Unions and workers are angry at the closures.

Around 30 hotels have announced their permanent closure over the winter on the Costa del Sol this year. They represent about 40% of the available beds, and the number is double that seen in 2009 when 20% of places were closed.

Some emblematic hotels on the coast will close this year, including the Villa Padierna in Estepona, famous for Michelle Obama’s visit last year, and the Alay in Benalmádena. Over 6,000 workers will be affected and some 1,900 of them will see changes in their contracts to make them temporary workers for 3 or 4 months a year instead of being fixed. 

The General Secretary of Hostelry, Tourism and Trade of the CCOO union in Málaga, Lola Villalba said ‘It is in admissible that a contract for employees goes from a fixed contract to a fixed-non continuous’, noting that they lose their right to pay social security during the months they are not working. She said that in many cases workers were told to ‘take it or leave it’, and noted that ‘nearly 90% of the hotels in Benalmádena would be closed this winter’.

Other workers in the tourism sector are angry, saying that seasonality and hotel closures have a knock on effect in the bars, restaurants and chiringuitos nearby.