Cipriani Considers Opening a Casino in the Former Mantra Hotel

An alternative to the delayed megaproject

Cipriani Group is exploring an alternative for the upcoming tourist season after postponing the opening of its megaproject at the former San Rafael Hotel for a year.

The company is in talks with the Executive Branch to install a casino at Locanda, the former Mantra Hotel, also owned by the group. The proposal envisions a smaller casino than the one originally planned for the former San Rafael project.

Investment of up to US$12 million

According to reports, Cipriani representatives held several meetings with members of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) to present the initiative.

The group reportedly proposed an investment of between US$10 million and US$12 million to launch the casino, although the operating period still needs to be agreed upon with the government.

The company currently has authorization to operate a casino at the former San Rafael casino, so it will have to justify the temporary relocation to another area of ​​Punta del Este to the authorities.

An opportunity to generate employment

The proposal is also linked to the International Academy of Hospitality and Luxury Gaming, which has been operating since June at the Locanda complex.

Currently, more than 300 young people are receiving training in various areas related to the tourism industry. Many of them had been trained with the expectation of joining the mega project at the former San Rafael site.

Given the postponement of the opening, Cipriani is considering using the casino at Locanda to create jobs for some of these students as well as for other workers associated with the project.

The former San Rafael mega project is still underway

Despite the delay, Cipriani maintains that the former San Rafael project remains active and that the facility will not be operational this year.

The mayor of Maldonado, Miguel Abella, met with Giuseppe Cipriani to learn about the progress of the work. According to the mayor's office, the businessman stated that the problem was not related to a lack of funding and pointed to possible breaches of contract.

The inauguration was initially scheduled for November 2025, and later July 2026 was set as the new date. However, that deadline was also missed, and the company announced another one-year postponement.

Contractual Dispute with Criba

The construction delays also led to a conflict between the Cipriani Group and Criba, the construction company in charge of the project.

Cipriani stated that contractual deadlines were not met starting in November 2025 and noted that the situation recurred in 2026.

The group also indicated that it is considering terminating its contractual relationship with Criba and entrusting the continuation of the work to another company, asserting that it has no outstanding debts with suppliers, subcontractors, or public agencies.

Criba denies the accusations

Criba, for its part, denied having breached its obligations and maintained that it bears no responsibility for the opening delay.

The construction company attributed the postponement to circumstances beyond its control and mentioned, among other factors, the negotiations taking place within the framework of the Wage Council.

Business representatives indicated that the contractual dispute contributed to further delays, although project delays had already been occurring previously.

The casino as a temporary solution

While the process to determine the future of the former San Rafael hotel complex continues, the installation of a casino in the former Mantra Hotel has emerged as an alternative to maintain some of the activity planned for the upcoming season.

The proposal will need to be analyzed and agreed upon with the Uruguayan government, particularly regarding authorization to temporarily relocate operations and the operating period for the new casino.