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Details of the June Gran committee meeting to follow soon!
This was not scheduled, but there were problems with the coating on the slide de-laminating. A temporary fix was attempted, but maybe that has not worked. Any information you can give about the work, and photos, would be helpful.
Club Gran Anfi Committee Report: February 2026
The February meeting of the Liaison Committee is the one where we review the financial performance of the club in the previous 12 months. The headline is that Club Gran Anfi made an operating loss of about EUR247,000 during 2025. Most of this was due to an unexpected negotiated between the government and the hospitality unions. In accordance with the auditors requirements losses made by the club are withdrawn from the Replacement Fund, the money set aside for long-term maintenance, with the result that we stop 2026, considerably below forecast. This will mean that there is considerable pressure on maintenance and a slowdown in items that are considered to be not immediately necessary. Even so, the current prediction is that we will end 2026, with only EUR117,000 left in the Replacement Fund. This is a serious position for your club and the only way to address it is through increases in the Maintenance Fees charged in 2027. Anfi management seem to agree with this assessment and stated that double-digit rises are likely. Having said that, a look at the history of the maintenance fees shows that we are only just paying more than we were in 2019 because Anfi have resisted requests from Door the Liaison Committee elected members for fee rises to be at least equal to inflation and for the temporary reduction in fees after Covid to be reversed.
Among other items discussed by the committee were:
· Door locks. The new electronic locks are all now fully operational. As these work by a chip embedded in the entry card, the days of phones deleting the encoding should be over.
· Pool renovation. Members have reported a number of the tiles missing swimming pool edges and some black staining around the waterline. The tiles, except where sharp edges might present a hazard, will have to wait and chemicals are being trialled for cleaning the waterline area.
· Tree roots. There have been reports of tree roots, causing trip hazards on the path from Gran Anfi to the Plaza. These will be dealt with over the next few months and the costs shared between Gran Anfi and Puerto Anfi. However, it is likely that they will resurface over the next 2 to 5 years.
· Google Chromecast. These boxes, programmed by Plexocast, have been installed in all TVs in the resort. We were assured that they would the problems with streaming geographically locked services from many owners home countries. This has proved not to be true. The problem is that the boxes will only work with a device connected to the Wi-Fi in the apartment and not running a VPN service. As these services are needed for receiving, for example, BBC programmes, it makes the boxes practically useless. In some apartments the fitment has also obstructed the HDMI ports, meaning that previous solutions (like plugging and Amazon Fire Stick or your computer or iPad into the port) is no longer possible. At the same time, disruptions to illegal streaming of by hotels continue. It is noticeable when I have stayed elsewhere that many national stations are no longer available. I know this is frustrating, and we will continue to raise it at committees, but I do not see a short-term solution other than those suggested above.
· Sun Beds. Many of you will know that major renovation work on the Anfi Beach Club pool will start after Easter and run through to the late autumn. Guests unable to use the swimming pool will be directed to other clubs and you should expect more sun loungers to be provided in Gran Anfi, resulting in less personal space than we are used to.
· Flower Boxes. Following a test in a few apartments, we should expect to see artificial grass covering the apartment flower boxes appearing over the next year. It is likely that these will be installed during each apartment’s maintenance time.
· Tropical Garden/Mini Golf. Work has been undertaken by Lopesan to clear out the overgrown water areas and begin replacement of the decayed bridges. This does not mean that the minigolf is about to come back into use. It is still not controlled by Anfi, but the work has been undertaken because it was determined that it was becoming an eyesore and dangerous in places. Members who bring their own clubs are still welcome to use the course, but no equipment will be provided by Anfi in the foreseeable future.
There has continued to be uncertainty around the ownership and control of the resort by Lopesan caused by the appeal against the administration settlement by some smaller creditors. Since the meeting some of you will have seen the news item that this appeal was unsuccessful. This should mean that the long-running administration can end with claimants receiving some 55% of their debts, and Lopesan being able to manage the resort as they see fit. Up until now they have had staff observing and learning about the operation but not actually directing. At the time of writing, it was unclear whether money owed by the companies in administration to Gran Anfi would also be reduced. Your elected representatives will attempt to get some clarity at the next meeting on 25 June.
One piece of misinformation I would like to deal with is people pointing to adverts in social media and on the Lopesan website, suggesting that Anfi is becoming an hotel. To be clear, apartments owned by Anfi Sales have for a long time been advertised on public websites as a way of generating short-term revenue and interest in the resort. Lopesan are now advertising “Anfi Experience Weeks.” on their own website. These tend to be more expensive than members rent weeks for and, in the small print, there is a condition that anyone booking these holidays has to attend an Anfi sales presentation.
Club Gran Anfi Report following the November 2025 meeting
I just want to thank you for continuing to trust me as your representative on the Gran Anfi committee. While I report to you as much as I am able, all committee members sign quite a draconian confidentiality contract when elected. Recently I was reminded of the consequences of breaching this after revealing the agenda for a meeting. Therefore, much of the work must be one of quiet influence and relationship-building, rather than overt campaigning.
