The luxury hotel blazing a trail to a new, smarter Costa del Sol
I'm here to see the quieter side of the Costa del Sol, an area that has smartened up, ditching the package-holiday image for glamour. This part is neither glitzy and showy nor cheap and cheerful, but reminds me of a time before I'd ever heard the word overtourism. And it is this lesser-known corner of the Costa del Sol that the luxury hotel group Fairmont has chosen for its new flagship resort in Spain.
I am technically not in the province of Malaga, the heart of the Costa del Sol, but Cadiz, on the border of the less visited Costa de la Luz ('Coast of the Light'). And it is the light that strikes me as I step into the hotel's grand lobby with its double-height ceiling and panoramic windows showcasing some quite spectacular views of the Mediterranean. The light, and the silence.
After checking in, I stroll down to the hotel's soon-to-open beach club, and find myself all but alone, bar a couple of dog walkers spotting dolphins and soaking up the views.Speaking of views, I am staying in a gloriously sun-drenched Deluxe Sea View room. At 52 sq m (excluding the private terrace), it is the size of most suites but is the smallest room category at Fairmont La Hacienda. There's a tub and a rainfall shower with lush bath amenities by Le Labo, a seating area, a second outdoor seating area and a huge bed. Throughout the hotel, matt Campaspero limestone floors, walls and bathrooms, combined with natural materials such as wood, jute, linen and rattan, create a dreamlike, almost airbrushed vibe.
Most of the 153 rooms overlook the neighbouring La Hacienda Links golf resort, the hotel's three swimming pools and the sea. The higher up you get, the better the panorama, which stretches all the way to Morocco on a clear day. There are also 47 villas, some of which can be broken down into individual suites, with three to nine bedrooms, alongside private pools, kitchens, dining areas, an abundance of outdoor space and the sound of the rolling waves.
'People are excited about the new hotel because there's nothing like this around here,' says María Gómez Martos, a host at Fairmont La Hacienda's superb Dalmar restaurant (more on this later), a local from the area. 'There's nothing else this beautiful.'
For lunch I feast on oysters and perfectly tender grilled octopus at the poolside Umbra restaurant as the sunlight peeps through the bamboo roof and dances on the tables (mains from £21). That afternoon, I head to the gym, a light-filled space with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the sea. Afterwards a therapist from the spa deftly works on my muscles as I snore on a plush padded massage table.
The next day, I want to see more of the local area. I travel 45 minutes inland to Alcala de los Gazules, a white hilltop village with more than two centuries of history. I meet up with Juan Pedro Romero, a historian who shows me a secret camomile-scented garden in the ruins of a 16th-century monastery and the 12th-century fortress that sits atop the city (Alcala, with its 5,000 inhabitants, was granted city status in 1876). We visit Encarna Fernández Luna at the 200-year-old bakery Horno de Luna, which has been run by five generations of matriarchs (@hornodeluna). She tells me that her recipe for aniseed-flavoured mollete flatbread originated with the Moors and was handed down by her great-grandmother. Later, I devour plates of tapas and assorted grilled meats at El Campanero (mains from £13; @restaurante_campanero).While other parts of Spain have been grappling with headline-grabbing overtourism protests, Romero insists that you won't find any 'tourists go home' graffiti in Alcala. 'People here want to show off their city,' he says. 'I love my home town and it's an honour when people come here so I can share it with them.'
Ellie McDonald, a young woman from the Scottish Highlands who moved to Alcala last year and runs a relocation and translation service for people moving to Spain, agrees. 'I have the best time here and everyone is so friendly,' she says. 'I've lived all over Spain, but this village is my home.'
• Discover our full guide to Spain
Later, I meet up with Thomas Shield, a Londoner based in Florida-esque Sotogrande, with its mansions, palm trees, golf, polo and yacht clubs. Shield's company, The Jolly Mile, rents and sells Moke cars (thejollymile.com). He also organises experiences for Fairmont La Hacienda's guests, as I discover when he whizzes me up to another white village, the breathtakingly beautiful Castellar de la Frontera, in an open-top electric Moke.He says Sotogrande is less ostentatious than other spots on the Costa. 'It used to be all golfers and retired people, but the pandemic changed that. Lots of young professionals left the big cities and are still here,' he says. 'I'm still a Londoner but can't see myself living anywhere else.'
