COME August, the sun-drenched shores of Playa del Real de Zaragoza will welcome a new jewel to Marbella’s coastline. Gran Marbella Resort & Beach Club, the latest addition to Iconic Luxury Hotels’ globe-spanning portfolio, places its toes in one of the region’s most serene stretches of sand.
It feels less like an arrival and more like a homecoming to the essence of Andalusia, a land where Moorish arches and jasmine-scented courtyards meet an easy, cosmopolitan elegance.
Gran Marbella Resort & Beach Club
Wellness takes centre stage here with the arrival of Champneys, making its first international debut. The heritage British spa brand has reimagined its ritual of rest for the Mediterranean, offering treatments infused with coastal botanicals and sun-warmed sea breezes. It is a place to recalibrate, whether through a hammam-inspired scrub or a languid afternoon by the pool, skin kissed by salt and light.
Amu Beach Club, the glamorous younger sibling to the Monaco original, is destined to become the resort’s heartbeat. Picture an infinity pool melting into the horizon, ocean-to-table dining served beneath woven parasols, and sunsets the colour of sangria. For those in the know, it is already being whispered about as Marbella’s next great address for golden-hour gatherings.
Gran Marbella Resort & Beach Club
Architecture draws deeply from the region’s Moorish past with intricate tilework, shaded arcades and guest suites spilling onto generous terraces. Inside, the atmosphere is breezy and sunlit. Outside, a cluster of restaurants and bars channel the Andalusian art of living outdoors. Expect long, wine-soaked lunches, orange-laced caipirinhas in hand and the slow drift of an afternoon that refuses to end.
Beyond the beach and pool, the resort opens a door to the region’s living traditions. Guests can cast a fishing line at dawn with local sailors, press liquid gold from ripe Andalusian olives or learn the craft of winemaking from those who have done it for generations.
Gran Marbella Resort & Beach Club is not just a place to stay. It is a mood, a rhythm, a way of inhabiting the Mediterranean that blends heritage with high style.
by Adina Ilie
Prices start from £390 in the high season, and £220 in the low season