Recent achievements have been:
· Persuading Anfi of the merits of dispensers for shower soap and shampoo, rather than the small plastic bottles that were very environmentally unfriendly
· Provision of seat cushions on the balcony chairs
· Improvements to the new electronic guest satisfaction questionnaires
· Seeking better provision for future repairs and replacements
Frustrations are:
· Maintenance fee increases that are too low to allow a sensible level of future replacement fund money to be built up
· Recent wage increases that have decimated this year’s budget
· The limited scope of our discussions, so matters like the recent guest certificate fee increases are outside the scope of the committee
· The ongoing UK & German live TV streaming problems and the inept provision of Google Chromecast as a solution
· Barriers being put in the way of members renting out their weeks not as a commercial operation, but to cover costs; the implementation of Spanish Law 933/2021 is being used to do this; this is a real issue for members who are getting older, or infirm, but don’t want to give up their ownership at this time and cannot pass it on to children or grandchildren yet
· The attitude of some Anfi staff to members; at times they seem to forget that it is our money that pays them, and there is a reluctance to be open with owners
Priorities:
· To continue to work for a level of maintenance fees that really does allow us to have security against the possible need to ask for ‘one off’ payments for foreseeable replacements
· To build relationships with new members of management
· To continue to ensure that owners’ voices are heard
· To see soap dispensers extended to sink areas (standalone ones have just been added to the sink only) and, ideally, conditioner added to showers in order to bring Anfi in line with good-quality hotel provision
Maintenance Fees 2026
2025 was a very tough year for Club Gran Anfi. It expects to make a loss of about €290,000. This is due to two major, unplanned costs: Salaries make up the majority of expenditures of the club. A wage rise of 2.25% had been agreed for the year, but the government and unions then negotiated a further 2.75%, plus a flat €650 per worker from April 2025 and another 4% from January 2026. The other factor was electricity costs, which increased about one-third above the budget in the second half of the year. This was partly offset by efficiency savings due to investment in better machinery.
The committee believes we need a robust and healthy replacement fund, so we can afford to replace and update things before they break or deteriorate too badly. Unfortunately, a large amount of planned expenditures have had to be deferred, as the fund is only around €500,000.
Management presented a request for a 6.43% increase. This is just about ‘standing still’ and, in our view, is too low. It means we must concentrate in 2026 on essential, often invisible, work and cannot attend to the more visible items we would like to tackle, like modernising the furnishings.
The management budget was reluctantly agreed with the resulting changes for 2026 (2025 in brackets):
One bedroom: €709.42 (€666.56) +€42.85
Two bedroom: €830.45 (€780.28) +€50.17
Three bedroom: €1187.95 (€1116.18) +€71.76
Gran Imperial suite: €2837.67 (€2666.25) +€171.42Although any rise is unwelcome, please compare these to the costs of staying in a good quality hotel room on the island. As a weekly cost they are not, in my view, too bad.
2026 Meetings & Election
The Liaison Committee will be meeting on the below dates in 2026. Your elected members are there to raise issues to do with the Club that concern you and to influence Anfi management whenever possible. Unfortunately, we cannot raise general matters with management, like guest certificate or parking charges, or the Tropical Garden/Mini Golf, as these are outside the individual club boundaries. However, we are happy to discuss them informally.
Remember, if you see something broken or not working in your apartment or the Club, raise it with Reception at once, as they are really good at getting things logged and sorted! And please fill in the electronic feedback questionnaires, as the results are reviewed and noted.
The dates for 2026 are:
Thursday 12 February
Thursday 25 June
Tuesday 24 NovemberThere is a General Meeting on 26 November 2026. Every vote counts. Please return your voting form as soon as you receive it. If you are not sure how to vote, please feel free to nominate me as your proxy.
The Future: An appeal for volunteers
I am also aware that my time on the committee needs to end reasonably soon. I was hoping to stand down at the next election, but I am currently the youngest on the committee, and I think it is important that all members are not replaced at the same time. Therefore, I aim to be nominated and re-elected in 2026. I am hoping the other national clubs will find good replacements for the next election, so that I can work alongside, and help, the new members, then step down at the following election.
As any liaison committee role involves three meetings per year at Anfi, the ideal future candidates would need to be people with flexible or remote working roles, or the recently retired. If you are interested in this work, talk to Roger.
The same applies to the Anfi UK Members Club Committee. We had new members come forward at the OGM, but we need more, preferably with a much younger age profile to take the club forward for the next decade at least. We need to share the load, and sons and daughters of existing members can now join us with the new membership category agreed at the OGM. Please get in touch and tell us what your skill set is, and you would be most welcome; it is not too onerous being a committee member!
Roger Byatt – Club Gran Anfi Liaison Committee Member
Unfortunately, I do not expect they will reply. I have written twice, and have not received an acknowledgement. It was discussed in the Gran Anfi committee, but I do not think a guide will be produced that enables owners to comply. Sadly, with this kind of attitude I think the only option is a group legal action to clarify the law. Sr Perdomo is seeking members for a collective action at €100 per member.
