The renowned Marbella Club Hotel sits in landscaped gardens on the prestigious Marbella Golden Mile, where the office of Engel & Völkers have properties for sale close to the hotel. However, respect is first due to the vision of the entrepreneurs who kick-started the tourist boom in Marbella.
Today's holiday makers, residents and investors can thank Ricardo Soriano Scholtz von Hermensdorff (Marquis of Ivanrey) for the development of the Costa del Sol. Having heard about the magical charms of the area (which he had never visited), in the 1940s he bought an estate near what later became Puerto Banús, where luxury yachts are now moored, and created a resort that he named Venta y Albergues El Rodeo. This prompted his nephew Alfonso de Hohenlohe to purchase Santa Margarita Ranch, and in 1954, the Marbella Club Hotel welcomed its first guests to the original farmhouse building.
Alfonso and his cousin, Count Rudi, transformed the site into a destination for the rich and famous. Guests included Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot and many other stars, European royalty and aristocracy, and other wealthy families. Other businesses picked up on the potential, and followed with their own resorts and urbanisations. Attractions such as the Golden Mile sprung up, and Marbella's status as a jet-setter's paradise was sealed.
Since then, the hotel has earned a reputation for glamour and superior service. Its traditionally-styled buildings, in a tranquil and private environment, attract many famous visitors seeking a refuge. In addition, its position on the lively Marbella Golden Mile, with all its facilities, gives it the best of both worlds, in an area popular with investors, as Engel & Völkers can confirm.
Guests can opt for rooms, suites or villas with sumptuous interiors, and can enjoy a variety of dining choices. Wellness experiences include nutrition, fitness and a spa in the setting of a botanical garden. It's a perfect spot for a wedding, while families are catered for with spacious accommodation and a Kids' Club.
However, this is not just a hotel - this is a lifestyle, with extensive sports facilities, appreciated by locals too. Its private eighteen-hole golf course was designed by Welsh professional golfer and experienced course architect, Dave Thomas. The club employs a British PGA pro, Gary Vautier, and has hosted tournaments. The Marbella Club Equestrian Centre hosts the Spanish Show Jumping Championships, and is open to guests of all abilities. Activities include treks, show-jumping, dressage, and competition-training, with younger riders starting off with one-to-one tuition.
Tennis fans at the hotel get unlimited access to the Puente Romano Tennis Club, inaugurated by Bjorn Borg in 1979, and managed for years by Spanish legend Manolo Santana. Famous players like Serena Williams, John McEnroe, Kim Clijsters, Jim Courier and Flavia Pennetta have graced its courts, while courses are available for all levels and ages.
The Marbella Club Hotel provides the perfect, pampered holiday. And while you're enjoying the wonderful Marbella Golden Mile, why not visit our Marbella Golden Mile shop, and turn this visit to Marbella into something more permanent?
