Symbolic first stone laid as construction of five-star hotel gets under way in La Herradura

The event, which took place on the Paseo Andrés Segovia on Tuesday 23 June, brought together local authorities, residents, business leaders and representatives of the Fuerte Hoteles Group, the developer of the DAIA Slow Beach Hotels La Herradura project.

The history of this hotel began in 2002, when the Fuerte Hoteles Group first arrived in La Herradura and acquired the land on which the hotel was to be built. They did so, as Marta Álvarez, the group’s associate managing director, explained, because they "fell in love" with the place. “We fell in love with this beautiful town, its light and its authentic surroundings. We realised that we could do something special here,” she recalled during her speech.

However, the journey from that first visit to the laying of this foundation stone "has not been easy". The hotel project has been beset by decades of administrative hurdles, reports, negotiations and other difficulties. It was not until 2021 that the developers resumed talks with Almuñécar-La Herradura town hall, which finally got the ball rolling.

In January this year, the company was granted planning permission to build the hotel. The permission stipulated that the construction period should be 36 months and the project had a budget of just under 14.7 million euros. Once completed the building will have more than 200 rooms.

The facilities will include infinity pools, a restaurant serving cuisine from various cultures and using local produce, lounge areas, a solarium, wellness facilities and an underground car park. In addition, a jetty will be built opposite the hotel, giving guests direct access to the sea.

“DAIA was born out of a conviction: that true luxury today lies in reconnecting with nature, with tranquillity, and with authenticity,” explained Marta Álvarez. The resort is designed especially for adult couples from across Europe who are looking to relax without any pressure and enjoy their surroundings.

The new hotel will create more than 100 direct jobs and speaking at the event on Tuesday, the mayor of Almuñécar and La Herradura, Juan José Ruiz Joya, said, “Sometimes we talk about jobs as if they were just numbers, but behind every job there is a family. There is a young person who might get an opportunity and there is a mother or father who can bring stability to their home."

The mayor also highlighted the knock-on effect that a hotel of this kind can have on the local economy: “This hotel will not be an island; this hotel will be a gateway. A gateway for visitors with greater spending power to arrive – visitors who will not just sleep in a room, but will go out and experience La Herradura. They will eat in our restaurants, shop in our local businesses, stroll along our promenades and discover our history.”

Marta Álvarez was forthright in calling on the town hall to work on improving the area around the hotel: “A five-star hotel needs surroundings that are up to scratch. Tour operators aren’t just buying a room; they’re buying a destination, a complete experience.” The group’s director pointed out that a better-maintained and more pleasant promenade is what can turn a hotel guest into a customer for the whole town. “If we achieve this together, we all win: the hotel, the town and every resident of La Herradura.”

The mayor also took up that challenge with enthusiasm. “We don’t want La Herradura to stop being La Herradura. We want exactly the opposite: for the world to come and discover it, but for visitors to find its essence intact when they arrive. Its light, its tranquillity, its cuisine, its people, that beauty which cannot be manufactured.”

Ruiz Joya added that the hotel is the result of the hard work of many people. “Projects don’t get off the ground by themselves. They move forward when there is hard work, when there is effective management and when there is a serious approach."