On November 3 last year, The Prince William Pub, whose address locates it in Palmanova rather than Magaluf, was forced to close "due to circumstances beyond our control". These circumstances were the demolition of the adjacent Hotel Teix.
When the demolition work started on November 7, President Prohens stated: "This is a day that will surely be remembered for many years, for an undeniable transformation of Peguera and Magaluf, Calvia, and the entire Balearic Islands." The Hostel Colón in Peguera was also being demolished, the reason for the two demolitions having been the revitalisation of Calvia resorts.
For the owners of The Prince William, the demolition has brought nothing but anxiety. On the pub's Facebook page on February 21, a statement explained that the council owned the building but that they (Álex Crespo and family) had a lifetime contract "that protects us". The pub has operated since 1982, and it has been an all-year establishment.
The statement continued: "In recent times, we have faced continuous pressure to accept a purchase offer to leave the premises. We have not done so. This bar is not just a business; it is a lifetime of work, history, community, and a home for many of you. Since we said 'no', the pressure has been constant and extremely difficult to endure."
Álex Crespo says: "I can’t open. I have staff and regular customers who are constantly asking me about it. We’re just asking to be able to work; they’re suffocating us." They have conducted a financial study to determine the compensation they believe Calvia Town Hall owes them. Crespo adds that the town hall had promised they wouldn't have to pay rent and would indeed compensate them for not being able to open. Rent has been paid for the second fortnight of February, but from the first of March they will still not be able to open. There are ten employees, and they have continued to be paid despite the pub having been closed.
Bathrooms were bricked up and rebuilt, work for which there was a town hall building licence (and the corresponding charges were paid), but the establishment's activity licence was nevertheless suspended. On Tuesday, March 3, the matter of the suspension of the licence is due to be heard at the Balearic High Court. The owners hope the court will grant a temporary injunction against measures that prevent the pub from reopening, at least while the legal dispute is ongoing.