I travelled to Gran Canaria on 8 November. I chose to route via Amsterdam, hoping to get my EES system registration done at a larger airport before travelling in the busy Christmas period. Unfortunately Terminal 2 at Schipol is still installing the machines. I was told by a border agent that they are using them in one of the smaller terminals at present. I was able to use the old e-gates and get my passport stamped without much delay.
I arrived in Gran Canaria about the same time as a flight from Bristol. Although I could see the EES machines they were all showing the ‘red light’ so they were not being used. The arrivals were processed manually.
I am flying out via Madrid on 15 December and will report on the situation there at that time.
Report following the June Gran Anfi Liaison Committee meeting
The June meeting was one of the longest held by this committee. This is because recent staff changes had left a number of items outstanding from February, June and October 2024 as well as February 2025.
The main item for discussion was the budget. We had thought that this was pretty settled with the Spanish Government having agreed a three year deal with the unions. Unfortunately, this has been renegotiated. A further 2.75% pay rise was agreed together with a €650 extra flat payment for all staff with more than a year’s service, backdated to April 2025. As staff costs make up about 45% of the budget, this has put a hole in what was already very tight. The money to meet this rise has to come from a combination of delaying replacement fund expenditure and taking money from reserves. Therefore Gran Anfi’s coffers, which were already quite depleted, will be even smaller at the start of 2026. Members’ must expect either an above inflation rise in maintenance fees or degradation in maintenance and service. I think this would be unacceptable to most owners, especially having seen the problems caused by delayed works in other clubs. Maybe one option is to reduce the bedding changes to once a week. Tell me what your priorities are, and I can present them to management for consideration. The committee did discuss an optional towel/bedding service along the lines of hotels. However, because this is not predictable it would not save much by way of staff costs. The difference with many hotels is they staff for room changes every day. Anfi staffs for them once a week.
The other surprise was the bankruptcy of the company providing entertainment services. It seems staff were not paid for some months. While some staff continued to work, most went to find work elsewhere. This resulted in a severely depleted team and reduced activities. Anfi decided to bring this in house and are recruiting and training new staff. The emphasis is on employing local people with experience in childcare or sport rather than performers. It was anticipated the team will be back to full strength by the peak autumn season. Meanwhile, for staff that stayed on unpaid, Anfi will make up their lost money. This is another blow to the budgets, although I am sure members do not object to the team being rewarded for their loyalty.
The third item of note is the refurbishment of the gym. Anfi took a decision to continue to offer this free to members. However, the cost will now be paid for by the clubs rather than from central funds. Your representatives objected to this. Our argument was that it should have been paid for by the Supercommunity charges (“Supercomuniadad”) that covers central facilities, like the roadway. The clubs were being presented with an unbudgeted bill for a refurbishment that had been delayed and gone well over budget. Again, Anfi management pushed back, and we were informed the charge had been agreed by the other clubs, therefore it would be applied.
To me, this shows the importance of the clubs working together and committee members co-ordinating their approach to each round of meetings.
While there were a lot of other matters discussed which are covered by our confidentiality agreement, I can tell you that one of the most contentious is the TV channels and roll out of Google Chromecast to all the apartments. I was in one that had it fitted. I took an iPad and Android phone to test the streaming. Neither I, nor two IT people, could get it to work. Netflix appears to be location dependent, as does BBC iPlayer. The result was that as soon as I turned on my VPN software to allow me to watch programmes live, or stream downloaded content, the Plexocast Chromecast box could no longer see my device and would not work. The result is that the device will probably be no use for many guests and will not allow Anfi to stop streaming many channels illegally. Let me know how you get on with these devices.
The committee was pleased the roll out of soap dispensers had been completed and urged management to look at providing them for the sinks as well. All apartments in Gran Anfi now have cushions on the balcony chairs. We were also shown two show apartments which have been fitted out with different styles of furniture in order to test them and collect feedback.
Members are urged to complete the electronic questionnaires as they are looked at. However, the current response rate is only about 25% and this is taken as a sign that visitors are happy with everything. Please note that any comments relevant to your specific apartment must mention the apartment number as they cannot connect the comments to the guest that made them.
Please note that the Mogan Region Tourist Tax of €0.15 per guest per night is now live and will be collected on check out. You should expect to have to check out now even if you have not spent anything on your room because you will need to pay the tax. Expect queues!
The June meeting was held on Thursday 26 June 2025 – detailed notes to follow.
The meeting covered updates on budgets and replacement funds, maintenance, administration and ownership, and many other topics.Please see my presentation on ownership and administration in this news article.