Back at Fairmont La Hacienda, I'm ready for dinner. Dalmar by Benito Gómez, a Catalan of Andalusian descent whose Bardal restaurant in Ronda has been awarded two Michelin stars, is an upmarket affair with zero stuffiness. His dishes are playful and flavour-packed; like the red tuna from the Strait of Gibraltar punched up with wasabi from Montseny outside Barcelona, or local mushrooms cooked in rich Catalan fricando meat stew (mains from £25).
• Best hotels on the Costa Brava
Leaving Fairmont La Hacienda, I have not set foot in a golf buggy (other than the one the attentive, ever-present hotel staff use to ferry guests around the resort). Nor have I seen any fake tan or mega-yachts. If you're looking to unwind in beautiful natural surroundings, eat well, connect with the local culture and, yes, maybe play some golf, this new side of the Costa de Sol might surprise you.
This article contains affiliate links, which can earn us revenue
Isabelle Kliger was a guest of Fairmont La Hacienda Costa del Sol, which has B&B doubles from £500 in July (fairmont.com). Fly to Gibraltar
A Spanish classic reimagined, Kimpton Los Monteros Marbella marks the revival of one of the Costa del Sol's most distinguished hotels. First opened in 1962, Los Monteros was a luxury trailblazer, the first hotel in Spain to receive a Michelin star, for its El Corzo restaurant. It has now been fully renovated, blending a contemporary design with the historic grandeur of the building. Top-notch dining and wellness experiences include a Dolce & Gabbana beach club and Jara restaurant by the chef José Carlos García, all within an exclusive Marbella enclave. Many of the resort's 195 elegant rooms and suites have private terraces and sea views, while the Mediterranean is 500m away.Details Room-only doubles from £285 (kimptonlosmonterosmarbella.com). Fly to Malaga
Looking to sleep better, eat better or get a handle on those love handles? ZEM Wellness Clinic Altea's year-round seven or 14-day programmes focusing on issues such as weight loss or longevity are just the tonic. But it's not all lasers and white coats. Guests staying in one of the 95 rooms and suites get to eat a healthy, delicious Mediterranean diet and enjoy the 40,000 sq m of facilities surrounded by lush gardens, the mountains and the sea. Whatever you do, just don't confuse it with Spain's other well-known wellness destination — SHA — which is also in the idyllic seaside town of Altea, just north of Alicante. Details Seven nights' full board from £11,570pp in May (zemaltea.com). Fly to Alicante
• More great hotels in southern Spain
Barcelona's hottest opening of the year has no fewer than six eating and drinking venues — including Lora, an all-day dining grill, L'Anxova Divina tapas bar and Cosmico, a waterfront rooftop pool bar and club opening this summer — as well as three swimming pools, a spa, an 800 sq m ballroom and 471 rooms and suites. While it's a bit of a trek from central Barcelona, the exuberant energy, colourful design and proximity to the beach and the Port Forum festival area (which hosts the summer music festival Primavera Sound) are setting SLS up as the place to see and be seen this summer. Details Room-only doubles from £180 (slshotels.com). Fly to Barcelona
Deep in Seville's ancient Jewish quarter, a 15th-century palace has been converted into a 14-room luxury boutique hotel. The painstaking restoration uncovered plenty of artefacts — some dating back to Roman times — all preserved within the medieval walls. Expect Venetian doors, 17th-century Mudejar-style ceramic tiles and a private art collection worthy of a museum, alongside a leafy garden for alfresco breakfasts, a quiet rooftop and a picturesque plunge pool. Every room is different in this building that feels more like a stately home than a hotel. Details B&B doubles from £275 (hotelcasalimonero.com). Fly to Seville
The trendy Brach hotel brand has expanded out of Paris, opening its first international outpost in Madrid. And not just anywhere in Madrid. It's on Gran Via, the Spanish capital's main thoroughfare, so you won't find a more central location than this. Brach's French identity is ever present in this chic, 57-room boutique property, which includes a patisserie and flamboyant interiors by the designer Philippe Starck. But Brach is Spanish too, from the bellota ham and padron peppers served in the Mediterranean restaurant to the eye-popping views of Madrid's rooftops from the sun-drenched terrace. Details Room-only doubles from £410 (brachmadrid.com). Fly to Madrid
