On Sunday morning, I woke late after a deep and comfortable sleep. The apartment was warm from the rays shining in through the skylight window, which is such an ingenious idea for these apartments – every corner comes to life in the mornings. Sleeping when travelling doesn’t always work out but it feels easy here due to the comfort of the apartment and the fact that it’s home away from home. The black-out blinds as a bedroom accessory are pretty useful too! I stayed in this apartment for the first time over 15 years ago when Alanda Club Marbella was known as ‘The Four Seasons Country Club’ and the decor hasn’t changed much at all. However this is a positive thing in my opinion – they did it right the first time, it’s timeless.
Our apartment is a penthouse which sleeps 8. Since only two of us were staying, we left the room upstairs untouched, so I took some photographs to show the accommodation and amenities, and of course the resort. There are a variety of apartments available in different sizes (for both small and large groups) to suit every budget.
On to the details…
Inside the apartment, all the floors are marble. There are plenty of extra amenities – blankets, pillows, towels. The bathroom floors are heated and there are four bathrooms in the penthouse apartment, two with showers, one with a tub and one with a jacuzzi (both with shower heads of course). Each bathroom is equipped with toiletries, large fluffy robes and when the maids come to clean the apartment every second day, they bring fresh orange towels for the pool area. What more could you want on a relaxing holiday?
The bedroom on the top floor has a flatscreen TV and it’s own balcony. The apartment itself has two very large balconies, one at the back facing the sea and the other facing the clubhouse.
The apartment has very high ceilings which adds to the spacious feel of the living room, dining area and fully equipped kitchen. I didn’t photograph the dining table or the kitchen as I made it my workplace and it was a bit of a mess with receipts, sunglasses, books, suncream..you get the idea!
The view from the club-side balcony. Alanda Club Marbella has two very large outdoor pools, a serious number of deck chairs and umbrellas and trees for shade. It’s clean, quiet and beautiful, perfect for relaxing and reflection. Massages are also available in the pool area, as are other various treatments.
We normally spend our days lounging at the pool, or I tend to walk around the resort barefoot taking photos or visiting the clubhouse. I get pretty excited when I can walk around barefoot on warm tiles and stone instead of going to Penneys to buy fluffy socks a few times a year. It’s the little things.
Tiny lizards like this slinky little guy meander through the rock walls that surround the pool and pave the way to the clubhouse. This particular afternoon was so beautiful. The sun was high in the sky, I walked to the clubhouse with the scenic view of the mountains behind as Nat King Cole’s liquid gold voice was echoing through the trees shading the clubhouse. I couldn’t have asked for a better day.
At the resort, if outdoors isn’t your thing, you’ll also find an indoor heated pool. This pool room is part of the main building and clubhouse and is also home to the jacuzzi and sauna. There are showers and a door to the resort’s gym, which is located downstairs beside the snooker tables, Internet and games area and squash courts.
Food at the resort is served pretty much at any time. You can have light bites, pizzas, sandwiches and salads or a full meal in the evening at La Despensa, the resort’s indoor a la carte restaurant. Outside the clubhouse where we had lunch there’s a stage for live music every night. Traditional flamenco shows are also here quite regularly and a piano inside the clubhouse provides future entertainment should the nights become a little chilly.
After lounging at the pool all afternoon, Mam and I went for some wine, pizza and Caprese salad (my ultimate salad favourite.)
The inside of the clubhouse is another place of high ceilings, beautiful decor and a large round bar with friendly staff who know their way around a cocktail menu. If you need to check up on emails or do any kind of business here, the clubhouse has the best signal for wifi. This is the only thing I can fault the Alanda Club for – terrible internet connection and dated useless hairdryers. Both should be improved at a 5 star resort.
The lobby is brilliantly white – a recently done job, as last October the decor was dark. This really lifts the place and the scattering of fresh flowers is a lovely touch. Here the staff will help you with whatever you need and will be happy to book any events or restaurants in the area for you.
Although pricy, this 5 star resort pulls out all the stops in making your stay a memorable one. The location couldn’t be better – it’s located in the area of Elivira, which has boomed over the years, so just across the bridge lies a huge number of bars, restaurants, shops, hairdressers and supermarkets. Alanda Club Marbella is never more than 15 minutes away from places like Puerto Banús and the La Cañada Shopping Centre and is half an hour away from Benehavís, Torremolinos and Benalmádena by car.
30 seconds from the front door are two more cafes and a restaurant, and Nikki Beach is only a 5-minute walk from the resort.
Although I didn’t pay for my travel or stay here (I travelled for both business and leisure), this is not a sponsored post. The service and amenities at Alanda Club Marbella have been consistent in terrific quality over the years that I’ve stayed here, and I would recommend it to anyone. I will keep coming back for many years to come.
Marbella is an excellent holiday destination with so many amenities, restaurants and the beach nearby. We rent the apartment once a year as per tradition but there are plenty of excellent contemporary properties and new developments in the area so you can call the Costa del Sol a home from home. Sea and sunshine…a no-brainer really!
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