The proposed hotel in the Seghers area, located near the Estepona marina and Playa del Cristo, has sparked concern among local residents and the PSOE party. Both groups have submitted objections against the initial approval of the Detailed Study by the town hall. While they support job creation and hotel development, they argue that the current proposal significantly disrupts the neighborhood’s scale and increases its environmental impact.
The Estepona Town Hall has given initial approval for the Detailed Study related to the A-UEN-R2 “Hotel Seghers” unit, which pertains to a plot behind the marina and close to Playa del Cristo, a popular bathing and walking area for locals. This urban planning instrument, proposed by Seghers Luxury Hotel, S.L., is now open for public comment.
According to the documentation reviewed by the objectors, the Urban Development Plan (PGOU) for this area specifies a maximum height of two stories with exclusive hotel use. However, the Detailed Study suggests a structure comprising a ground floor plus four additional stories and an attic, effectively resulting in a six-story building that would be conspicuous in the surrounding environment.
The objections question the appropriateness of using the Detailed Study to permit such a height and request the town hall to clarify which regulations justify the increase from two to six stories. They also call for transparency regarding the project’s relationship with public maritime-terrestrial domains and how building density is maintained while the unit’s area is reduced.
Socialist spokesperson Emma Molina emphasized that neither the PSOE nor the residents oppose the construction of a hotel in Seghers. “A hotel project can create jobs, boost economic activity, and enhance the area,” she stated, but insisted that the town hall must not alter urban planning parameters to facilitate a construction that dramatically increases its impact on the surroundings.
In a message from the party, Molina pointed out that the General Plan allows for two stories on this plot, while the proposed project seeks six. “We are not against any hotel project that will generate employment; we oppose exceeding the PGOU limits,” she asserted, directly addressing Mayor José María García Urbano and demanding public clarification.
Residents’ concerns focus on maintaining the neighborhood’s appearance and the visual impact on the landscape that includes the Seghers urbanization, the slope leading to Playa del Cristo, and the views from the marina and Avenida del Carmen. Many fear that a six-story building would create a “wall” effect against the sea and disrupt the visual connection between homes, the promenade, and the coastline.
The objections explicitly mention gentrification, with residents and the PSOE worried that a series of large tourism projects will drive up living costs in the area and gradually displace long-term residents. “We support the development of urban or hotel projects, but they must respect the surroundings, the environment, and aesthetics,” Molina summarized, warning that the city “cannot thrive at the expense of losing its identity.”
According to Idealista and Fotocasa, the average salary required to buy a home in Estepona is around €4,000 per month.
The message conveyed is twofold: yes to investment, employment, and hotels, but no to interpretations of regulations tailored to individual projects. Thus, they have decided to utilize the public comment period to request that the Detailed Study not be definitively approved until the town hall clearly explains the ordinance that allows the proposed height and what measures are in place to protect the landscape and quality of life in Seghers.
In the coming weeks, the town hall will have to review the submitted objections and clarify whether it will maintain the proposed height or make adjustments to the future hotel’s layout, in a discussion that will influence the tourism and residential development model for Estepona’s western facade.