While arguments continue about the licences for redevelopment and expansion within the grounds, Four Seasons, who will operate the new Hotel Formentor, have announced that the workforce will treble to 460.
The Canadian group says that the redeveloped hotel will contribute to positioning Mallorca as a luxury destination and a quality tourist attraction, above quantity. This positioning will entail raising the quality standards that have already been provided by the hotel. For this, there will be at least a 20% increase in employees' working conditions above the current agreement. While work is being carried out, all staff are being retained.
Local companies have been contracted for investment of some 70 million euros. "The new hotel will be the focus of the creation of economic and social wealth for Mallorca, an island for which the hotel sector is its main economic and job creation engine."
Of companies involved with the project, one, Podarcis is the environmental auditor which conducts monthly reviews to ensure the protection of the environment. All those involved have a clear objective - that of "landscape integration to increase the sustainability of the project".
Four Seasons state that the hotel is to be revitalised through "cutting-edge initiatives in terms of sustainability to preserve and protect the habitat that surrounds the Formentor peninsula".
The new hotel will have a reduced number of rooms - 110 - and is being designed to be "the most sustainable in Mallorca", accredited by the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design Gold (LEED Gold) environmental certification. This is a mark that certifies the use of sustainable materials and practices throughout the construction process, the suitability of the land where it is located and the efficiency of water and energy use.