Benidorm “will be better than ever” upbeat hotel boss on Spain’s Costa Blanca tells the BBC

Benidorm will be “better than ever” an upbeat hotel boss on Spain’s Costa Blanca has promised during a live broadcast on the BBC.

DIRECTOR of Hotel Rosamar Benidorm, Irving Ribot, remained positive in the face of the crisis as he assured everything is being done to welcome back holidaymakers.

“Benidorm is really desolate at the moment, it has never been like this before… but I’m sure with all the measures being implemented we are going to be ready.

“Once all this is over we are going to start business back up again and it will be back to normal. Benidorm has its essence, nobody can deny that.”

Ribot added: “Benidorm has been welcoming people for many, many years and I do not see why we can’t get back on our feet again.

“Once the industry is open again, we have the right measures in place and the government gives the signal to open the resort in the proper conditions, we will get back to what we were and even better.”

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Ribot said Hotel Rosamar was due to open on May 1, but will now be ready in a few days.

“It all depends on government and the local authorities allowing the industry, little by little, to get back to the business we had before.”

When asked how things will change, Ribot replied: “It’s a completely different normality that we are facing here. That’s why hotels in Benidorm are getting ready for all these measures.

“One of the things that we always have in mind when we have clients from outside (of Spain) is the security of the people, for us that’s the first rule. So we are implementing everything that’s possible to make sure that of course, guests are safe and that there is no problem travelling abroad and coming here to Spain.”

This weekend would have been one of the busiest at the start of the season, said Ribot, with the resort normally bustling with holidaymakers.

“This weekend would usually be very busy, so it’s very strange to walk the streets of Benidorm right now, especially in our area Rincon de Loix. Most of the British holiday here.

But he said “now we will be safer than we were before with all the measures the government is asking us to apply in the hotels.”

While he remains very upbeat, Ribot did admit the last couple of months have hit many smaller hotels hard.

“Some hotels are struggling right now as the industry here is suffering the impact (of the coronavirus pandemic). Some little hotels may be struggling but the government is giving aid, particularly to workers, and I think if we implement proper economic measures in our business, we can get out of this situation.”

When asked if he would be going anywhere for a holiday himself, Ribot assured he would be staying in Benidorm, adding: “It’s not a problem of where you will go, but when will you go.”

But he remained positive that the resort will be back on its feet soon.

“You have to be sure that we will get out of this together, and of course Benidorm is still the place we remember, but even better.

“We will be ready to receive people as soon as the governments lifts all the restrictions, especially the quarantine that is affecting us right now.

“Once this is over, we will be getting back to business very fast.”

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Written by

Tara Rippin

Tara Rippin is a reporter for Spain’s largest English-speaking newspaper, Euro Weekly News, and is responsible for the Costa Blanca region.
She has been in journalism for more than 20 years, having worked for local newspapers in the Midlands, UK, before relocating to Spain in 1990.
Since arriving, the mother-of-one has made her home on the Costa Blanca, while spending 18 months at the EWN head office in Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol.
She loves being part of a community that has a wonderful expat and Spanish mix, and strives to bring the latest and most relevant news to EWN’s loyal and valued readers.

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