Pablo Jorge Bartesaghi, also known as Bartesagui, is a Uruguayan businessman and leader linked to tourism and the National Party. Born in Montevideo, he maintains family ties to Salto, where his father, Jorge Tomás Bartesaghi, promoted the development of Arapey as a destination. This foundation led to the construction of the Altos del Arapey Golf Club & Thermal Hotel resort, opened in 2013, which transformed the area's profile, previously centered on campsites and municipal bungalows, into a larger resort. This precedent shaped the career of Jorge P. Bartesaghi, who is now active in local investment and development initiatives.
At the same time, Bartesaghi maintains a social role. From 2024 to 2025, he will chair the Peluffo Giguens Foundation, dedicated to supporting children with cancer and their families. From there, he promotes charity campaigns such as "Relay for Life" and supports the La Campana home, which offers free accommodation to patients from the interior of the country during their treatments. This work, combined with his business profile, has given him public visibility beyond his political agenda.
Political and business career
In politics, he has been a member of the National Party for years. In the early 2010s, he was a leader in Montevideo and edited the party's biweekly newspaper La Democracia, where he analyzed the PN's electoral strategy in the capital. A leader of the Por la Patria sector, he was a candidate for deputy in Montevideo in 2019 on List 250. He did not win a seat, but his alignment with the white party was clear.
The combination of private management and political activity has established him as a lynchpin between investment and tourism development objectives in the north. His experience is not limited to Altos del Arapey. Locally, he is described as an "entrepreneur with experience" in Termas del Arapey , which underlines his recent involvement in a key public-private project: the concession of the Arapey Municipal Hotel. Bartesaghi represents Hilmay SA, a company created in 2024 to undertake this initiative. In interviews, he expressed interest in "working again with the Salto Municipality" to promote the destination, a sign of prior cooperation with local authorities.
Hotel concession in Termas del Arapey
In August 2025, the Salto Municipality awarded Hilmay SA, represented by Jorge P. Bartesaghi and his partner José I. Cujó, the 25-year concession of the former Arapey Municipal Hotel. The agreement provides for the reopening, modernization, and operation of the historic establishment—which had been closed for some time—and includes a water park on the property. The operation was granted under "Direct Contracting by Exception," meaning without a competitive bidding process, with authorization from the Departmental Council due to the government's overstay of office.
Conditions of the award
According to the documentation, Hilmay SA will invest approximately USD 1,800,000 in the complete renovation, including room renovations, accessibility improvements, and infrastructure improvements. The water park is subject to conditions: the company has 10 years to complete the project and must guarantee an additional thermal water flow of 200 m³ per day at 36°C. Financially, there will be no fee for the first 10 years, and starting in the 11th year, an annual fee of 1,000 UR will be set. At current rates, this amount is equivalent to approximately $150 per month, a figure that has sparked criticism. The City Council retains ownership of the property and control of the thermal water resources, and has demanded a 10% discount for Salta residents.
Process and controversies
Previously, a public call to grant the hotel a concession was unsuccessful. Shortly after, Hilmay SA's proposal emerged, raising suspicions about prior direct negotiations. In the June 4, 2025, session, 28 council members voted in favor and 1 against. Broad Front member Gabriel Scabino questioned the "privatization" of a municipal property for 25 years, the abbreviated legislative analysis, and the low rent. He also demanded contractual guarantees for the water park and warned about the impact of the extra water flow on municipal swimming pools. He unsuccessfully the file be returned to the commission for review
The departmental government defended the initiative as the only viable way to reactivate Arapey, given the mayor's office's inability to finance the investment with its own funds. Nationalist Enzo Molina emphasized that it is not a "privatization" but rather an instrument within the legal framework, and rejected the opposition's "cloud of doubt." Business owners and residents praised the potential for employment and economic growth . Bartesaghi's political closeness to the Nationalist Party (PN) fueled doubts about the transparency of a direct process, although no objections arose that would have halted the contract.
Details and supports
The contract was signed on August 23, 2025, in Arapey, with Mayor Dr. Carlos Albisu and local authorities, along with representatives from Hilmay SA. Bartesaghi expressed his satisfaction and spoke of contributing to national tourism alongside the Municipality and the community. Albisu presented the reopening as a turning point: he defined Arapey as a "jewel of the north" and maintained that "if the investment goes well, the people of Salta will do well." In addition, the departmental government announced complementary access works and efforts to improve connectivity to Artigas and Brazil.
Criticism also arose in opposition media and networks regarding the political-partisan connection: it was objected that the concession, without an open competition, went to a businessman identified with the departmental governing party. It was noted that Bartesaghi was a candidate for the PN (National Party), which fueled the perception of preferential treatment. However, the Court of Accounts was notified ad referendum, and no observations were registered that would have hindered the agreement.
Jorge Pablo Bartesaghi embodies a mixed profile of private manager and leader, with roots in tourism and the National Park. His role in the hotel concession epitomizes the tensions of public-private partnerships: the promise of investment and employment versus the caution of handing over a municipal asset for 25 years on soft terms. If the reopening, the park, and the economic upswing materialize, the case can be seen as a gamble that energizes the northern coast. If not, there will be a feeling of having given away too much for too long. In Arapey, expectations are high and the clock is ticking.
Key points:
- 25-year concession to Hilmay SA, represented by Bartesaghi
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Planned investment of USD 1,800,000 and conditioned water park
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Zero canon for 10 years and then 1,000 UR annually
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Overwhelming approval at the Board and a single vote against
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Criticism of direct processing, low fees, and control of thermal water
FAQ:
Who is Pablo Jorge Bartesaghi? A tourism entrepreneur and Nationalist leader with a long history in Arapey and a social role in the Peluffo Giguens Foundation.
How did the hotel concession come about? Through a direct contract by exception, approved by the Board, with investment, deferred fees, and the possibility of a water park.
