May 22 - Gibraltar Wins €150m Overnight Investment Creating Jobs and Bringing New Business
“Our economy is booming like hardly any other in the European Union” – these are the words of Gibraltar’s Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, who has assured that his July Budget will reveal over 5% growth this year, a GDP of £1.1 billion with a surplus of over £400 million growing to a forecast GDP of £1.65 billion in 2014/15.
Gibraltar has matured into its role in Europe, taking great effort to promote a business-friendly environment to quality organisations – in particular financial markets and online gaming, licensing 23 of the world’s best. Gibraltar insurers currently write 10% of the total UK motor market and will become the powerhouse of that industry sector. With ambitions for even higher growth, Gibraltar needs the infrastructure to match, the services and facilities that will help to anchor this vision, and Sunborn Gibraltar, a five star grand yacht hotel is ready to play a pivotal role.
Arriving in Gibraltar in just three weeks time, this 189 room purpose-built five star yacht with fine dining restaurants, a grand ballroom, cocktail and lounge bars, a Spa and fitness centre, concierge and abundant conference facilities will bring a new level of deluxe hospitality to Gibraltar – and indeed Europe. After all, superyachts are the world’s ultimate symbol of wealth and exclusivity.
Intended for some of the most iconic cities around the globe – London, Barcelona, New York, Hong Kong, St Petersburg, Tokyo – Sunborn Gibraltar will be the brand’s debutante and, for some time, the only five star yacht hotel in existence in the world. Gibraltar has been chosen as the desired location to begin this story, the first of a fleet of five star yacht hotels that will change perceptions on luxury travel forever.
Brian Stevendale, CEO for Sunborn Gibraltar, says, “Many reports and studies have been undertaken into the viability of a new hotel coming to Gibraltar. Global hotel names have been keen to come, but they have not been able to find the right site, we solve this without all the disruption of construction. Sunborn Gibraltar provides the desperately needed quality that you would expect from a five star hotel, wherever you are in the world. We cannot keep losing business to Spain and we are.”
“The welcome and support Sunborn received from the Government of Gibraltar was a significant pull factor to sway our decision to select Gibraltar as the home port for our first five star GL classified hotel, above other shortlisted European destinations. Sunborn has been more than impressed by the Government’s ambition and vision to improve Gibraltar’s standing on an international scale. It’s a small place, less than 7km², so has to shout loud to make itself heard – I am certain that our 150 million euro investment will help Gibraltar on its path to becoming a leading destination in the world.”
Gibraltar is indeed entering a new era, the avant-garde 80 million euro international airport terminal building, which officially opened for departures in September 2012, is symbolic of a desire to invest and present a 21st century face to the world. Sunborn Gibraltar follows in the same vein, a modernistic masterpiece that will help position the Rock on the global map. This is quite some leap of faith on Sunborn’s part as it will be testing the water for other multinationals. The Rock is relatively inaccessible, only the UK can be reached by direct flight, all other countries require a connection, but there’s no doubt that Gibraltar occupies a very prominent position on the map – geographically and economically. Sunborn has strong belief in Gibraltar’s potential as a dynamic international destination of the future.
Brian continues, “There is a gap in Gibraltar’s hotel offering for a genuine international-standard five star establishment. The highest rating currently is four star which means that those looking for premium service, quality and facilities have to satisfy their needs across the border in Spain. Over 12 million people visit Gibraltar each year, but tend to arrive from Spain and spend the majority of their stay on the other side of the border. Sunborn Gibraltar hopes to stem this flow and keep leisure and business travellers spending on the Rock.”
In short, Sunborn will bring guests to Gibraltar who otherwise would not have chosen to visit. Wealthy individuals and discerning businesspersons will now have a hotel to cater to their needs and Gibraltar will finally be able to accommodate large functions of more than 500 guests in salubrious surroundings. No longer will they have to rely on Spain’s five star facilities and Gibraltar will become an internationally renowned event destination.
“We expect in the region of half our revenue to come from corporate events, conferences, Bar Mitzvahs and other private parties, in particular weddings,” continues Brian, “Around 1,000 marriages take place in Gibraltar each year, over 80% of them between non-residents, but many more couples will be attracted in the knowledge there is a venue large and luxurious enough to suit their dreams. We will be looking into the possibility for Sunborn Gibraltar to become an approved location for full wedding ceremonies.”
“Sunborn Gibraltar will bring a different dimension, a different proposition, to the local hotel industry and the intention is not to go head-to-head but to support and partner our fellow hoteliers. First, our price point will be the highest, with room rates of more than £200 a night, indicative of the affluent target audience we are appealing to. People have a choice which room rate they’d prefer to pay. Second, should we hold events at the hotel for 750 guests, our maximum capacity, we only have 189 rooms in which to accommodate them. We’d like to work with partner hotels to host the overspill.”
“We are committed to enhancing the reputation of the territory as a whole, to media in the UK and beyond. We’ll be joining forces with Government Ministers as well as Gibraltar House in London and the key leaders who do such a great job with Invest Gibraltar. Not an inconsiderable amount of money will be dedicated to promoting the ‘Gibraltar experience’ internationally. The overall trickle-down benefit is obvious.”
“Local restaurants, bars, shops and tourist attractions all form part of that ‘Gibraltar experience’, one which we will publicize to our guests, onboard and in the media. Sunborn Gibraltar has a choice of just two dining venues, guests will certainly want to venture ashore to explore other possibilities during extended stays, at the same time as taking in the sights. Our intention is to make the market bigger for everyone, not to take clients away.”
Sunborn Gibraltar is also set to impact positively on the local job market by creating up to 200 permanent roles. Whilst the main operation teams will be handpicked for their experience running international hotel chains, middle management and support staff are expected to be sourced locally – with training on hand to develop the necessary skills.
