Still got it: Marbella Club celebrates 70 years of uninhibited glamour

Marbella Club, the legendary resort in Southern Spain known for its rustic allure, old-school glamour and Hollywood clientele, is celebrating its platinum anniversary this year with a series of summer-long festivities that mirror its core pillars: gastronomy, culture, arts, sustainability and wellbeing. Founded nearly a hundred years ago by Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe, the beach club maintains its original magic but continues routinely reinventing itself to preserve its spot as one of Europe’s most sought-after hideaways.

Relive 70 years of Marbella Club

Having heard about the blue waters of the Mediterranean and the enticing scent of fig trees and pines from his cousin Soriano, Prince Max von Hohenlohe revved up his Rolls-Royce Phantom and headed towards southern Spain in 1946. Making a quick pit stop at the rural estate of Santa Margarita for a lunchtime picnic, the royal couldn’t resist envisioning what the picturesque property could become. A year later, his son, Alfonso of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, returned to buy this rustic hideaway. What started as the family’s humble Mediterranean enclave later evolved into the Marbella Club.

Since its inception, the hotel has not shied away from star-studded clientele, which has persisted throughout the decades. From Hollywood film stars to European royalty and nobility, the club welcomed VIP regulars, such as Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, Bridgette Bardot, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minelli and Princess Diana (to name a few).

Today, the property boasts an impressive collection of 115 rooms and 17 villas – a continuation of the club’s charming feel and village-like community. Most recently, the hotel acquired a 50,000 sq m of land known as Finca Ana Maria, where the summertime festivities will occur. Over the last five years, the grounds, which hold Mediterranean sea vistas and a backdrop of the Concha Mountain, were transformed into a secluded space for holistic wellbeing.

Marbella Club's 70th anniversary also involved the restoration of Prince Alfonso Hohenlohe’s original gardens. The horticultural greenspace includes over 100 heritage tomato varieties, a ‘storytelling tree’ and a natural maze of Acacias. Talking about the project, Jennica Arazi, now the co-owner of the esteemed hotel, shared with Wallpaper*: ‘This 70-year milestone symbolises the coming of age of the Marbella Club as we are given a unique opportunity to give continuity to the hotel’s true luxury – its rich garden ecosystem.’

The summer festivities will kick off with a weekend-long birthday party with a piano bar, live flamenco and guest DJs. Following this, there will be an unveiling of Finca Ana Maria, where guests will enjoy garden games such as padel, tennis and backgammon tournaments. In line with June’s Andalusian festival of San Juan, the schedule will focus on health rituals at the club’s new wellness facilities. Rounding up the celebrations, greenhouses will turned into perfumeries, as per a unique collaboration with Loewe, and tomato-inspired culinary experiences will raise appetites. An orchestrated open-air classical concert will end the summer of fiesta season on a high.

Marbella Club is located at Av. Bulevar Príncipe Alfonso de Hohenlohe, Marbella, marbellaclub.com