The Marbella Club
Marbella’s enduring status as one of the world’s most glamorous resorts owes much to Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.
The godson of King Alfonso XII snapped up acres of land along this stretch of the Costa Del Sol shortly after World War II and helped to transform it into a playground for the international jet set.
In 1954, he opened what would become the Marbella Club - the jewel in the crown on the Milla de Oro (Golden Mile) between Old Marbella Town and Puerto Banus.
Alfonso himself epitomised the lifestyle where celebrity and royalty intertwined and famously dated two Hollywood icons, Ava Gardner and Kim Novak.
More recently, the Marbella Club has successfully reinvented itself as a luxury boutique resort.
Yet even for a place which has ‘seen it all’, it has never experienced anything like the events of the past four months when it had to close its doors while Spain went into lockdown.
On July 2, Marbella Club staged its grand reopening and has been meticulous in its approach when it comes to accommodating guests in our post-COVID world.
Covering 50,000sqm of spacious sub-tropical gardens and vast private rooms and suites as well as private bungalows and expansive villas, it is well-equipped to adapt to the rules of social distancing.
And an exhaustive health and safety plan has been put into place involving rigorous measures around employee and guest health screening, extensive cleaning and sanitising protocols, restricted occupancy, and contactless experiences as well as some creating packages built around privacy and wellness.
One of those packages, Family Time, will allow guests to check into a Villa with private entrances, expansive grounds, and contactless check-in facilities.
A dedicated Villa Host will cater to every need including bespoke alfresco dinners and Kids Club experiences. Another new feature is the Holistic Studio, set within a botanical garden sanctuary. Treatments include deep healing and integrative holistic health practices.
The Restorative Getaway package is designed to provide guests with a much-needed antidote to lockdown life through its 360-approach to preventative health.
Even though Marbella Club hasn’t welcomed guests since March, the resort remained active continued to donate surplus food and material for sanitary protection equipment for the most vulnerable members of the local community.
Indeed, while luxury resorts are designed to provide an escape from the world outside, they will also have a part to play in rebuilding that world.