beaches, are for "common use".
The hotel has never been far from controversy since it was acquired at the end of 2020. Among fines imposed is one for 1.15 million euros for rebuilding the hotel without a municipal building permit. Pollensa Town Hall had originally issued a fine of 5.1 million. This was reduced last week.