Joan Font and Maite Noguera close Residència Indalo, a social lifeline amid housing woes, bidding farewell

After 43 years at the helm of Residència Indalo, Joan Font and Maite Noguera are preparing for retirement next February, closing a chapter that turned the Andorran guesthouse into a vital social hub and family-like space.

Font, now nearing 70, first walked through its doors at 27 after arriving in Andorra in the early 1980s following studies in Lleida. In 1983, he and Noguera, now 65, inherited the business—also a restaurant—around the time of their wedding. They raised their two children there while working together nonstop. "We've been together 24 hours a day for 43 years," Font said, describing daily tensions as fleeting, like a football match that ends with the final whistle.

Over the past 15 years, the residence gained a crucial social function, housing people referred by government services during economic hardship. "The government suggested it when work was scarce, and it helped us survive," Font explained, adding that demand for affordable lodging has only grown. Long-term guest Josep Maria, an Andorran citizen who has lived there for 23 years, called it a "second family." He credited the couple's warm welcome for helping him settle as a young newcomer and shared memories like hunting for a British guest's lost tooth in the elevator or dealing with a flooded bathroom. Josep Maria expressed resignation at the closure but pride in their management of diverse residents amid tough housing costs. "Even after 20 years here, finding an apartment is hard due to prices and wages," he noted.

This Christmas marks their last at Indalo after decades of traditions, including New Year's celebrations. Friends from Mallorca will join, though Font expects it to feel bittersweet: "It'll be a bit sad, for sure—the last Christmas at Indalo." He will miss the routine most—the daily chats, shared lunches, and Wednesday football with friends. "After 43 years getting up at the same time and doing the same thing every day, I don't know what it'll be like now," he confessed.

Retirement means rest for the couple, especially Noguera, who handled the heaviest labor. Plans include quiet time in Mallorca and perhaps mushroom hunting. Font had blunt words for the young: he would not advise entering hospitality. Some services will persist under new management, but the personal era ends, leaving behind a unique way of life.