Brian explains, “From next week we will be holding open recruitment days where Sunborn Gibraltar will welcome potential candidates, in person, to come and express an interest in available roles and learn more about Sunborn. We appreciate that all the skills required for five star hospitality may not exist in Gibraltar, but we’ll take on apprentices for in-house training and leave them with internationally transferable competencies”.
“Many more jobs will be created indirectly as local suppliers benefit from providing Sunborn Gibraltar with laundry, transport, maintenance and security services alongside food and beverage provisioning. Local taxi firms together with Sunborn Gibraltar’s dedicated shuttle service to and from the border will create yet more revenue for the Rock. It all adds up to positivity for Gibraltar, positivity it deserves.”
Sunborn Gibraltar’s commitment to the Rock is a long term one. A lengthy lease has been entered into and the intention is to see it out, and beyond. As an example, Sunborn opened its first yacht hotel in the tiny coastal town of Naantali in Finland in 1998. 15 years later a 138 room yacht hotel, Sunborn Princess, is still located there and has become a highly cherished local landmark on the west coast of Finland.
Sunborn Gibraltar is herself a stunning piece of workmanship. Over 3,000 people have been involved in the development and construction of the hotel, a truly international project using expertise from Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain and the US. Comments have been made on her size yet, at 142 metres, she is dwarfed by the likes of Eclipse, Abramovich’s flagship, which weighs in at 163.5 metres and has passed through Gibraltar on several occasions. Sunborn Gibraltar will complement her surroundings and form part of the architecture of Ocean Village marina.
Although very much a self-contained floating vessel, Sunborn Gibraltar will function like a normal building when moored alongside at Ocean Village. Normal utility and waste connections to sewage, water and power lines will operate with the option for onboard generators to provide back-up electricity should the need arise. Sunborn Gibraltar will not be able to discharge waste into the water.
Unlike a normal building, the yacht hotel will be ready to open within three months of arrival in Gibraltar – no three or four year noisy construction process concealed by unsightly hoardings. And, speaking of noise, Sunborn Gibraltar’s bars and restaurants will certainly be open no later than any other establishment within Ocean Village.
Sunborn will be sending out invitations for Sunborn Gibraltar’s premiere, a special preview event where the interior of the new yacht hotel will be revealed to stakeholders, local businesses and Gibraltar’s media.
In the near future we will also extend an open house invitation to all Gibraltarians to attend a recruitment day at our development offices on Ocean Village Promenade. At the event, local people interested in working for Sunborn Gibraltar will be able to find out more about employment opportunities and submit an application for one of the 200 permanent jobs created by the new hotel.
Fabian Picardo, Chief Minister of Gibraltar: "Government is delighted that Sunborn and Ocean Village have agreed terms to enable the Sunborn Grand Luxury five star hotel to come to Gibraltar. This will be a game-changer for Gib!"
The Sunborn Fleet – A Statement of Modernity
Sunborn Princess
Sunborn Princess is permanently moored at Naantali Spa Resort in Finland. Onboard, the 122 metre hull incorporates 135 luxury suites and 2 royal suites, along with an elegant central staircase and reception area. The yacht hotel is a five star classified floating hotel with the necessary kitchen and service facilities – as well as a gourmet restaurant, lobby bar, multiple conference facilities, an auditorium and extensive sundeck areas. The yacht hotel added an iconic aspect to the resort, so much so that the Naantali Spa has become one of the most well-known hotel brands in Finland.
Sunborn Barcelona
Sunborn Barcelona will be located at the new Port Forum Marina. Looking out over the Mediterranean, the yacht hotel will be centrepiece of this modern marina development. The five star Grand Luxury class vessel has been custom designed and built at our construction facility in Malaysia.
The new 140 metre yacht hotel incorporates 180 high-specification guest rooms, including 27 special suites with a separate living room. To enable guests to enjoy spectacular views of the Mediterranean, marina and Barcelona skyline, each suite has wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as their own balcony or outdoor terrace area.
Throughout the vessel every detail in the design, choice of material or finish, has been carefully selected to add to the feeling of quality and exclusivity. There is also a wide variety of facilities including a large sundeck with pool, an exclusive lobby area and bar, fine dining restaurant, day Spa and fitness centre, meeting and conference facilities.
Sunborn London
Located at the western end of Royal Victoria Dock, the four star deluxe Sunborn London is scheduled to open in 2014. The custom-designed 120 metre floating hotel will incorporate 153 spacious guest rooms – all with bespoke furnishings – plus an impressive 200-seat restaurant, cocktail bar and events suite featuring a panoramic glass atrium providing unique views of Canary Wharf across the water.
The new yacht hotel is a replacement for the original Sunborn London vessel which was sold to international investors in 2008. The previous London yacht hotel enjoyed great success and had become a well-known local landmark.
Sunborn Gibraltar
Ready to welcome guests in the second half of 2013, Sunborn Gibraltar is the latest 150 million euro addition to the revolutionary floating hotel fleet. Standing proudly in Ocean Village Marina, set against a backdrop of the iconic 1,400ft ‘Rock’, Sunborn Gibraltar counts 189 guest rooms, 90% of them with outdoor space, and all with full-height glazing to capture the Mediterranean views.
142 metres long and a height of seven storeys, Sunborn Gibraltar exudes five star elegance in its rooms, casino, Spa and fitness centre, casino, cocktail lounges, fine dining restaurants and grandiose ballroom – the ultimate setting for a lavish celebration. Conferences and events are equally well catered for in flexible meeting space for up to 540 delegates.
Sunborn Gibraltar is an essential addition to the territory’s hospitality offering and meets a growing demand for luxury hotel and convention facilities in a flourishing economic environment. Visit Sunborn Gibraltar’s dedicated website www.sunborngibraltar.com