Club Gran Anfi Liaison Committee report: February 2025
The first meeting of the year took place on 25 February. It was rather overshadowed by the very sad and shocking news that Mrs Christine Johnson, the director of the Anfi Del Mar clubs, had died of cancer a few days previously. Although not well known to most members, she had been at Anfi since the early days. All the individual club directors reported to her and she always treated those of us on the liaison committees with fairness, even though I suspect she found us frustrating at times. Personally, I shall miss her a great deal. I last saw her in October and she was asking after my family and how much she was looking forward to reducing her hours as she worked towards retirement.
Mrs Johnson’s passing means that Sr. Luis Martinez has taken her place on the committee while Anfi reviews its management. At the same time the two administrators responsible for the committees have left. Sra. Carolyn Cusack has retired and Sra. Heike Schirmer has moved to Germany for family reasons and will work remotely until she finds a new role.
The committee is now made up as follows:
Anfi management: Sr. Emilio Rodriguez (Anfi Legal Dept), Sr. Luis Martinez (Anfi Resorts), Sra. Maria Hidalgo (Anfi Customer Services)
Elected Representatives: Mr Mike Corrigan (Germany), Mr Roger Byatt (UK), Mr Egil Gundersen (Norway).The February meeting is the one where we review the financial performance of the club in the previous year. I find this very frustrating because Club Gran Anfi, for the second year running, ended the year with a deficit. Although it was not high, about €14000, it was the second time we had agreed a management budget for maintenance fees below the level your elected representatives believed was needed, based on an assurance of a healthy surplus.
Under Anfi rules, we can only scrutinise, challenge and suggest budget levels. They are ultimately set by management. Only Beach Club, the oldest development, has the constitutional right to ‘set’ and ‘vote on’ a budget. The annual loss is simply taken from the accumulated Replacement Fund money, so there is no real imperative to balance the books. Having said that, I do believe they do their best. In 2024 this was achieved through delays to a number of major maintenance projects. We were assured that none of these were critical, and the largest was due to delays in getting the necessary parts and a second was down to labour shortages.Gran Anfi runs a budget of about €6mn a year. Some 43% is accounted for by staff costs, mainly cleaners, reception and maintenance. 15% is taken by central overheads. 32% is spent on electricity, cleaning materials, pool safety and cleaning. This leaves about 10% for maintenance. I know a number of people have commented on the size of these numbers and seem to think that all of our fees are spent on the apartments. Hopefully, you can see from this, that the scope to spend money on, for example, new furniture is quite limited. There are 182 apartments in Club Gran Anfi. Think about the cost of a new sideboard or sofa at home, then multiply that by 182 and you can see how the bills soon mount up!
In 2025/6 the furniture in the Penthouses will be replaced, and that will cost in excess of €200,000. These sums show why it is so important to build reserves for the future. Gran Anfi is about 25 years old and we have seen great advances in energy efficiency since it was built. We are also seeing equipment that, for example, pumps water around the building to our showers and the pools, reaching the end of their design life. Over the last year major sums have been spent on more efficient machinery to supply power to Gran, Monte and Puerto. The next stage is to replace aging pumps and associated control systems. This is likely to cost around €800,000. About €250,000 has been allocated in 2025 towards this project.
When you see your elected representatives lobbying for higher maintenance fees, perhaps this explains why. If you ever have any questions or concerns about how your money is spent, just ask. We do our best to represent your priorities, but we try to balance this with the invisible, but necessary, things that have to be done in the background. What we cannot do is reach the position that major services, like the lifts, fail due to deferred replacement.
As we enter the quieter months at Gran Anfi it is likely you will see the resumption of noisy works, subject to labour availability. The main project will be the resumption of works to replace the corroded bases of the handrails around the corridors and stairwells.
Our meeting raised the considerable increase in Guest Certificate fees that took place on 1 February 2025. We expressed the discontent felt by owners quite forcibly, both regarding the level of the rise and the fact that it was not communicated in advance and was not clearly posted on the Anfi website, which led to some confusion and misinformation. Anfi said that these fees are set by a separate entity and they were not for the committee to discuss, although our views were noted. In mitigation, they did assure us that any owner who had bought from Anfi directly but had not joined, or had left AVC, would be able to contact them and join. This would give them access to the AVC linked discounts as well as rights to bank weeks and join bodies like RCI. To be clear, the Guest Certificates fees are €30 per booking for AVC members and €180 per booking for non AVC members. If a close relative (defined as parent or child of the owner) wants to use a week, the Guest Certificate is free. For the purpose of charging, if someone is requesting a Guest Certificate for multiple weeks but they are all on the same contract (i.e. were bought by the owner at the same time and have the same contract number) then only one fee is paid. Where you are requesting a certificate for multiple weeks, even if they are consecutive and in the same apartment, but were bought at different times then the fee is per week. Do ensure you understand that when pricing your rentals!
