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Beachfront eyesore may soon be a thing of the past

For more than 20 years the unfinished Hotel Atrium has loomed over the beach at La Cala Finestrat, near Benidorm. It's now reported that work on it may soon resume.

by Barry Duke
Beachfront eyesore may soon be a thing of the past

A question I have heard asked hundreds of times by people visiting the delightful Finestrat Cove Beach at La Cala for the first time is, “will that concrete eyesore ever be completed?”

I was never able to answer that question, because all reports about the future of the gigantic eyesore facing the Finestrat cove, in the municipality of Vila Joiosa, were hazy. Some indicated that efforts were being made to get the necessary permissions to complete the project, while others suggested that the monstrosity would be demolished.

Investors sought

Then around five years ago, it was reported by Benidorm All Year Round that the Magic Costa Blanca group of hotels, the company responsible for the building, was looking for investors.

Work was halted back in 2003 after the local council put a stop to further progress as the developers breached their licence by adding several additional floors, obscuring views of the sea from apartments behind it.

The Magic Group then presented a revised plan to convert the build into a luxury resort with over 1,300 rooms and a wide range of leisure facilities—including a 20,000 square meter lake pool, restaurants, shopping malls, spa, theatre and conference/banqueting rooms.

Progress at last

Then, at the end of September this year, Spanish news outlet Información reported that the local authority had paved the way for a new agreement that would see the project brought to fruition, but no details were provided regarding the time scale.

A while back Belgian blogger Harry Fabel wrote:

Meanwhile, the whole building and the old construction cranes are rusting and are a disgraceful stain on the beautiful La Cala beach of Benidorm Finestrat.

Image courtesy Region of Valencia

Benidorm All Year Round pointed out that La Cala is a very popular beach—the smallest and quieter of the three that are feature Benidorm (Levante and Poniente being the other two).

According to its website, the family-run Magic Costa Blanca Hotels & Resorts has been working for more than 40 years to create unique holiday experiences at locations on the Costa Blanca and Gandía.

We specialise in ‘Ultra All Inclusive’ holidays for the whole family, which we have pioneered with more than 25 years of experience. Thanks to our renowned UTI regime, our visitors can enjoy much more than a magnificent hotel room: they have shows and shows, excursions, themed restaurants, premium cuisine, exclusive areas for adults …

In Benidorm, the company has eight unique properties, including Benidorm Celebrations Music Resort, Magic Atrium Plaza, Magic Natura Animal & Waterpark Polynesian Lodge Resort.

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Alternative providers: Expedia | Hotels.com | Agoda | Trip.com | SnaptravelHotellook VRBO as well as direct of course.

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