Uruguay: Ten groups interested in Hotel Casino Carrasco operation

Up to the moment, Pestana Group, from Portugal, was the only consortium which acquired the papers for the tender of the building.

The building, which has been ramshackle for ten years, will be tendered again by Montevideo Council.(IMM) to private parties after the failure of the tender granted to the company Carmitel in 1990.

According to sources, Argentine, French, Spanish, Hungarian, Greek and CHilean groups showed their intention to operate the hotel casino.

Ehrlich administration wants Hotel Carrasco to be transformed in a regional gamlbing center, similar to Conrad Punta del Este, and aims to target top Brazilian and Argentinian players.

Sources of the local council say that the concession to private parties is held for three reasons: the council cannot afford the high cost that a refurbishment of the hotel would generate; they consider that the management of a building of such characteristics is not part of the priorities of a council and understand that Montevideo Council does not have enough contacts to attract high-end customers.

So far, Pestana Group, from Portugal, was the only consortium which acquired the documents for the tender of the building after a visit organized by businessmen last November.

Pestana is a Portuguese chain that operates hotels in historical places which now is aiming to expand to Argentina, Uruguay and Chile.

Sources pointed that most of groups interested in the tender will lift the documents once the deadline expires, because all the information about the business is published in the webpage of the council (www.montevideo.gub.uy). President Tabaré Vázquez and Ministry of Transport, Víctor Rossi, acknowleged the importance of the group once they stayed in one of its castles during a tour within Lisbon last September 20th.