The news was announced by the Ministry of Tourism of Uruguay.
Uruguay.- Expectations are growing in Carmelo nine months after the call for bids to operate the Hotel Casino Carmelo, following the setting of a new deadline for the reception of offers, which was originally set for today, Thursday, November 28.
From the Ministry of Tourism of Uruguay, it was established that the reception of offers for the sale of the Hotel Casino Carmelo, in Colonia, will remain open until January 10, 2025, with the aim of providing more time for companies interested in participating in the process.
According to information provided by the authorities to the local media Carmelo Portal, the decision responds to the interest shown by a new company in the project, which increases expectations about the quality of the offers.
The Ministry indicated that the goal is to ensure that the development of the Hotel Casino Carmelo is in the hands of an operator capable of revitalizing the establishment, maximizing its impact on local and national tourism.
“The best is sought for the place, therefore it is important to give the opportunity to interested parties to prepare robust and well-founded proposals,” sources linked to the process told the local newspaper.
The presentation of offers will be decisive in achieving the renewal of a space, whose reactivation promises to generate a positive impact both on the local economy and on the tourist offer of the region.
It is worth remembering that in August, the Deputy Minister of Tourism of Uruguay, Remo Monzeglio, confirmed to Focus Gaming News the sale of the document that enables the presentation of a project: "Obviously, the fact that a company has acquired the bidding document for USD10,000 implies that it will present a project, the expectation is very certain that there will be at least one project presented."
The official added that one of the essential conditions to be able to present to the call is to make a visit to the site; after the visit, the company is given a receipt that must be presented along with the project once the document is purchased. "The company that bought the document this week has already met the requirement of the visit to the place," confirmed Monzeglio.
Finally, the Deputy Minister stated: "We are satisfied, we are happy, with great expectations. The Hotel Carmelo is an enterprise that has a value of approximately USD2.2m for the acquirer, it acquires it for life and it also gives a license to operate a private casino for 20 years renewable."
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The call includes the sale of two plots, belonging to the Ministry of Tourism and where the hotel is located, and the concession of the exploitation of gambling for 20 years renewable for the same term.
The sale is conditioned to the construction, completion, and operation of a five-star hotel, while the casino license involves the payment of an annual fee, composed of a percentage of gross revenues.
The base price for the sale of the real estate plots N° 2.682 and N° 2.683 of the city of Carmelo (which consist of approximately 10,459 m2) will be 14,020,078 Indexed Units (USD2,126,720). It should be noted that this amount will be converted to Uruguayan pesos at the exchange rate of the day before the public deed by which the transfer of ownership is to be carried out.
