Nine-course tasting breakfast and Michelin star chefs. Chic low-lit libraries straight out of an interiors catalogue. A guestbook featuring everyone from Walt Disney to Penélope Cruz.
These are just some of the highlights of staying at El Fuerte, an iconic 66-year-old beach hotel on Marbella’s waterfront, and the latest in a string of stylish new properties that are helping to redefine the Golden Mile’s stereotype of Brits abroad. a five-star, £30m refurbishment. There are no package holidays here. Instead, think £350 helicopter rides, dazzling old-world lounges and private terraces with jacuzzis offering the best views of the city.
From couples massages at the Clarins spa to the hotel’s own beach bar, Soleo, what awaits you?
Where?
Just off the promenade in the heart of Marbella, just 30 seconds from the beach, the old town and its maze of charming cobbled streets are just a five-minute walk away.
Style
Terracotta tones and cool ceramics. Emerald green tiles and brushed brass features. Bold marble bathrooms and bright modern libraries.
Not your classic Marbs beach holiday. But that’s the point. El Fuerte’s atmosphere is Mediterranean chic but with 1950s old-world charm and Audrey Hepburn-era roots.
This iconic property dates from 1957, but last year a massive renovation took 15 months and cost £26.5 million, thanks to award-winning Chilean designer Jaime Beriestain (excavations to build the Spa uncovered Roman, Phoenician and Islamic artefacts) and the result Contemporary yet elegant with an Andalusian touch. Think cool Spanish tiles, floor-to-ceiling plants, and bold modern art lining the hallways.
Staff will bring a coral-coloured beach towel to your lounge chair, and the umbrellas will be elegant white and burgundy striped.
Which room?
Each of El Fuerte’s 266 rooms features the hotel’s signature color scheme, gorgeous contemporary lighting and all the essential amenities, from a coffee maker and complimentary beauty products to a minibar with drinks, snacks and recyclable El Fuerte water bottles. Expect duvet bedding, Scandinavian-style duvets and a pillow menu in the bedroom.
All rooms have walk-in showers and outdoor terraces, and most have views of the Mediterranean Sea. There are also sexy and characterful details such as small marble dining tables where you can sip your pre-dinner drink at sunset and, if you’re lucky, stylish outdoor jacuzzis overlooking the sea.
If you’re looking for a little more space, choose a double room with a lounge and a freestanding bathtub underneath the TV. The La Dama Master Suite is one of 78 high-end rooms with day spa access and is arguably the hotel’s best room; It has a 29 square meter terrace with full sea views, large dining table and private outdoor jacuzzi.
Pets are allowed upon request.
Food and drink
There are three restaurants to choose from: fine Arab souk-inspired Middle Eastern cuisine at Le Marché; Trendy in Levante are Mediterranean-inspired dishes; and locally sourced fine dining at the Edge; Michelin-starred chef Paco Pérez’s glass-covered rooftop restaurant has 360-degree views of the sea and the old city.
The hotel also has a casual beach club, Soleo. Here, Tommy’s margaritas, beef tartare entrees and giant Caesar salads are served in stylish wooden bowls bigger than your head.
Breakfast is also a three-course affair; a buffet option (highlights include made-to-order crepes, handmade pastries, and the best gluten- and lactose-free options I’ve seen at a hotel breakfast), an a la carte menu (highlights include lobster roll chia, mushroom pie, and Malaga sausage tartare), and even a nine-course tasting menu featuring everything from oysters and waffles benedictine to sweet potato omelette and local cheeses – arguably the most decadent hotel breakfast I’ve ever come across.
Make sure you take the time to capitalize on this, but be careful not to feast if you plan on doing anything other than hanging out by the pool all day.
Facilities
There are two sparkling swimming pools surrounded by palm trees and sun loungers, multiple sundecks with ocean views, and plenty of relaxed hang-out spaces, including a stylish library downstairs and a rooftop serving rooftop cocktails that transforms into the Edge restaurant at night. You won’t find a better view in the city.
There’s also a sixth-floor gym with smart Technogym kit, but the hotel’s Spa by Clarins is the real highlight, in the opinion of most guests, with an extensive treatment list and a hydrotherapy circuit that includes everything from a dynamic jetted pool to a steam room and ice fountain. Treatments range from couples massages to detox facials and lymphatic drainage massages designed to eliminate toxins. There’s also an energising facial designed specifically for men’s skin.
The hotel also offers a wide range of experiences, from private dining and cooking lessons to helicopter rides and excursions to Tangier, Seville and the Alhambra. For details, just ask the stylishly dressed staff at the reception.
What about Instagram?
The view from the rooftop is of palm trees swaying in the breeze and El Fuerte’s signature white and burgundy parasols framing the pool below.
What’s best for you?
Affluent couples looking for a (chic) beach holiday just three hours from London. English, Irish, Dutch and American guests are common here, and you’ll hear plenty of Spanish speakers at breakfast too.
How to get there
Flights from London to Malaga take around three hours, followed by a 40-minute taxi ride at the other end.
From 350 euros per night, C. el Fuerte, s/n, 29602 Marbella, Málaga, Spain, elfuertemarbella.com