Travellers have long marvelled at the dreamlike resorts of the Maldives, with their floating villas perched above turquoise lagoons that seem worlds away from Europe.
Now, a Spanish company wants to bring that same luxury to the outskirts of Madrid.
Vivood Landscape Hotels, the firm behind the award-winning eco-resort in Alicante’s Guadalest Valley, is planning to build an ambitious new project beside the Cerro Alarcon reservoir, near the small town of Navalagamella.
The development, however, designed to evoke the tranquillity and exclusivity of far-flung island retreats, has been met with both excitement and fierce opposition.
The planned Hotel Cerro Alarcon would stretch across the southern slope of the reservoir, offering 66 rooms housed in 55 independent villas and bungalows rather than a traditional high-rise structure.
The complex is set to include two fine-dining restaurants, a wellness centre with a gym and thermal circuits, and even its own ‘beach club’ by the water’s edge.
Vivood’s stated aim is to create a haven of calm in harmony with nature, a place where peace and the surrounding landscape take centre stage.
But despite the company’s eco-friendly philosophy, the project has drawn heavy criticism from environmental groups.
Local authorities view the resort as a boon for tourism and employment, arguing it could breathe life into the area and attract high-end visitors to Madrid’s rural belt.
Yet ecologists warn of deforestation and landscape damage linked to the development, pointing out that tree-clearing has already begun to make way for construction.
