Alcoutim council has signed a deal that will see the reopening of the Guadiana River Hotel which has been closed for two years.
Currently the town suffers from a lack of accommodation, affecting its ability to attract overnight tourists, with only the Youth Hostel currently offering beds outside of the private accommodation sector.
The council-owned Guadiana River Hotel, despite is prime position overlooking the river, struggled during its management by the Fernando Barata hotel group which ended up not paying the rent. The hotel's doors were closed two years ago and it has been empty ever since.
The council offered the building for sale at €1.3 million but failed to find a buyer. Plan B was put into action to find another hotel business to run the unit.
The new and as yet un-named tenannt already runs similar businesses in Mértola and has signed a deal to revitalise the Guadiana River Hotel, with luck opening late this year to take advantage of the hunting season, a key ‘non-tourist season’ sector in this rural area.
The Youth Hostal now is open all year with Movijovem managing this busienss with the help of a €25,000 'off-season' council grant and with the Guadiana Hotel reopening soon, the riverside town should benefit from the additional accommodation available.
