Laurence Dollimore
THE Four Seasons is coming to Marbella in a bid to bring ‘more glamour’ and battle the area’s seasonality.
The luxury hotel chain will be built on the beach front with the first brick being laid as early as October 5.
It has been described by sources as a ‘huge project’ which will bring back some ‘glamour’ to the tourism hotspot.
It comes after a rise in loutish behaviour from boozed up tourists in the summer months has tarnished once upmarket areas like Puerto Banus.
The land is owned by Villa Padierna Hotels & Resorts and occupies 700 metres of beach.
The laying of the first brick will see a ceremony on October 5, attended by the who’s who of business and politics in Andalucia.
Junta president Susana Diaz, Four Seasons CEO J. Allen Smith and Marbella mayor Angeles Munoz will all be among the guests.
The luxury hotel will be the brainchild of architect Richard Meier and has been described by those involved in the project as ‘a marvel’.
It is scheduled to open in two years.
Much like its Miami and Dubai counterparts, the complex will include private residences as well as hotel rooms.
It is hoped it will kickstart a ‘new era’ in luxury tourism in Marbella.
Ricardo Arranz, President of Villa Padierna, who are partners in the project, said: “Marbella and Madrid need the glamour that these types of brands give.”
The Four Seasons will be the first in Spain, opening its doors by the beginning of 2019.
Arranz added that the residences on the complex will allow for the very wealthy to stay for up to two months at a time.
This he said, is very popular for the Arab and Russian markets, and will help ‘remove seasonality’, something the golfing market has ‘not been able to do fully’.