Anfi would not comment on whether there were plans to increase other charges and refused to discuss the fact that the fee charged on selling a week is higher than that permitted by the Club Rules. There was a feeling that it would persist until challenged in Court. The difficulty is that it is relatively easy for Anfi to change the Rules due to the very low numbers of owners who vote at General Meetings. This means the votes represented by the weeks held by Anfi Sales always outvotes those submitted by actual owners. On that topic, watch your inboxes in May. Anfi said they aim to publish on the website the ‘minutes’ of the last Gran Anfi General Meeting during May. This, we were promised, will include answers to the questions many of you submitted in advance of the meeting. If any of the answers are unsatisfactory or unclear, you should email Customer Services as soon as possible after publication.
Owners had asked us to raise the issue of flex weeks converting to fixed. This is allowed in the new contracts as the underlying week in a flex (formerly ‘floating’) is identified. We were told that any member wishing to do this will lose their right to belong to AVC. The company took this decision to discourage owners of ‘attractive’ weeks from converting them and then using them or, more usually, selling them on. This could have the effect of reducing the number of high demand weeks available in the pool for points and flex owners to book.
Owners had asked that the instruction about how to pay maintenance fees online should be made clearer. Anfi agreed to review this. It was noted that the amount of overdue maintenance fee payments is increasing. The percentage of overdue fees by British owners has increased from 11% at the end of 2023 to nearly 17% at the end of 2024.
Noting the fact that a number of members are aging, and the increased rain on the island, we have persuaded Anfi to install a handrail on the slope from the Gran Anfi garden to the gate that leads to the path to the plaza. This should take place in the next few months. It will be attached to the side with the wall and should improve confidence and safety, especially for guests with reduced mobility.
A number of owners have asked about the TV channels. Since the satellite broadcast area was reduced a number of channels have to be streamed. This has mainly affected British and German channels. Streaming is of doubtful legality due to copyright and licensing reasons. Every now and then the broadband providers are required to disrupt or block such streaming, especially when carried out by commercial premises. Other hotels on the island have responded by discontinuing the affected channels. Anfi have experimented with Google Chromecast boxes in Emerald. We expect these to appear in Gran Anfi during the year. To use them, owners will need a personal device, like an iPad or laptop, that they can use to stream programmes to the TV. We advise you to also ensure you have a decent VPN as streaming requires services, like iPlayer, to believe you are in the UK. A good solution is to ensure you download films and programmes you know you want to watch while away to your device before leaving home. As this service is rolled out it will be dependent of broadband capacity. I would expect streamed channels to be stopped at some point.
After the meeting we met with Sra. Elena Garcia, the Director of Club Gran Anfi and discussed a few matters with her. She agreed to review whether there was a coating that could be used to preserve the marble around the balcony rails as a number of areas that are exposed to strong sun are showing surface deterioration and replacement will be expensive. She is also continuing to monitor damage to the pool tiles. The childrens’ pool slide is also giving some concern with areas of glass fibre appearing to de-laminate. It may well be that we a facing a potentially expensive replacement. The mysterious concrete base that appeared near the Anfi Training Camp area in Gran Anfi should, by now, be hosting a new equipment store. Sra Garcia also agreed to review whether there is another site for the Herb Garden that has been removed.
If you want to raise any issues, please contact me. The next Liaison Committee meetings are:
26 June 2025
13 November 2025
12 February 2026
25 June 2026
24 November 2026There will also be online budget setting meetings each year in early to mid October when the fees for the next year are decided.
The next election and Gran Anfi General Meeting is:
26 November 2026Roger Byatt
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OGM Report
The 7th General Meeting of Gran Anfi took place at the H10 Hotel Meloneras. Although not well attended in person (about 30 people took the coach provided), I was encouraged by the number of people who had supported us by submitting proxy votes and written questions.
Most of the information presented at the OGM is already available on the “Members’ Area” of the Anfi web site under “Club Gran Anfi/Club Accounts & OGMs”. The meeting is largely procedural, with Mrs Maria Hidalgo, the head of Customer Services, reading out the reports on the Accounts (Item 3) and the Club (Item 4).
One thing revealed in the reports this year was the number of unsold weeks in Gran Anfi. There are 182 apartments which should be available for 51 weeks. This makes 9,282 weeks. We know 195 weeks (2.1%) are subject to undecided legal action. The club report states there are 4,250 members owning 7,714 weeks. The difference is 1,373 weeks, or 14.8% of the total. I find it quite encouraging that the figure is so low, even after the court cases and economic hardship we have all faced. This also means that, if we can find a way to motivate owners to vote, we can outvote Anfi on any issue. It will be interesting to see if these numbers are reported in the other OGMs.
The main interest is the questions submitted by members. If questions are submitted at least 14 days before an OGM and clearly marked as being intended for the OGM together with the submitting members’ ownership details, then they are supposed to be answered at the meeting.
There was a lot of concern expressed this year about the qualified nature of the accounts. These questions were referred to the Finance Department and we were informed that written answers would be provided with the minutes. This is very frustrating for members as it removes the chance to ask for clarification or explanation. If you asked a question and are not happy with the answer when it is provided, please follow it up in writing. It would also be good to publish the question and answer provided on the Club Form of our web site so everyone can easily access it.
