The Bellevue complex in Alcudia, which was evacuated following a fire last Friday, "fails to comply with urban planning and activity regulations and poses a risk to people and property, particularly to clients and workers", according to Spain's left-wing party Podemos.
The party has demanded "maximum transparency" from Alcudia's mayor, Fina Linares, regarding the situation of the hotel complex, which has been in breach of urban planning regulations for years. They've also announced they'll notify Mallorca Council's Tourism Department and Labour Inspection to "conduct appropriate inspections to verify the legality and safety of the complex's operation as a tourist establishment and assess whether the operating licence should be revoked".
In 2023, the hotel's ownership created a website advertising the conversion of its facilities into a holiday resort. It offered studios and apartments for sale starting at 249,000 euros "for two months' annual occupancy". Businessman Jamal Satli Iglesias's plan, which was later withdrawn, aimed to attract investors willing to use their property for two months while letting it for tourist exploitation during the remaining 10 months.
Mr Satli personally presented his project to Alcudia's mayor, who stated to local press that the businessman's intentions were illegal due to the complex's non-compliance with urban planning regulations. Podemos has now based their demands on these statements, highlighting how the "out of regulation" status places the complex in a precarious legal position.
The party claims that "regarding the illegalities detected by municipal technical services, there's no record of the property submitting the required legalisation project or corresponding building permit". They note that "various attempts at legalisation have been made over the years but none have progressed".
This winter, the tourist establishment was occupied by several families, leading the property owners to hire a specialist company to evict the occupants and carry out necessary repairs before reopening for the tourist season. Under its current "out of regulation" status, only repair works to existing structures are permitted, with structural changes being prohibited.