Best for… Marbella Club Hotel is a private, laid-back, family-friendly vacation
The vibe… You turn off a busy highway into a driveway and are immediately hit with the tranquility of this legendary hotel on the southern Costa del Sol, built in 1954 on a 10-acre former finca. Lush subtropical gardens and green grounds are dotted with white Spanish villas and stretch down to a staircase leading to the beach club and glittering ocean. Marbella’s reputation for yachts, magnums and luxury boutiques doesn’t do justice to the authenticity of the region and splendid nature found in it.
We first came to The Marbella Club with our toddler daughter two years ago just looking for someplace that welcomes kids and is reliably sunny in the early spring, and loved its ease and beauty so much that we returned a year later. The hotel was, in fact, conceived as a family-style retreat by Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe, who was inspired by motels he’d visited on his travels in the U.S., where he studied agriculture in his 20s (and may have spent more time partying with Hollywood celebrities). But it is a much more sophisticated take on the usual kids-club style resort (though it does have a great one), where guests stay in private enclaves of two-story whitewashed Andalusian houses with terracotta rooftops. Whether the look is inspired by traditional fishing villages or the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture of California, it’s unclear—either way, the feeling is secluded and intimate. No wonder it’s attracted everyone over the years from dethroned European royalty to Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, Sean Connery and The Rolling Stones.
The rooms… Each of the 130 rooms (78 family suites and 14 villas) is a bit different, but all are bright and airy—a blend of rustic Spanish finca style and a recent modern refresh by Marie-Caroline Willms. We stayed in a deluxe garden suite, which had a gorgeous sitting room in colorful natural fabrics, a large bedroom with a canopy bed, and a private garden with lemon trees, a small fountain and sun beds. The bathroom tub was great for a toddler, who even got her own towel poncho and little slippers.
The wellness… There’s a natural seawater pool at the beach club and a freshwater pool in the garden. We loved the beach club pool from morning until lunch, and in the afternoons we retreated to the garden pool, where the sun was more warming and the patio scented by citrus blooms. The excellent gym has Pilates reformers and pretty much any equipment you can think of, a yoga space and a garden for meditation. The Thalasso Spa is a great place to unwind on a lounger after a lymphatic drainage treatment with a cup of the hotel’s own herbal tea, looking out at the sparkling sea. The beach promenade is great for long walks or runs, which we did each evening at sunset with the stroller. There’s also horseback riding, tennis and golf.
The food and drink…There are several restaurant and bar options. The MC beach restaurant is literally on the sand and takes a cue from Malaga’s traditional chiringuitos: the grilled sardines are delicious. Also by the sea is The Beach Club restaurant, which has that perfect relaxed throw-on-a-kaftan vibe for lunch reminiscent of 1950s Acapulco, where they serve up incredible greens, seafood, and homemade tortillas and guac. The Pool Garden does fresh salads as well as drinks and smoothies. For dinner, The Grill is all old-school classic with silver service, white tablecloths, and an open-fire grill (get the whole grilled fish). The newcomer and our go-to was El Patio, overseen by a Calabrian and Turkish chef who turned out some of the best Mediterranean food we’ve ever had, with an Italian pizzaiolo—we still dream of the appetizer crisp bread with za’atar and labneh. The hotel bar Rudi’s is hidden next to The Grill and has a gorgeous 1,001 Nights-style interior.
Extra tip goes to… Maria in reception greeted us with warm familiarity and continued to be of great and kind assistance during our stay. The service is uniformly excellent, perhaps a legacy of the fact that the Prince brought the original staff from his castle—and many are second generation. They are particularly solicitous of children and greeted our daughter with a welcome basket of beautifully curated toys and snacks.
Kids club… Natural, beautiful and Montessori-inspired, with activities like an aroma workshop where children can mix herbs to create their own perfumes, cooking, music and dance, a vegetable and herb garden with tiny wheelbarrows, all things arts & crafts, and a wooden playground. Our daughter loved the pretend play of farming and “cooking,” and the natural playground was a hit—we used it as we usually do visits to playgrounds at home, to break up the day with some fun together.
Be sure to… Visit Marbella’s Old Town. Roughly 30 minutes on foot from the hotel along the promenade, it is a must. With its white houses and historical buildings decorated with colorful flowers, the town dates to the 15th century. Walk its narrow streets shopping for Andalusian-style kaftans or sandals in one of the small boutiques. The center of Old Town is Plaza De Los Naranjos (orange square), which is surrounded by cafes and shaded by fragrant orange blossoms. We would sit here in the afternoons, sipping fresh orange juice and cortados and people-watching, or in Alameda Park in the shade of ferns and palm trees, watching the fountain from one of the hand-painted benches called azulejos. There’s also a lovely carousel and playground. Don’t miss Avenida Del Mar, the pedestrian passage connecting the town with the promenade, to see the statues by Salvador Dali, who used to vacation here.
Parting words… Visit in the off-season—it was magical having so much space, but there were also plenty of guests during both of our stays, so it never felt empty, just balanced, with perfectly mild temperatures. We felt so welcomed with our daughter, and therefore we were all relaxed. We’ll be returning for sure!
Dates of stay… March 2022 and January 2023
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