One member asked whether the use of the Replacement Fund to make good any losses in the club was permitted. They referred to clause 11.3j of the Rules. This point was not directly answered but it was confirmed that this use of the Fund was required by the Auditors, who were unhappy with losses (or profits) being carried from one year to the next.Another member asked whether there was any news about the Administration ending. It was confirmed that Anfi were waiting for the result of an appeal against the proposed creditors’ settlement that had been lodged by one creditor. This will take some time as the Spanish courts are very short of staff. Sometimes I had trouble hearing the questions and answers due to the position of the speakers and the accents of the questioners, so I will have to wait for the minutes as well, at which point I might update my report.
The only other item was the election of the Liaison Committee. This time we will only serve for two years as the OGM was technically delayed from 2023 due to the accounts not being available in time. The results were:
Roger Byatt 1,882
Mike Corrigan 1,888
Egil Gundersen 1,870
Abstain 32
Null/Invalid 67Clearly Anfi used at least some of their votes, but without the tactics seen last year at Beach Club, so your recommended candidates were all elected. I thank you for your continued trust.
This year we were told that the invalid votes were the result of either the failure to appoint a Proxy in section 1 or the proxy not being valid (the safest option is always an existing committee member if you want to give discretion over how to vote or the Management Company if you want to instruct them on how to use your votes in Section 3 over the page of the voting form.) or votes registered by something other than a signature. An X or a number are the most common mistakes. If you own in Puerto, please take note!
The next OGM will be on 26 November 2026.
Roger Byatt
Elected Member, Club Gran Anfi Liaison Committeemembership@anfiukmembers.co.uk
Tel: 07988 831783
Liaison Committee Meeting – October 2024
The liaison committee met on 29 October. We said goodbye to Sr Luis Martinez, General Director of Anfi, who has been replaced on the committee by Sr Emilio Rodriguez, Head of Anfi Legal Services, and Miguel Soerholt of Norway, who stepped down at the OGM later that week.
We looked in some detail at the club results. Occupancy in Gran Anfi is very high with some 75% of available apartments being used across the year, and around 90% in use from January to March and October-December is projected to be around that level too. The only months with clear vacancy levels are May and June. There is still pressure on costs with the water and refuse charges to businesses on the island rising nearly a quarter during the year. Although the new shared electrical machinery the club has installed with Monte and Puerto is resulting in a reduction in consumption of about 15%, we all need to remember not to leave air conditioning on when apartments are empty. Cleaning staff have been told to switch off the A/C when they clean if no owner is present.
The high occupancy also means it is really important that faults in apartments are promptly reported to reception when they are noticed as there is no time to do a thorough check on changeover days. Cleaners cannot, for example, be expected to notice microwave turntables not working or faulty ceiling fans. Mike projects we will end the year with a slight profit of about €23,000. This is not much margin on a budget of €6mn.Improvements you will notice in the club over the next few months include the provision of body wash and shampoo dispensers in the showers. This will end the plastic waste caused by the small toiletry containers. If you have views on them, please put your thoughts on the questionnaires when you stay at Anfi. Personally, I find the contents a bit watery and am surprised there is no conditioner. The other welcome change is the purchase of seat cushions for the balcony chairs.
The final important matter discussed was that of members not paying their maintenance fees. Debts from British owners have risen to nearly one-fifth of all fees billed. In other words, one in five UK based owners have not paid their 2024 fees. This means they are already facing late payment charges.
Some owners say they have not received their fee invoices. If you have given Anfi your email address, the invoice can be found on the Anfi web site in the Members Area under the ‘Collections’ heading. Paper invoices are not routinely sent out. It was made clear that weeks cannot be used, transferred to a new owner or surrendered while there are fees outstanding. If you need help, contact Anfi Customer Services or one of us in the UK Club and we will do our best to assist.We were also asked to raise the question of what happens at the end of the 50-year contract term as arrangements are different to the other three clubs at Anfi Del Mar. Both Gran Anfi and Emerald club were created with 50-year terms. At the end of that term a members’ meeting will decide what to do next. There are a range of possible outcomes from closing the club to offering new 50-year terms to owners. This is covered in clause 9.2 of the Club Rules. I think this will happen in 2052.
The committee did discuss changes to the entertainment programme. Anfi said they would welcome suggestions for changes. Kahoot and water polo were suggested, although the latter was discontinued after injuries. It was made clear that no new shows would happen in the Plaza until at least 2027 when control of the concession is resolved.
The future committee meetings will take place on:
· Tuesday 25 February 2025
· Tuesday 26 June 2025
· Thursday 13 November 2025
· Thursday 12 February 2026
· Thursday 25 June 2026
· Tuesday 24 November 2026
· OGM: Thursday 26 November 2026
As always, if you want anything raised with Anfi, please contact me. I would also encourage you to think about whether you want to serve on any of the liaison committees. I am aware that I am the youngest elected member on Gran Anfi’s committee, and that is not good for the long term. You do need to be able to commit to three meetings a year in Gran Canaria, although you do not need to stay the whole week, so it would especially suit the remote workers and recently retired.
