Saint Malo residents protest luxury hotel plans

Thursday 16 February 2017

Ambitious plans to build a five-star hotel and spa complex into a rock face on Saint Malo’s iconic coastline – a favourite day-trip destination for islanders - have come up against a defiant ‘non’ from local residents.

Following the closure of loss-making Nielles campsite in 2015, Saint Malo Council launched an appeal for ideas to develop the idyllic site - a 14,700m squared parcel of land overlooking the tranquil Minihic beach.

After much public consultation, Raulic Investment seized the green space for €7.6 million euros, having convinced the Council that their luxury resort proposal would create 140 jobs.

Under their plans, a five-star hotel with 90 rooms will be embedded in the coastal cliff face, with access to a lavish 2,600m squared Thalasso spa.

Pictured: The 90-bedroom luxury resort, which will be embedded in the Minihic beach cliff face.

“We wanted to create the effect of a inhabited sand dune to avoid a vertical facade. The residential part is constructed in a tiered arrangement. That helps limit the loss of sunlight. It also limits the impact for the neighbouring area, whilst allowing visual access and leaving room for green spaces,” developer Olivier Raulic explained.

And the already extravagant plans don’t stop there, with an additional 50-room three-star hotel, 50 four-star holiday lets, six villas, 185 parking spaces, and an international school for spa and wellness professionals in the works for 2020 – all at a hefty cost of €50 million. 

Despite Mr Raulic’s claims that the much-loved beach will not be taken away but “improved”, local residents have expressed fury over the proposed, “…concretisation of the coast.” 

Campaign group ‘Autour des Nielles’ has since been set up to rally against the proposals, which left locals “devasted” according to President Jean-Marc Gadé. 

Pictured: Further proposed developments to the former campsite area.

The pressure group claim that the striking edifice will spoil views and green spaces, harm surrounding wildlife, and lead to increased traffic and accidents within the area.

Concerns have also been raised over the safety of building on the crumbling terrain. Others, meanwhile, have lamented the destruction of a historical bunker with 14 underground rooms.

In a meeting last week, Mr Gadé questioned: “Our coast is magnificent and fragile. Already the hotel roof, on nine levels, is far higher than surrounding houses... How can they construct on a cliff, with all the falling rocks? …Is it necessary to construct so many rooms? Why generate so many spaces for a minority of people [tourists]?” 

Pictured: A falling rock warning sign appears in front of the proposed site for the hotel-spa complex.

These concerns will be brought to the Mayor of Saint Malo in the form of a petition – now with over 1,300 signatories.

Nonetheless, it remains unclear what consideration this will be given by Mayor Claude Renoult, who has already endorsed the project.

“It was the best offer in economic terms, the most polished in environmental terms, and the best financial proposal,” he said.