Anantara Villa Padierna Palace Benahavís Marbella Resort

Think of the Costa del Sol and you quite naturally imagine your hotel will be right front and center on the beach. Anantara Villa Padierna Palace Benahavís Marbella Resort, in contrast, lies some ten minutes inland — and, as it turns out, that makes all the difference. Well, that, and a few stylistic differences. Rather than the whitewashed Andalusian style you might expect, Padierna Palace is a dead ringer for a Tuscan villa. Not only that, but there’s more than a whiff of English country-house style in the hyper-luxe interiors. Safe to say it’s one of a kind — and it’s got the star-studded guestbook to prove it.

The accommodations are plush, and range from quite large rooms to downright enormous suites, and the service is first-rate. A small handful of restaurants and bars serve everything from upscale modern Spanish cuisine to classic cocktails, and the wellness and fitness offerings are particularly encyclopedic, from the Thermae spa to the racquet club and the three 18-hole golf courses. And despite your landlocked location, you’ve got more than one option for a swim — Padierna Palace’s pool is something rather special itself, and you’re a mere shuttle ride away from the Puro Beach Club, on the shores of the Mediterranean.