FNTC is the company that took over Continental Trustees. Philip Broomhead is one of the Directors. See here: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/02719551/officers
As to who called Robert or how they got the register of owners is a question I think you should fire directly at Philip as it suggests there may have been a data breach. Philip.Broomhead@fntc.com
Nice picture, Bill. There is a good choice of restaurants at the Mogan Mall. However, they can get busy. I tried the tapas one recently and it was fully booked on a Friday night.
Some really good advice here. I too have had awful experiences with Goldcar and would avoid them at all costs.
CICAR have an office in Monte Anfi so you could use the free Anfi transfer and collect your car at Anfi, saving hire costs (you will need it for 1-2 fewer days) and queues.
Do check your credit cards. My AmEx card includes car hire excess cover as standard. However, some cards require you to book and pay with the card offering protection.
Thank you for your post.
Unfortunately, some of what you have been told is untrue and other things ‘massage’ the truth. However, before I answer those points, let me deal with the most important item: should you sign the new contracts? There is a lot of information about this on the forum, but the basic answer is ‘Yes’. The contracts align your rights with the changes that were made in Spanish and EU law. They also get rid of ‘perpetuity’ which passes responsibility for your weeks to your descendants and replaces it with a renewable 50 year contract (the time starts from the resort’s completion) and the right to surrender weeks. Overall, in my view, it is not a bad deal for owners.
Turning to your other points:
1. The Administration process is NOT complete as the court still has to approve the deal brokered with the majority of creditors and, I understand, one group is objecting (we don’t know who) so the court has to rule on this (hopefully this autumn).
2. The contracts signed after 1999 were in breach of Spanish law that was changed to give more rights to timeshare owners. They may have been OK when they were originally drafted, but should not have been used once the law changed. The main changes were that perpetuity and floating arrangements were outlawed (Anfi has continued a floating arrangement called ‘flex’ which might be fine because it allows owners to opt out – it is in the new contracts).
3. Yes, Anfi are blocking people from using their weeks if they do not sign the new contracts. This is very heavy handed, and I don’t like it, but is perhaps understandable as people signing them then cannot sue for miss-selling so it means Anfi’s potential future liability is limited and quantifiable, which is an important part of securing its future.
4. You cannot surrender your weeks if there are any unpaid maintenance fees. The Administrator has insisted this is enforced. In the past Anfi took weeks back if there were two years unpaid fees. This was always informal. If you want to dispose of your weeks, you must pay outstanding fees. Whether they will seek to enforce the debts, I do not know.
5. The window for suing has closed, but many people have received payouts and received both their original purchase price and legal fees. However, that depended on the judge as some awarded legal costs and some did not.
I hope this is helpful.
I sent documents via Royal Mail Tracked and Anfi refused to sign for them and they were returned! Admittedly that was a few years ago. Maybe they thought it was a court summons?
Club Gran Anfi Report – June 2024
Historically Gran Anfi has always been financially strong. However, we are looking at some significant challenges. At the end of 2023 Anfi management rejected the combined representations of your elected representatives to raise maintenance fees in line with inflation. We were assured that there was plenty of money in the clubs and there would be a surplus at the end of the year.
Mike Corrigan, the German committee member, monitors Anfi’s data on his own spreadsheet and predicted a loss for the year. He was correct.You may have seen work on the concrete on the front of the block. Water damage has meant that some of this has decayed and needed replacement. Seeing the abseiling builders is quite something, but this is expensive and means the whole vertical line below the apartment where the work is going on has to be taken out of use.
It is these water erosion problems that mean plants will not be put back onto the balconies. Gran Anfi is now over two decades old and equipment behind the scenes is wearing out.In 2024/25 there will be significant expenditure that is not immediately visible. It is likely to leave us with only about €100,000 in the kitty.
The cost-of-living crisis is being felt by us all, and I think there will be pressure to keep the 2025 bills as low as possible. Therefore, we need to be prepared for visible work, like furniture replacements, to be delayed in order to focus on the fabric of the club.
As your elected representatives, myself Mike & Miguel try hard to hold management to account and ensure good value. The administration process and tussle for control between two powerful family groups have caused a considerable strain on relationships, with managers being less co-operative with members.
I sometimes think they forget who actually pays the bills! This culminated in the attempt to nominate a staff member to the committees last year. The Anfi Beach Club OGM went ahead and Anfi used their votes to elect people they wanted. This is being challenged through the (painfully slow) local court system. As someone used to seeking an immediate injunction in cases like this, I find it very frustrating.
At the time of writing the action has been filed but no court date set. It is likely to be Autumn 2024 at the earliest.
To be clear, the European members’ clubs are not ‘suing’ Anfi in the hope of getting money. Our aim is simply to have the constitutions of the clubs enforced and to ensure all of our rights as owners are respected.Meanwhile, it looks as though Anfi have changed tactics. Subject to confirmation, it looks as though they will not nominate their own staff to the committees but have made their Head of Legal Services their representative with Sr Martinez stepping into an ‘observer’ role. This effectively increases the numbers of Anfi staff at the meetings without the need for a vote.
