at Mallorca Online Issue No. 454

Headlines of May 30th to June 12th, 1998

SURPRISE VISIT

German top model, Claudia Schiffer, paid a surprise visit to Palma's
Son Vida Hotel last Saturday when she attended the presentation of a new collection of jewellery from the prestigious Quo Vadis range.

While on the island, Claudia took the opportunity of shopping for furniture for her new luxury home being built in Andratx. During her short stay, the model was accompanied by her boyfriend, magician David Copperfield. According to Son Vida management, Claudia's visit was organised from Germany and was kept a secret from the local press. However, reporters from several German television channels travelled to Mallorca with Ms Schiffer.

FINE FOR GERMAN ACCUSED OF TAXI MURDER

The young German tourist, accused of the death of an Arenal taxi driver during a fight, was only given a fine of 250,000 pesetas after being found guilty of carelessness resulting in death.

Martin Wilfried G., was arrested last July 19 when a taxi driver died after being involved in a fight with the 17 year old youth. Martin was in prison until 01 September and was refused permission to leave the island until after the trial. His lawyer commented that the sentence was fair as his client had spent six weeks in prison and had also been deprived of his freedom for eight months. Taxi driver Francisco Peralta, was fined 60,000 pesetas for giving false testimony to the police after his colleague died. He initially stated that the accused had struck his colleague with a wooden stick but later confessed in court that he had lied and in fact it had been the dead taxi driver who had wielded the weapon.

Photos: THE READER; El dia del mundo

TONY BLAIR & JOSÉ MARÍA AZNAR

"Two leaders united in the spirit of reform", according to Tuesday's article in Spanish newspaper El Día del Mundo. The two leaders met yesterday in La Moncloa, the Spanish presidential palace, to discuss the next EU summit in Cardiff where employment problems facing Europe at the beginning of a new era will be discussed. Despite the political differences between the two leaders; Blair claims he is "central radical" while Aznar said he was more of a "central reformer", they have recently become close friends, since Blair and his family spent a few days holiday with the President at Easter in Doçana.

NEW LUXURY HOTEL FOR CALVIA

A luxury hotel and apartment complex is being built in Punta Negra, Calvià, between Portals Nous and Palmanova.

The apartment complex is already well under way although the German financed company has still not been granted a license for the hotel. However, Andrés Gómez, financial advisor for SEDISA (Schörghuber Investments Spain), in Mallorca commented on Tuesday that CalviÖ Council had approved the hotel project and the license was expected to be issued soon. SEDISA, is a subsidiary of the Schîrghuber Group which also owns Arabella Hotels of Spain SA.
The new hotel, Sheraton Mardavall Spa & Resort, which will probably be shortened to Mardavall, will have 98 suites and 12 single rooms. When ready for occupation at the end of the year 2000, it will be one of the exclusive ITT Sheraton Hotels in the "The Luxury Collection".
The company has ceded 11,500 square metres of the 80,000 square metre land area to Calvià Council for a municipal green area and also donated 100 million pesetas towards the building of the Passeig Calvià, a council project which has already started.
Although the hotel and apartment complex is on the sea front, a 100-metre distance from the shore must be respected under the Coastal Law with a further 100-metre stretch as part of the municipal green area. The company has also agreed to re-site the apartment building nearest to the beach, a further 75 metres from the shore.
According to Gómez, once the hotel is open to the public "our intention is to remain open 365 days a year". The hotel spa will provide a variety of health treatments including thalasotherapy (sea water therapy) and hot mud treatments. The swimming pools, with both fresh and sea water, will also have soothing underwater music and the complex will be surrounded by gardens planted only with Mediterranean and local plants, flowers and shrubs.

FIRST RESTAURANT MENU IN EUROS

The well known Cafè Mercantil in Inca is the first establishment in the town to print both their bar and restaurant menus in pesetas and euros. Pere Mas, owner and manager of the cafè commented that the idea of a dual currency menu occurred to him during the Euro Summit in April. "The media claimed that the single European currency would create confusion especially with elderly people therefore we decided to accustom our clients to the changes". Customer reaction to the changes has been favourable, according to Mas. "Some are amused while others can be seen intently studying the prices. Prices have currently been calculated at the present rate of 168 pesetas per euro. However, once the single currency is in circulation we will recalculate prices based on the rate at that time. At the moment it is just an experiment."
The "Mercantil" has been a meeting point for artists and intellectuals of Inca and the surrounding area since it first opened its doors to the public in 1936.


Homepage	msm-archives	msm-girls	Events of the month