Marbella Club Hotel

Marbella is one of the Costa del Sol’s most storied destinations, and the Marbella Club is the quintessential Marbella resort — established by Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe in 1954 and playing host to the cream of the European aristocracy, titled and otherwise, ever since. And as the town has grown and developed (apace with the rest of the Mediterranean coast) the Marbella Club has remained delightfully the same.

Most strikingly, the Marbella Club retains the atmosphere of a princely residence, rather than a commercial hotel — within the resort’s gates are acres of manicured tropical gardens, and the rooms are scattered among a number of low-slung buildings, the more exclusive villas hidden away behind private gardens and pools. The accommodations are light and elegant in style, loaded with modern luxury amenities, each room with its own private balcony or terrace. And the service is discreet and old-fashioned, highly professional yet as near as possible invisible, in the manner of an aristocrat’s servants.

Dining options are numerous — the Marbella Club offers no fewer than five — and the neighboring Puente Romano hotel’s restaurants are open to Marbella Club guests as well.

During the day, the pool deck is the social hub of the place, with cocktails served from a poolside bar, and the Thalasso Spa offers state-of-the-art body treatments in an impressive new beachfront facility. Puente Romano offers use of its tennis and fitness center, and the Marbella Club’s new golf course lies a short car ride away, with views of Gibraltar and the African coast from its Dave Thomas-designed links.

This is Mediterranean hospitality, old-money style; and while you may not literally be the Prince’s house guest, the Marbella Club is as close as most of us will ever get.

How to get there: Marbella Club Hotel is a 35-minute drive from Malaga Airport.