In July OKU Andalusia will open in a secluded spot on Spain's southern shore, between Sotogrande and San Roque, and close to the Los Alcornocales nature reserve. Marking the debut of OKU Hotels' family-friendly concept, this property is packed with fun details for the littlest travellers, from special wellness and dining experiences to a spectacular kids' club complete with an adventure playground, a wet splash zone, shallow pool and more. Meanwhile, OKU's signature bohemian flair is on display in the 255 guest rooms, the private four-bedroom villa, the beach club and its poolside DJ sessions. Details B&B doubles from £210 (okuhotels.com). Fly to Malaga
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Ease, not excess: What luxury cruising looks like when you're a disabled traveller
Room service arrived just after sunrise. The door slid open with the push of a button – no reaching, pulling or strain. I rolled out onto the balcony still wrapped in a blanket and watched the sky shift to pink and gold. Pastries, fruit and smoothies waited on a tray. Everything I needed was already there. That's what luxury looks like when you're a disabled traveller. I don't look for excess; it's ease that's most important. Cruising is often promoted as one of the most accessible ways to travel, but accessibility alone doesn't equal luxury. Accessible travel is too often defined by what's 'possible' rather than what's pleasurable. Usually, travel starts with a checklist: Have I sent the access email? Do I need to explain my wheelchair measurements again? Have I triple checked the itinerary? But on a supported cruise aboard P&O's Arvia, hosted by Limitless Travel, something unexpected happened. I stopped bracing for unexpected accessibility issues, because everything had already been thought through. The two-week sailing departed from Southampton and visited ports in Spain and France, including Barcelona, Málaga, Toulon and A Coruña. I travelled with my husband, Darren, as part of a small hosted group, supported throughout by Limitless's care team. The company works in partnership with P&O Cruises to coordinate adapted transport, accessible cabins, tailored excursions and personalised care packages – making sure disabled guests can experience everything the ship and shore have to offer, without the stress. What 'accessible luxury' really means Traditional luxury is about what you get – champagne flutes, spa menus, thread counts. Accessible luxury is about what you don't have to deal with. On this cruise, I didn't have to repeat my needs at check-in, I wasn't left hunting for ramps and lifts, I didn't map out accessible loos or exit routes before I could relax. It was all done, and that freedom – to move, to rest, to join in – felt radical. The roll-in shower didn't feel clinical. I could reach the balcony without getting stuck. A table space was cleared in advance so my chair glided in with no fuss. The waiter turned to me with 'Green tea, right?' before I'd even asked. I felt like I was part of the moment; enjoying inclusion instead of performing it. I dressed up to enjoy the celebration of black-tie nights, not because I felt pressured to, but because I could; because I had the energy and I felt like I belonged. The power of small details Accessibility onboard Arvia went beyond minimum standards to create an inclusive, high-end experience. Automatic doors led into spacious cabins with proper turning circles, wet rooms were finished with style, not hospital sheen, and balcony thresholds were flat, not fiddly. Around the ship, there was attention to detail. Staff quietly moved chairs before we arrived and remembered our favourite things to eat and drink. Limitless Travel's team saved spots in entertainment venues, like the Crow's Nest bar, where we sipped cocktails and listened to live piano music without fighting for space. Freedom – backed by support Physical access is just one part of accessible travel; the power of emotional ease is often forgotten. A truly rare luxury for many disabled people, who are more used to travelling with a constant internal 'What if...?' fear. Limitless offered concierge-level care that adapted to us. Want help into the jacuzzi at sunrise when it's less crowded? Already arranged. Prefer to skip the group port tour and explore solo? No problem. Support flexed around our choices. I travelled with my husband, who usually takes on the carer role. But here, he could rest too. That's a gift for both of us. What might have felt awkward elsewhere - asking for help, taking up space - was absorbed into the flow of the trip. No guilt, no fuss, and no need to explain. It was about being known, not as a special requirement, but as a guest whose comfort mattered – the essence of good hospitality. Choice is its own luxury Two standout restaurant experiences, Sindhu and The Epicurean, offered fine dining without compromise. Both restaurants