It is also likely they will continue to use their votes, probably in favour of candidates they see as more ‘sympathetic’. We shall see what happens this autumn.The next meeting is likely to be a virtual one in late September or early October to set the 2025 budget.
Gran Anfi 25th February meeting
Members of the resort committees have to sign quite strict confidentiality agreements when they are elected. This means we can raise issues you put to us with Anfi management, but are not always allowed to report back the response! This year I was reminded of this when I was reprimanded for something I posted, therefore I hope members will be patient when you ask me something.
This year has seen work continuing to repair the concrete on the façade of Gran Anfi. You can see the section around the x06 apartments that has been completed. As a result of the investigations carried out around this, management have decided that real plants will never return to the balcony flower boxes as the watering is likely to result in further damage. In the interim it is likely that artificial grass will cover the flower boxes once the current work is finished. This expenditure on ‘hidden’ work has been the main theme of the past two or three years. Gran Anfi is now of an age where expensive items that work in the background to keep our club running need to be replaced. Examples are the ongoing repairs to the corridor railings, fire safety equipment changes and work in the pump and machinery rooms. It is this, rather than obvious things like furnishing, that our maintenance fees are spent on.
As a resort committee, we question and challenge where we can with the aim that the quality of Gran Anfi should be maintained, in the background as well as the more tangible items. Management had been very cooperative and we had thought that a good understanding based around ‘all of us wanting the best for owners’ had been built up. Towards the end of 2023 this dramatically broke down, and we are still not sure why. It revolved around two issues:1. The 2024 budget
2. The October 2023 OGM.
In the past management had proposed a couple of budget alternatives, which we discussed and either agreed or came to a compromise, often in consultation with the other clubs. This year management called a budget meeting but completely ignored our views, imposing a low 2.5% increase that, in our view, leaves the club underfunded and will place serious strain on the Replacement Fund (this exists to spread out the cost of major works over several years).
The meeting was assured that Gran Anfi was going to produce a surplus in 2023, so the extra money we wanted was not needed. In the event, the club made a substantial loss, which we had predicted, and the Replacement Fund is likely to decline to around €100,000 this year as all losses are covered by the Fund.
Then we found that Anfi are seeking to neuter the voice of ordinary owners on the resort committee by nominating a member of management, in the guise of Anfi Vacation Club, to the committee. They would not explain this. In the event we succeeded in getting the OGM delayed a year as the accounts were not ready, but there is every indication the same will happen in 2024. It feels as if management do not like owners having a voice and they showed by their actions in the Beach Club OGM that they see informed, active, customers as a ‘nuisance’.
In 2024 I would appeal to all owners to expertise their rights and vote in the OGM. When you see other owners around the pool, please spread the word and urge everyone to vote. I feel really angry about this as it runs contrary to the way timeshare resorts are run on other islands. It certainly shows that these national clubs have been effective, and I hope you will spread the word about them as well. The more members we have, and the more people take an active interest in the resorts we have put so much money into, the better.Roger Byatt
And it is shut again this week!
I received an email from Maroa Group (who operate the on-site restaurant in Gran Anfi) stating that it will be open 0800-2200 Friday and Saturday, with dinner served 1800-2200. Sunday-Thursday it will only open 0800-1800. The only service will be breakfast, lunch and happy hour.
Maroa do promise that the days when there is evening service the restaurant will feature sushi, ‘show cooking’ and seasonal specials.
The Gran Anfi OGM has been announced for 31 October 2024, by which time management hopes the 2022 & 2023 accounts will be ready. Judging by the actions taken at the Anfi Beach Club OGM, we fully expect a similar attempt to be made to oust the representatives linked to your national clubs.
Thank you for your comment.
Protests were lodged with Anfi as soon as the nominations were announced and during the committee meetings before the OGM. These just seemed to strengthen the resolve of Anfi management and, in my view, was the catalyst that made them decide to vote off all the existing committee that they could get rid of. I hope the new members will not prove to be as supine as Anfi hope.
I cannot comment on legal action, except to say that advice has been sought.
O2 still have inclusive European roaming (although I think it excludes the Channel Islands!) and, on some contracts, you get worldwide roaming.
Do read the ‘small print’ as I found that some definitions of roaming only include calls from the country you are in back to your home country. Therefore calling within the country, to book a restaurant for example, is actually a chargeable call.
If you were already in the court process then Anfi should not have asked you to sign a new contract. Your lawyer should be able to get this set aside and, maybe, Anfi should be fined. If you were not already suing then the new contract prevents you from doing so, although you should have been given a copy in the language of your choice otherwise there is no ‘informed consent’.
You also need to be aware that if you were mis-sold, the Court are closing applications for new claims at the end of November 2023 in order to bring the Administration to an end. Therefore if you, or any member, is thinking of claiming, they should do it now.
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