New Malaga hostel to overlook the Cathedral from within protected building

One such project involves the renovation of a protected building next to Malaga Cathedral to convert it into a one-star hostel with around ten rooms.

The property in question is on Calle Don Juan de Málaga 3 and its facade overlooks a small square just a few metres from the apse of the Cathedral. Most Malaga locals don't even know about this location because, to get there, one needs to access it via two narrow alleys off Calle Cañón.

A group of investors from Barcelona, through the company GMC Turistic, are behind this project. GMC Turistic owns several tourist flat complexes in the centres of Malaga, Marbella and Estepona.

Designed by architect Óscar Agudo, the development will take place in a building which, according to land registry records, was constructed in 1900 and is listed with architectural protection grade II.

It is currently vacant, disused and in a clearly bad state. The building's entrances are bricked up, its rooms shored up, its balconies are coming apart and only a temporary roof is protecting the interior.

The project sets out to adapt the building for its new use as tourist accommodation, "while respecting its architecture and preserving its key original features, such as the external structure and the perimeter and interior walls".

The plan is to accommodate 20 beds across ten rooms. The ground floor will house the reception, a storeroom and three bedrooms, while the first floor will have four rooms and the second floor three.

One of the key aspects of the project is the restoration of vertical circulation. The original staircase has been almost entirely demolished, with the exception of its initial section. The work involves reconstructing and extending this staircase in line with its original layout to improve access.

In order not to alter the building's appearance or obstruct the stairwell, the lift will be completely concealed beneath the building's sloping roof, which covers a plot of 98 square metres.

At present, work on the site is on hold, pending a decision from the regional ministry of culture regarding archaeological land surveys.

According to sources, for the project to receive planning permission, the technical staff at the municipal urban planning department have yet to approve the basic design and the detailed design, which it received in September last year.

This is not the only tourist accommodation project so close to the Cathedral currently in the pipeline. The planning process has already begun to convert the former Telefónica building on Calle Postigo de los Abades into a five-star hotel developed by Basque chain Tayko.

There are also plans for the conversion of the former Santo Tomás hospital building, next to the church of El Sagrario, owned by Israeli investment group White, under a lease agreement with the Diocese of Malaga.

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