had accessible entrances, spacious seating, and menus that felt celebratory, with options from fillet steak to lobster. Attentive waiters were happy to chat through guests' dietary needs. Entertainment, lounges, pools (with hoists), were all accessible, and Limitless staff on hand to assist where needed. But importantly, there was no pressure to join everything. Freedom to opt in or out created a rhythm that respected both autonomy and ease. Guest Vicky described the experience well when she told me: 'Accessible luxury, for us, is being taken care of so we can fully relax - knowing all our needs are considered and being treated with respect. That means spacious rooms, accessible ensuites, a choice of restaurants and entertainment, and venue entrances and seating that work for everyone.' Breaking the mould The idea of group travel, particularly with support, can conjure up limiting assumptions, especially around disability – but this trip defied them. It wasn't rigid or medicalised, it was joyful. Some guests explored the ship and ports independently, while others leaned into the community. Many did both. What emerged wasn't just an accessible cruise, but a better cruise - one that offered choice, connection, and calm for all. That's not only appealing to disabled travellers. It speaks to anyone who values stress-free experiences and thoughtful hospitality. Why this model matters The Limitless model proves that inclusion can be elegant, intuitive and scalable. It's about elevating service so everyone can feel welcome from the start. Travellers are ageing and expectations around inclusion are rising. And the idea that accessibility has to feel clinical or second-best no longer holds. If that sounds like a niche market, think again. Because when comfort and care go hand in hand, accessibility doesn't feel like an exception. It feels like a standard worth setting. Luxury is about ease. And when that ease includes everyone, the result is a universal premium experience. Luxury should not only be for those who arrive without barriers. It should be measured by how many it welcomes in.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
Property buyers warned against luxury European holiday home schemes
Have you invested in a fractional shares scheme? Email: money@ Property buyers are being urged to think twice before investing in schemes that offer shares in luxury holiday homes. The companies offer fractional shares in homes in popular European holiday destinations including the Costa del Sol and Balearic Islands in Spain, and ski resorts in the French Alps. The schemes offer buyers ownership between an eighth and half of a property. Those who own one eighth of a property generally enjoy access to it for six to seven weeks each year. But experts said that while the scheme could cut accommodation costs abroad, those using it to invest could be caught out by higher than anticipated fees that erode any potential returns. Others, experts said, could struggle to sell up. This is not a timeshare Shared owners generally benefit from at least two visits during each of the high season, 'mid season' and low season. The cost of a share in a property varies depending on its location and size. One popular estate agency offers an eighth of a four-bedroom chalet in Menorca, Spain, for around £121,000. Another offers a share of the same size in a three-bedroom villa in Mallorca for £386,000. In addition to the initial purchase fee, shared owners generally have to pay monthly or annual maintenance and administration fees of up to 2.5pc of the share cost each year – even in months when they themselves are not using the property. Darren Fletcher, of wealth management firm Chase Buchanan, said: 'Ongoing expenses such as maintenance, management fees and refurbishments can sometimes be higher than anticipated, reducing overall returns and potentially dampening enjoyment.' Fractional ownership schemes differ to timeshare schemes, which allow holidaymakers to buy the right to use properties for a certain amount of time each year, and were particularly popular during the 1980s and 1990s. Jason Hollands, of wealth management firm Evelyn Partners, said: 'Unlike timeshare schemes, which provide a right to use a property for a certain period each year, fractional ownership gives you a stake in it – typically through a limited company – exposing you to the potential for price gains.' But exposure to movement in the property's price could go both ways, and even if a property's price stayed still, fluctuations in foreign currency could quickly wipe out a portion of the investment in terms of pounds sterling. Unregulated schemes Hollands said that there are other potential dangers that