“I can ask.”
“Thanks.” Lisa picked up a slice of toast and absently nibbled on it. The excitement she felt after voicing her plan had taken away her hunger. “I’m going to have a look at a couple of places in Benidorm today, starting with Premier Sunset. Just to get my mind in the right frame.”
“Does that mean you’re planning on looking for clientshere?” Stella asked, pouring herself more coffee from the pot. She filled up Lisa’s cup too and leaned in over the table. “Because I’d be really happy to have you here for a little longer.”
Lisa felt a warm glow at her words. She hadn’t necessarily thought of Benidorm as an option because of Stella. Or had she? The idea of staying had been unthinkable when she’d just arrived, but now, only a month later, Stella was the very reason she loved being in Spain. “I have to start somewhere, and I happen to be here now, so why not?” she said, deciding that answer was neutral enough not to give away how much she really liked her. It was too soon to tell Stella how she felt, but there was nothing wrong with looking at her options.
30
Premier Sunset was a funny place. Unlike Paradise Hotel, where the pool was heaving with people as soon as it opened in the morning, the pool here was quiet. That wasn’t strange. Standing in the shadow of its big brother Paradise, it looked sad and a little murky. Lisa suspected the guests spent most of their time at the beach—which was only a short walking distance from here—in the mornings and came back once the bar started serving alcohol.
Determined to think outside the box—not only because she’d burned her way through all marketing vacancies and saw an opportunity here, but also because she desperately needed something to focus on—she sat down at the bar and ordered a coffee.
“Wristband?” the bartender asked. The name badge on his chest said‘Santos. Bar manager’.
“I don’t have one. I’m just visiting,” Lisa said, handing him a five Euro note.
Santos seemed puzzled as to why she would choose to have her coffee here instead of at a café along the boulevard, but he took the money and gave her a wide smile when she told him to keep the change.
It was a sorry scene, especially as everything was so worn-out. Old, rusty sunloungers were placed along the long, narrow pool that was tiled with purple mosaic. Undoubtedly, it had been fashionable back in the nineties, but now it felt dated. The once white plastic tables and chairs under faded Coca-Cola parasols had turned a yellowish shade and there were no plants, just two palm trees and a patch of grass behind the pool area that was rather muddy. The bar was deserted, apart from two staff members who were sitting on the rickety stools on the opposite side, occasionally chatting to Santos in Spanish. If there was one thing that she’d learned from living in Paradise Hotel, it was that the British were single-mindedly focused on getting a tan while on holiday, so there was no reason for them to be here. The few people who did hang around—some sleeping on sunloungers and a couple perched on the flowerbed wall behind the pool—looked rather tired. She heard a man near her murmur something about the shitty Wi-Fi, but his female companion didn’t answer as she was fast asleep on the lounger next to him. Fully dressed, her arm draped over the edge and her mouth was slightly agape, she looked like she’d fallen asleep here last night after hitting the bars. The music was way too loud for the subdued atmosphere, and all in all, it seemed like a place anyone would regret booking.
“It’s not exactly busy,” she said to Santos.
“It’s been quiet for a while.” He made himself a coffee, pulled a stool out and sat down too. “It wasn’t going well to begin with, but during and after the pandemic, it’s just been a downward spiral.” He pointed in the direction of Paradise Hotel. “They will survive, but I doubt we will. It’s just not good enough.”
“How long have you worked here?” Lisa asked.
“Five years. And I’m starting to get an itch,” he joked. “But right now, I just feel lucky to have a job.”
“What would you do with the hotel? If it was up to you?”
“I don’t know. I’m a bartender, and a pretty good one. I just can’t use my skills here.” Santos fell silent as he thought about the question. “I’d do it up, for sure. But without sun, I doubt the hotel will ever be popular with tourists, no matter how fancy. It’s okay for the staff, though; saves us from working in the burning heat.”
Lisa nodded, pleased he’d given her the answer she was hoping for. “Do you mind if I take some pictures?” she asked.
“Of course not. Our guests take pictures here all the time.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “Who are you? You don’t look like you’re on holiday here, with the clothes and all.”
“My clothes?” Lisa looked down at her T-shirt, leggings and trainers. “I suppose you’re right,” she said absently. “I don’t really fit in; I realised that when I moved into Paradise.”
“You’re staying at Paradise?”
“Yes.” Lisa smiled. “It’s not all that bad. The staff are lovely once you get to know them, and you get used to the food eventually, which I suspect is not much better here?”
Santos laughed. “I don’t eat that crap, so I’ve never tried it but from what I’ve heard it’s worse here. Anyway, the restaurant has closed. The kitchen didn’t pass the last health and safety inspection and Paradise Group won’t give us funding to buy new gear.” He took a sip of his coffee and shrugged. “I have a bad feeling about Premier Sunset’s future. One of my colleagues told me he’d seen potential buyers being shown around, so I’ve started looking at other jobs just in case.”
“Buyers?” Lisa asked, pretending she knew nothing.
“Yes. They’re obviously going to sell the place. No other reason they’d be here, whispering with the board. That means everyone will lose their jobs.”
“Maybe they will keep the staff,” Lisa said.
“It’s unlikely. In the more upmarket hotels, they do that. They use the refurbishing period to retrain the staff, but not in the cheap hotels. I expect them to just get rid of everyone, patch it up, then rehire. It’s just the way it works around here.”
“Yeah...” Lisa’s regretful look was heartfelt. Knowing how hard it was to find a job in this climate, she felt for Santos, and she wanted him to be okay. She wanted everyone to be okay. Snapping a couple of pictures, she made sure not to get any of the sleeping guests in.
“I hate to break it to you, but that’s not going to get you any likes on Instagram,” Santos joked.
“I know.” Lisa laughed, finished her coffee and stood up. “Well, I hope it works out for you, Santos. And if you’re right regarding the sale, I hope you get to keep your job.” She glanced at the double doors that led into the reception area. “Is there a toilet I can use through there?” she asked, curious about the ground floor layout. The reception area would be the perfect spot to have a bar, so the terrace could be utilised as an extension.
