This month I interviewed Maria the manager and daughter of the owner of the Hotel Balcon in Competa. It was one of the most interesting interviews I have done as Maria informed me a lot about the past in Competa, when the hotel was built, her family and how she came to be manager, when initially it wasn’t what she wanted!
Maria and her brother Wenceslao and her father Pepe and her mother Mari Trini are all originally from the village of Competa. They spent some time in Malaga but then returned to Competa to open Bar Franquelo (their family name). Bar Franquelo was where Taberna de Oscar is today. It was around the time Franquelo opened that the tourists really started to come to Competa. One new tourist arriving in the area was an Englishman called David. He and his family became firm friends with Marias family and it was David that suggested to Pepe one day “let’s build a hotel!”…….. So they did!
The plot where they planned to build the hotel already had a skeleton concrete structure for apartments with space for parking underneath. David and Pepe bought the structure and built a hotel and ballroom below. The family who owns the Estrella disco pub next to the hotel also had an outside disco area for the summer. David and Pepe bought this land from the Estrella disco pub to allow space for the hotel pool and a small garden. By 1st November 1996 a hotel was built with pool, ballroom, petanca and a tennis court and was awaiting their first guests.
As their two families grew closer Maria spent plenty of her younger years in England visiting David’s family in Oxford and learning English to a very high standard. She helped out at David`s son B &B so both studied and gained work experience in the UK.
In the year 2000 the Hotel bungalows were built to provide extra rooms and the garden was extended and a parking area was made. But as time went on Pepe, who managed the Hotel, wanted to take more time out to rest and enjoy his family. Neither Maria nor Wenceslao felt ready to take over as the owners and they weren’t even sure that’s what they wanted long term. So, in 2009 they rented the hotel out to a man from Benidorm. This proved not to be a successful period as he soon stopped paying the rent and then refused to leave the hotel until the courts made him. This was far from the peaceful time Pepe had hoped for! One and half years later Pepe finally got his hotel back and he ran it for another couple of years until Maria agreed to take it over.
In June 2013 Maria and her husband Luis the head chef in the restaurant took over the hotel Balcon. Wenceslao wanted to work with his wife’s family in the Pizzeria next door and didn’t want to manage the hotel so it was left in Maria hands. She explained, although she had worked there for years actually managing it was a different matter. She had experience, but no money and her father always seemed to be there, not really letting go, not an easy situation to be in!
When Maria took over she already had 1 child but having a second child and running a hotel was going to prove impossible. Maria explained sometimes things in life just seem to work out. She found out she was pregnant for the second time just as Sergio approached her about working at the hotel. Sergio was a well-respected waiter and manager of the then Casona Restaurant in the Plaza of Competa (now Casa Paco). Sergio didn’t have the lease renewed on Casona so was looking for new employment. He gave an offer to Maria and she agreed on the basis he worked for them for minimum of a year. This allowed Maria peace of mind and time off during her second child. Sergio took care of the hotel extremely well while Maria took a back seat to concentrate on her family. After a year Sergio left and Maria once again took over the hotel management. Now Sergio is in Pampano Restaurant
Over the years Maria has gained confidence and has made successful changes and improvements to the hotel. For example 8 of the 24 rooms have been upgraded. All rooms now have flat screen televisions and Wi-Fi is free to all guests. She has changed all the mattresses and matress bases on the beds as she understands the importance of a good night’s sleep whilst staying away from home. The tennis court has been painted and the gardens reformed and most recently a disabled entrance has been created to the swimming pool. As testament to the hotel many guests repeatedly return in fact, in the third week of June Maria said every room is filled with repeat visitors. The aim is for the hotel to continually improve their standards and upgrade as they go along. This year they also have the new awning on the terrace overlooking the pool. You can sit underneath the awning not exposed to the elements and enjoy the fabulous views down to the coast. Throughout the summer the awning will also become a welcome relief from the sun.
Another area Maria has improved is the live entertainment. The Hotel offers a fabulous range of live acts from Flamenco to Contemporary music along with wine tasting and fashion shows. This alongside regular Paella Nights, Menu del Dia and Sunday Lunch means there is plenty for the locals to enjoy in Competa as well as guests in the hotel.
As I was leaving the hotel Maria pointed out the photos framed on the wall of the King and Queen of Spain. The royals visited, lunched and rested in one of the hotels rooms before leaving by helicopter. She said she was only young at the time but the whole event was incredibly memorable and special both for herself and an honour for the hotel. If you would like to dine in the same restaurant as the King and Queen of Spain then the Hotel Balcon is the place for you!
