Andorra Awards €61K Contract to Convert Hotel into 18 Elderly Homes

The Andorra la Vella council has awarded architect Jaime Ferriz Calvo a 61,403-euro contract, including IGI tax, to prepare the technical project and supervise construction for converting the former Jaume I hotel—situated between Avinguda Santa Coloma 24 and Carrer Roureda de Sansa 13—into 18 affordable rental homes for elderly parish residents.

Part of the Reviu programme to revive unused properties, the project will create nine one-bedroom flats and nine studios across six floors, following the same model as Hostal Calones. It aims to address waiting lists there, currently around 20 people. The renovation will retain the building's structure, facade and roof to ensure it blends with the urban surroundings. Works are slated to take about 18 months, with total costs estimated at 2 million euros.

The Government Board approved the national tender. Ferriz Calvo has five weeks to submit the technical preliminary project, after which the council has one month to review and approve it, followed by six weeks for the final executive version—targeting completion within four months, by spring.

The 2025 municipal budget includes an initial 750,000 euros for the rehabilitation, though some reports mention 2026 allocations. The initiative builds on a concession agreement, unanimously approved by the Council on 14 October, granting 30-year usage rights at a monthly rent of 7,110 euros, with a three-year grace period before payments begin.

Councillor for Digital Transformation, Sustainability and Housing Marc Torrent said the effort forms part of broader policies to tackle housing shortages in the parish and country, describing access to homes as one of the major social and economic challenges facing Andorra.