Some hotels in Palma are reinventing themselves by offering long-stay rental accommodation in a bid to boost revenue in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
Apartamentos Vistasol is already offering rental accommodation for minimum stays of one month.
“There are plenty of national and local residents who are looking for work, are working or have had personal problems during confinement,” says Hotel Manager, José Antonio Sola. "We started by opening one floor for long stay rentals and now we have four.”
“I was recommended this hotel and it is wonderful; I get up, have breakfast and send resumes out for jobs all over the island, including bricklaying, hospitality and cleaning,” says Jorge Losada who moved to Palma from Toledo a month ago and is looking for a job.
"The possibility of a long-term rental in a hotel is much more profitable for hotel chains that are looking for alternative business and also for customers, because we are a cheaper solution,” says José Enrique García who’s one of the people in charge of Vistasol. “People who rent here don’t have to pay a deposit, they just make one single payment and that offer has proved to be very successful.”
The 72 long-stay apartments available for rent at Vistasol cost 500-690 euros a month, plus a fixed fee of 120 euros for electricity and water and are available for a maximum duration of six months.
"These are eye-catching prices with all services included," says García, who says most people are opting to stay in the hotel to save money.
Victoria Prayones and Santiago da Ponte who are from Paraguay, work remotely and have been living at Vistasol since July.
"At first it was strange to think that we could live in such a small space, but it’s been a very good experience," they said.
The couple moved to Mallorca from Barcelona five months ago and plan to return to Paraguay in December.
More and more hotels are cashing in on the long term rental market in a bid to claw back some lost revenue.