Iconic La Barracuda hotel in Torremolinos celebrates its 50th anniversary with major four-star upgrade

It was during the 1960s and 1970s when the Costa del Sol became fashionable on the international map during the 'boom' of tourism. It was a time when hotels began to spring up along the coast, and this was a sector that everyone wanted to take advantage of. A construction group of Italians and Swiss commissioned Federico De Lucchi, a compatriot from Italy who lived in Malaga and was linked to the construction sector, to look for a plot of land in Torremolinos to build a hotel. In June 1975, the hotel La Barracuda opened its doors, a name in keeping with its already famous neighbour, the emblematic Pez Espada, and with the trend at the time to name hotel establishments after marine species such as the famous Triton or the Nautilus.

La Barracuda was built with ten floors and 232 apartment-style rooms, featuring an innovative system of fold-down beds, with the intention of eventually selling them through a horizontal property division. From the beginning, however, it was managed as a three-star hotel. An establishment which, except for a few years after its inauguration, has been run throughout its history by the De Lucchi family saga. Specifically, Federico De Lucchi has been at the helm from the moment he sought the land to take over the business from a community of owners, when in the 1990s, together with his brother, he bought 80 per cent of the majority shareholding.

This deep family connection has remained over this half-century of existence. Now it is the second generation of the De Lucchi family that runs La Barracuda. Silvia De Lucchi is the hotel director, and her brother Salvador is the manager, while other members of the family also oversee major areas of the establishment. Both are in charge of telling the story of these 50 years.

Silvia has been linked to this establishment since she was a child. She remembers the barbecue followed by the party with music and dancing that celebrated the opening of this hotel when she was a child. She recalls the worst and the best moments, pointing to the pandemic as a "brutal" stage, which they have also overcome. And she highlights as one of the pillars of success the importance of having a staff of one hundred workers "who feel the hotel is their own". "We have a staff that works very well because you can feel that family spirit".

The establishment, which underwent a general renovation in 2022, has not stopped working to adapt to the new demands of a customer profile that has changed completely in this half-century of life. From beginnings marked by tour operators and with a majority influx of Nordic people, to the current moment: the hotel is once again noticing a new clientele in which European families and retirees are beginning to give way to young couples and holidaymakers of a younger average age. The only thing that both say has not changed is the fact that they have "very loyal guests" "Some have been coming every season for forty years and they say that they can't go without recharging their batteries at La Barracuda," says Silvia.

She also provides detailed accounts of the families who return year after year - some now into their third generation. She knows them by name and considers them part of the La Barracuda family.

Salvador De Lucchi highlights the new terrace, with panoramic views of the entire Malaga coastline and mountains such as La Maroma, as one of the major attractions and flagship projects in their ongoing efforts to upgrade the hotel to a four-star rating, following the change in Andalusian regulations.

"We are focused on actions such as having junior suites and all the services that earn points with the new law to show off one more star," says Silvia, convinced that this moment will come.

In the meantime, what does have a date is the event with which they are going to celebrate 50 years and which is expected to be attended by some 200 guests. It will take place on the 12 June with a cocktail on the terrace followed by a performance by Javier Ojeda to liven up an evening that will become part of the history of a hotel that has also had famous guests. The story of established Austrian writer Thomas Bernhard, who spent time at La Barracuda, always in the same room, stands out.

Another icon of La Barracuda is the festival that brings together rockabilly lovers every February in Torremolinos. For 31 years, this establishment has been the venue for an event that transforms the town into a place of total immersion in the golden age of rockabilly. Silvia enthusiastically says that the performance of Los Lobos and their famous La Bamba has already been confirmed for 2026. In the meantime, the De Lucchi's are expecting a "very good summer" with expectations of filling 95 per cent of the rooms. A perfect birthday present.