Marbella Club Hotel, whose guests have included Audrey Hepburn and Laurence Olivier. Found on the Golden Mile – a prime piece of Marbella real estate flanked by the mansions of millionaires – it was originally built as a private residence by the legendary Marbella playboy and founder Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe.
With Beverly Hills-style villa accommodation and an on-site Thalasso spa, it's hardly surprising that the guestbook has held its own despite a deluge of bad press tarnishing Marbella's shine (political scandals have plagued the town since its mayor, Jesús Gil, was imprisoned for embezzlement, and a tasteless show following the lives of bored housewives did it no favours either).
Yet Marbella still keeps the A-list rubbing shoulders with the D-list. Michelle Obama flew in for a four-day visit in 2010. Her stay of choice? The five-star Villa Padierna, another prestigious place to slip between high-threadcount sheets at night and look out towards Morocco in the morning.
A classic reservation is Villa Tiberio, where Dame Shirley Bassey, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sean Connery have chowed down on Italian cuisine against a backdrop of scented botanical gardens.
The hottest table now is La Sala, recently opened but already famed for its wooden decking that is more people-watching perch than terrace. The food? Who knows. The stick-thin socialites who flock there in barely-there Carolina Herrera creations come to see and be seen, eschewing solids for sustenance of the liquid variety.
While Marbella's new generation of "slebs" head to beachside drinking dens such as Nikki Beach and, more recently, Buddha Beach, the A-list still prefers the more elegant environs of the quayside playpen that is Puerto Banús (or "Port of Abuse", as insiders call it).
Here size is everything, and super-yachts, supercars and supermodels jostle for space in a marina crammed with designer labels. Thankfully, the young 'uns stick to one end while the older crowd enjoys more sophisticated tipples at Sinatra's at the other.
Nightclub queen Olivia Valere retains its crown as the chic-est place to mingle when you're single (just ask Mariah Carey and Naomi Campbell, who love the paparazzi-free secrecy of its 1,001 Arabian Nights-inspired courtyards).
Those gorgeous places to sleep, eat, drink and dance, those white-sand beaches and a cobbled Old Town juxtaposed against a super-sleek marina – all are still there for the taking. Trashy flash in the pan it ain't.
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Located on the Southern Spanish Costa del Sol, in the heart of the 'Golden Mile' only 5 minutes to Old Town Marbella and Puerto Banús, with 320 days of sunshine and a mild year round average temperature of 21ºC). Open year round, the renowned Marbella Club Hotel, was once the private residence of Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe. The 121 luxury bedrooms and suites, spread over the beach front resort, harmonize with 14 Andalusian-Style villas throughout 42,000 square meters (452,083 sq. ft.) of lush subtropical gardens. Each guest room is decorated with the finest fabrics and Mediterranean interior design, reflecting the surrounding elements and has furnished balcony / terrace and spacious luxurious bathrooms with separate shower and bath. The 14 charming villas are in the unmistakable style of the Hotel, faithful replicas of traditional Andalucían architecture, blending harmoniously with their surroundings, and are ideal for families and guests seeking to enjoy more space and privacy. The 2, 3 or 5 bedroom villas have their own private garden and heated pool, providing guests with both comfort and privacy during their stay. Both of the 2 outdoor heated swimming pools, one with seawater invite you to relax in the surrounding gardens or to enjoy the views of the Mediterranean through the palm trees of the famous beach club.
