435 owners of deadly hotel must be tracked down before it can be demolished
The Santa Cruz City Council has secured funding and awarded the contract to demolish the long-abandoned hotel structure on the coast of Añaza, however, one major obstacle remains before work can begin: the council must legally locate all 435 registered owners in order to proceed with the compulsory expropriation.
According to reporting from El Día, the city’s Urban Planning Department is required to notify every owner individually, a process that has proven exceptionally difficult. Of the 435 proprietors, 434 are foreign nationals, most of whom purchased shares in the property decades ago.
Councillor Zaida González confirmed that 351 of them are German, 77 Swiss, four from Liechtenstein, two Finnish, and only one Spanish.
A dangerous structure left untouched for nearly half a century
The hotel has been abandoned for approximately 50 years, standing as an unfinished concrete shell overlooking the Añaza coastline. Over the decades, it has become notorious for accidents, trespassing, and serious safety risks.
The most recent tragedy occurred on 4th December, when a 13-year-old girl died after venturing into the ruin with a group of friends. The incident renewed public pressure on authorities to accelerate the demolition process.
Safety reports dating back to 2017 have repeatedly highlighted the hazards posed by the derelict structure, noting that it has become a regular gathering point for young people who are unaware of or choose to ignore the dangers. Emergency services and local residents have long described the site as a fatal accident waiting to happen.
Funding secured, but legal formalities stall progress
Earlier this year, Santa Cruz received €2.5 million to carry out the demolition. The tender has already been adjudicated, meaning the city is technically ready to proceed. Yet without completing the legal requirement of locating and notifying every owner, the demolition cannot be executed.
City officials stress that the process is essential to ensure the validity of the expropriation. Efforts are now underway to trace the foreign owners, many of whom invested in the hotel project almost half a century ago and may no longer reside at the addresses originally registered, or may have passed away.
The council maintains that clearing the structure is urgent to prevent further loss of life and to eliminate a long-standing eyesore and safety threat on Tenerife’s capital coastline.
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