Its History

It all began in 1947 when the Antonio Lussich’s daughters decide to sell part of their lands by the sea. This decision was made due to the promising project of the Catalan architect Antionio Bonet, who had an excellent level and recognition within his profession.

The hotel was built in 1948, a year after the urbanization of Punta Ballena. This was developed so that the tourists could count with a place where to stay and at the same time enjoy the majesty of the surroundings.

The success of the Project was so huge that it was quickly imposed as the most fashionable place and al of the Uruguayan and Argentinean high class society made it their favourite. From the beginning mi father, Rodolfo Merzario was in charge of the hotel, and with his personality and might forged what has been here for 56 years.

During the years 1948 and 1980, the hotel was a meeting point for all those tourists that came to spend their holidays, staying for a month and in many occasions the whole summer season.

At that time, the most common means of transport where cars and hydroplanes, these last ones used the Laguna del Sauce as a landing place. Later on, an airport was build which’s architecture was characterized for its red roofing tiles, something quite unusual for a construction like this. That is when the planes of turbo helix started to come.

The hotel rooms had neither television nor phone, only the reception had these elements. It did not have a receptionist either; people would go out at night and leave their keys on the lobby counter and when they returned they would take them back. The doors of the hotel always remained opened.

There were years of plenty of regularity, where the same tourists concurred in a period of 30 years. Their sons and daughters carried on the tradition that their parents had imposed, going to the hotel every summer as well.

In 1980 I start working with my father y ever since then, we journey this path together. We lived the changing process that tourism went through, and how our clients started to stay for shorter periods. This had as a consequence an increase in the flow of our clients and a greater diversity of them.

All of these changes lead us to redesign the hotel in 1993, that of 15 rooms it now had a total of 33 (24 doubles and 9 duplex).

With the increase of number of rooms and their equipment, added to the growth of Punta del Este’s infrastructure (access routes, two-way route, international airport, etc), Terraza del Mar increased substantially its affluence due to its excellent level, it’s strategic location, together with the easy access to the different points of the zone.

Currently, it is a family hotel, where I am personally in charge of administrating it and carrying it through, with the help of my wife. In some years my children will be added to this collaboration, and so we will keep on maintaining the family tradition that characterizes it.