come with this type of investment. He said: 'From an investment perspective, there are of course numerous pitfalls. Firstly, these are unregulated schemes – property is an illiquid asset, and you may not be able to easily dispose of your share. There is also the potential for disputes between owners around things like maintenance and upkeep costs.' It comes after Spanish officials earlier this year announced plans to implement a 100pc tax on property purchases by non-EU buyers. Experts said anybody considering fractional ownership of a holiday home should be doing so first and foremost because they plan to use it over a long period of time, rather than as an investment. Fletcher added: 'Unlike traditional property ownership, selling your fractional share can be complex. The secondary market for these shares is often limited, meaning it may take longer to sell, possibly at a discounted price. 'Clients should also be aware of platform risk, meaning the reliability and financial stability of the company managing the fractional ownership arrangement. 'Regarding investment returns, we would encourage clients to manage expectations carefully. Fractional holiday home investments usually don't deliver substantial capital appreciation compared to outright property ownership. Instead, most of the benefit lies in lifestyle enjoyment rather than significant financial gains.' *Please note that by submitting your content to us you are consenting to The Telegraph processing your personal data where required by law. For further details please see our Privacy Notice.
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Trump has spent almost a third of his presidency in properties he owns, new report shows
During his recent five-day trip to Scotland, Donald Trump spent most of the time on his own golf courses and hotels. This appears to be par for the course for the president, who has spent almost a third of his second presidency so far at properties that he owns, according to new analysis by Forbes. Out of his first 191 days back in office, 75 of them have been spent at his own businesses at various locations including Florida, New Jersey, Virginia, Nevada, and now Scotland. Of these, over half (45 days) have been spent playing golf, according to online tracker Did Trump Golf Today? – which accounts for about 23 percent of his second term so far. The president visited his courses 16 out of the first 17 weekends back as Commander-in-Chief. According to Forbes, in January, days after retaking the Oval Office, Trump went to Las Vegas to give a speech on his no-tax-on-tips pledge – while staying at his Trump International Hotel. From there he flew to Miami for a GOP conference at Trump National Doral. After a few days spent back in Washington D.C., Trump returned to Florida and visited his Mar-a-Lago estate. In fact, the president's most prized home – that was subject to an FBI raid, during which agents recovered classified documents stored in rooms including the bathroom – has been his most visited residence, having spent 35 days there since January 20. Forbes analysis shows that Trump spent 12 days there in February. The president has spent multiple weekends on his various golf courses – including every single one in March. The Trump golf tracker estimates that this has cost the U.S. tax payer roughly $63 million. The president also hosted a candlelit dinner at Mar-a-Lago for a political action committee established two days after his 2024 victory on March 1. Later that month Trump also golfed at his club in Bedminster, New Jersey. In April, after announcing his controversial 'Liberation Day' tariffs, the president went to Florida for yet another golf tournament at the Doral – the Saudi-backed LIV Golf. Despite heading on a three-country tour of the Middle East in mid-May, the president still found time to visit his properties on either side – spending 13 days in total at Trump residences. After returning from his trip he resided mostly at his clubs in Virginia and New Jersey, according to Forbes. According to the analysis, the president appears to be put off by the Florida heat during summer, instead preferring to spend time in Virginia and New Jersey – rounding off the month with a four-day trip at the latter. This past month, despite a trip to Europe, Trump has kept up appearances at his clubs. The president encouraged world leaders to meet him halfway (and sometimes on the green), with visits from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer at his resort in Turnberry. The president concluded his Scottish trip by opening a new golf course at his resort in Menie, Aberdeenshire, on Tuesday morning, playing a quick final round before heading back to Washington.
