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Spain: Drinks producer Gonzalez Byass will open a hotel in the sherry-producing city of Jerez in 2019.
Having selected an architect for the project, Pedro Rebuelta González, who is vice president of the company, said he plans to have an operational hotel in the heart of sherry country by early 2019.
The González family, which owns the Tio Pepe brand, have yet to decide on a name for the hotel, he said it would either be branded Tío Pepe or González Byass.
While the company receives over 200,000 visitors annually to its Tío Pepe visitor centre in Jerez, the property will be its first hotel.
“This is the third time we have tried to launch a hotel: we discussed creating one in 2000, but in 2001 we bought Croft, and that was a big investment, so we left the idea of a hotel. Then, in 2007 we discussed again the idea of a hotel, but in 2008 we bought Vinas del Vero, so the idea was left again,” said Gonzalez. “Our previous ideas were for a bigger hotel, but this isn’t going to be big, we are going to have 38 rooms, and it will be an investment of around €5 million,” he said.
The hotel will be located in existing properties owned by González Byass, which owns four historic houses facing the 17th century cathedral in Jerez.
González said that he believed there would be a high demand for the hotel, based on the fact that the company already hosts 200,000 visitors annually in Jerez, and holds up to 80 weddings each year at its Tío Pepe bodega.
“We believe with the weddings, the families of the bride and groom would prefer to stay in our hotel,” he commented.
