What a wash out

A TRIO of popular Malaga hotels endured a festive season to forget after floods devastated their Christmas plans.

The combined damage is expected to surpass 100,000 euros for Hotel Molino Cuatro Paradas, Hotel el Gecko and Hotel Molino del Puente.

All holiday bookings had to be cancelled as the two-metre high water levels wreaked havoc on the hotels.

At the Hotel Molino Cuatro Paradas, near Ronda, all the terrace tables and chairs were swept into the Guadiaro river.

Worse still, sources claim that heartless thieves took advantage of the ensuing chaos to steal a number of flat-screen televisions from the first floor rooms.

Bill Findlay, owner of Hotel el Gecko with wife Maxine, in Estacion de Cortes, told how his efforts to minimise the hotel’s damage proved fruitless.

“We estimate to have sustained 25,000 euros in damages, as well as a few thousand euros in lost bookings.”

“The night before we took everything, including the beds, off the floor and rested them on tables,” explained Findlay, 64, from Kent.

“However, the water still rose up by 1.50 metres and destroyed the beds.”

In total, three ensuite bedrooms, a storage room with freezers and pool equipment, as well as the outside bar were all ruined.

“We estimate to have sustained 25,000 euros in damages, as well as a few thousand euros in lost bookings,” added Findlay.

Meanwhile, Ian and Elaine Love – owners of the Hotel Molino del Puente, near Ronda – revealed how their neighbours “waded up to their waists in mud” to help the clear-up.

They now hope to use the opportunity to give the hotel a face lift and re-open it in time for Valentine’s Day weekend.