The Marbella Club Named to Travel + Leisure's 2022 T+L List of Best Hotels in the World
Sitting on a prime patch of Marbella’s Golden Mile, the now iconic Marbella Club has evolved from its early beginnings as the von Hohenlohe family’s charming finca into a world-renowned resort. Inspired by the Mediterranean atmosphere, in 1954, Prince Alfonso turned that finca into a rustic, motel-style hotel and began inviting his celebrity and royal friends to visit, creating a glitzy hideaway for the elite. Marbella soon after became a European playground making travelers fall in love with the authentic Andalusian influence and glitz of the Costa del Sol. The resort’s organic transformation into the luxury resort it is today, makes it a truly special and obvious pick for Travel + Leisure readers.
A Mediterranean staple, the Marbella Club is an elegant, beachfront boutique resort evoking a timeless and lively spirit with a modern vision that stays true to the property’s original charm and heritage. The once Hohenlohe family home has now been transformed into the Kids Club, a magical wonderland for children, that strengthens the multi-generational appeal of the hotel. In turn, the resort’s villa collection has grown exponentially (17 in counting) where home-from-home interior décor has become the common thread. The Marbella Club has implemented a holistic wellness philosophy into the resort’s DNA and is now a haven for guests, where nutrition, fitness, the Thalasso spa and overall wellbeing are the cornerstones of honest and clean living. The resort’s Clubhouse, launched in 2020, is a fusion of both the resort’s established and new restaurants and bars under one roof, returning the Marbella Club back to its roots. This immersive culinary and social experience is an ode to the past with a revived feel and makes for an idyllic meeting point for multi-generational families to gather.
As the Marbella Club continues to create new offerings for guests this year, the resort will now give private groups of four to ten the chance to create their very own bespoke wellness retreats, perfect for families or groups of friends looking to reconnect with their inner selves and each other, while embracing Marbella’s magical outdoor way of life. Furthermore, to help combat climate change in the Mediterranean, the Marbella Club has partnered with local marine preservation association, Aula del Mar, on a four-year project aiming to restore the carbon-sequestering seagrass and breed seahorses within the hotel, with guests and employees forming part of day-to-day care and educational activities. This spring, the Marbella Club will be launching a Bottega Veneta pop-up, in addition to a Chanel boutique, which will be a permanent addition to the property.
Each year, the readers of Travel + Leisure vote for their favorite destinations, city hotels, resorts, and more in the World’s Best Awards survey. Drawing on the 2021 World’s Best Awards survey results, Travel + Leisure recognizes the 500 best hotels around the globe in the 2022 edition of the T+L 500. The T+L 500 properties are divided into eight geographic regions, designed to serve as a trusted resource for millions of enthusiastic travelers. The T+L 500 is not a ranked list.