Hospitality group Cipriani has revealed plans to invest more than $450 million into the redevelopment of the former San Rafael Hotel in Punta del Este, Uruguay. The company plans to add hotel suites and luxury residences as well as restaurants, retail space, and a casino.
The gaming portion of the major project received last week approval from the President of Uruguay, Tabaré Vázquez. A bidding process for awarding a casino license will be conducted at a later stage, it also became known. According to reports by local media, Cipriani will have a competitive advantage in the race over the casino tender.
San Rafael Hotel first opened doors in 1948. It is believed to have had an instrumental role in Punta del Este’s establishment as a popular tourism hub. Among other facilities, the original hotel also operated a casino, which attracted famous politicians, royalties, and members of the global arts and entertainment scene.
Cirpiani has partnered famous Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly for the ambitious project. According to a press release by the group, the plan includes “the faithful reconstruction of the iconic hotel, once the glamorous destination for celebrities and politicians coming to Uruguay, s well as the preferred choice for South Americans and international visitors.”
Construction Expected to Begin in August
Demolition work at the site of the former San Rafael Hotel has entered its final stages and construction work on the new Cipriani Ocean Resort & Club Residences – Punta del Este is expected to kick off in August.
As mentioned above, the developer behind the project aims to restore faithfully the landmark Tudor-style building. The original design of the former hotel will be “entirely preserved.” The future resort will also feature additional hotel rooms, luxury residences, diverse dining options, a spa, pools, retail space, and a casino.
The project will be implemented in phases. The first phase will include the addition of 164 hotel suites. Phase two will involve the development of 800,0000 square feet of residences.
Cirpiani has tapped Florentine architect Michele Bönan to decorate the hotel and club residences. All furniture pieces at the resort will be produced by Italian artisans, it has also become known. Construction work is expected to be completed sometime in 2021.
Punta del Este, a popular tourism draw, already has three casinos, which means that once operational, the gaming facility of the new Cipriani Ocean Resort & Club Residences will face quite some competition. However, being located at the site of a landmark property is hoped to help the newcomer quickly gain foothold in the local market.
Cipriani is a privately owned hospitality group that operates properties in New York, London, Ibiza, Hong Kong, Istanbul, and Mexico City, among others. The company traces its history back to the early 1930s when family patriarch Giuseppe Cipriani opened the legendary Harry’s Bar in Venice. Since its opening, the bar has attracted many famous people, including Ernest Hemingway, Charlie Chaplin, Truman Capote, George Glooney, and Woody Allen.
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