Henri Giscard d’Estaing, President of Club Med, has officially celebrated the construction completion of the brand new Club Med Magna Marbella Resort. The ceremony was attended by Maria Ángeles Muñoz, Mayoress of Marbella; Jihad Megharief, President of Magna Hotels & Resorts; and Nuria Rodríguez Cubero, Tourism Delegate of the Junta de Andalucía in Malaga. Also the General Secretary for Tourism of the Junta de Andalucía, Manuel Muñoz Gutiérrez; the Deputy Delegate of the Government in Malaga, Francisco Salas Ruiz; the President of the Association of Municipalities of the Costa del Sol, José Antonio Mena; the third Vice President of Diputación de Málaga, Francisca Caracuel; as well as other members of the City Council of Marbella, heads of the security forces of the municipality, companies involved in the renovation of the building, suppliers, hotel managers and businessmen in the area.
Four years ago, Magna Hotels and Resorts made a commitment to the city of Marbella: undertaking the reconstruction and complete refurbishment of the iconic former Don Miguel Hotel to transform and upgrade it into a completely new, modern, equipped, and adapted to the new time’s Resort.
Magna Hotels and Resort chose, as its operator, the international company Club Med, a pioneer in the concept of premium “all-inclusive” holidays for families and active couples, due to its 72 years of experience in the management of this type of resort. After more than two years of hard work marked by the interruption due to the global pandemic, Club Med is celebrating the construction completion of its Resort in Spain in the magnificent Marbella.
“The positive impact of this hotel project in Marbella is immense, and we are confident that Club Med Magna Marbella will be a benchmark for the city and the Costa del Sol, becoming a new icon in the area and one of the most sought after and desired resorts in Spain“, said Jihad Megharief, President of Magna Hotels & Resorts.
The resort, which will welcome its first guests on May 20 under the direction of Pierre-Jean Montagné, French Chef de Village, permitted the creation of more than 300 direct jobs, of which more than half have been recruited locally, and 140 local indirect jobs.
The average occupancy rate for the opening week is more than 60% and it is forecasted to be fully booked for the summer vacation.
On this occasion, Henri Giscard d’Estaing, President of Club Med said, “Today, we are proud to return to Andalusia, one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Europe, with a new Premium Resort, Club Med Magna Marbella, which perfectly showcases what Club Med has become today after major changes in the last 20 years, a premium, glocal, happy digital “brand” aiming to develop a more sustainable tourism.”
Returning to its origins
After more than twenty years, Club Med is making its return in Spain to one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Europe. Spain has always had a special place in Club Med’s heart: in Majorca, in the Balearic Islands, where Gérard Blitz made his vision a reality by creating the first Club Med resort in 1950 in Alcudia. Since then, several things have changed, as today Club Med offers a comforting yet top-of-the-range all-inclusive experience to its guests. However, the spirit of Club Med has remained the same: revitalize yourself surrounded by nature, sports, living together and so much more in the most beautiful locations in the world. All of which are accompanied by ´Gentils Organisateurs´ (GO).
So, Club Med has chosen to come back to Spain, in the south of Andalusia, through the renovation of an existing resort, belonging to the Magna Hotels and Resorts group. The renovation and reconstruction work, carried out by the Magna Hotels and Resorts, have mobilized around 20 construction companies, and just over 500 workers have been involved in this project.
Nuria Rodríguez Cubero, Tourism Delegate of the Junta de Andalucía in Málaga said: “Club Med represents the same values as the tourist destinations of Marbella, Malaga, and Andalusia”. “A safe and sustainable destination that is committed to quality”.
She has highlighted the good result of creating synergies between the public and private sectors. “An example is this Club Med Magna Marbella”.
Due to its position as the global leader of premium all-inclusive holidays for families and active couples, Club Med wishes to contribute to the economic and touristic development of the region.
Open nearly all year round, Club Med Magna Marbella will also benefit from the Marbella’s and Spain’s renowned International tourism appeal.
The new flagship of Club Med in Europe
This project, consisting of 485 rooms was conceived by the architect Patrick Genard, from the Patrick Genard & Asociados agency, based in Barcelona. The design and the interior décor were created by Marc Hertrich and Nicolas Adnet from the internationally renowned MHNA studio.
Converted into a single building, the Superior rooms, the Deluxe rooms and Suites are decorated in an Andalusian theme and offer a clear view of the Mediterranean Sea, the mountains or the town.
“It is a world of contrast and is strong in character, aspects that the MHNA studio wanted to honour. Rich in history and diversity, Andalusia really inspired us. We wished that the concept of this fantastic sunny destination would be one of a seaside village illustrating the classy Andalusian soul, born from the intermingling of all the Mediterranean people. To stage this project we wanted to create unique and varied atmospheres mixing dramatization, colour, elegance, warmth, sweetness, modernity, comfort and togetherness; all of it punctuated by Art and multiple methods of artistic expression.” say Marc Hertrich & Nicolas Adnet.
It is, at the same time, a paradise for couples with a Zen space, a Spa by Cinq Mondes and a wealth of well-being activities (yoga, pilates, walking and hiking)and a playground which is ideal for families with a dedicated space, the “Family Fun Zone”. This is one of the most beautiful and entertaining Club Med Family Zones in Europe, including a playground, a water park with slides and water games, a mini-golf and a zipline.
With a rich programme of activities for all ages, children and teenagers can discover different art forms, such as Andalusian music, flamenco or painting, as well as a multitude of sports under the watchful eye of GO´s dedicated to the supervision of children and teenagers from 4 months to 17 years old.
Thanks to its rich pallet of sports activities (golf, circus and trapeze school, tennis, archery, mini-football, beach volleyball…) Club Med Magna Marbella is an ideal destination for sport-enthusiasts of all ages and all levels. Marbella is the European birthplace of Padel, which is one of the most popular sports of today. The resort offers joint Padel lessons for all levels, from six years old on the six courts available at the Resort.
At Club Med Magna Marbella, there is a huge range of dining experiences on offer in the different restaurants within the Resort. Food lovers will find their happiness in the “Sueños” restaurant, which offers local specialities and international cuisine with tempting dishes prepared in front of customers. There is also the “Tierra Gourmet Lounge” with its wine cellar and a more intimate atmosphere offering live music.
Club Med Magna Marbella is also the ideal place for meetings and events with 15 meeting rooms and a large room for conferences and receptions. There is also the possibility of total privatisation of the whole Resort.
Live together in harmony and recharge your batteries in a preserved natural environment
It is around this idea that Club Med has built its history over 70 years ago. The Resort was built from an existing building to limit its environmental footprint.
As part of its “Happy to Care” CSR program, Club Med is aiming to obtain Club Med the Green Globe certificate for the daily management of Club Med Magna Marbella. This challenging certificate is re-evaluated each year. Almost 95% of Club Med Resorts have already been awarded it.
Club Med Magna Marbella is also equipped with solar panels designed to supply the required energy for water heating needs and a rain collection and treatment system, which will be used for watering the gardens.
As part of the “Bye-Bye Plastic” program, all single-use disposable plastic has been eliminated from bars and restaurants in all of its Resorts.
“Today is a great day for our city. More heartwarming if possible after all we have been through during these two years of the pandemic. We must remember that this is the recovery of an emblematic building for the city. We must thank Magna Hotels and Resorts for their commitment to the city and Club Med for believing in Marbella 22 years later. The return of Club Med gives light to Marbella to continue shining as a destination of excellence,” said Ángeles Muñoz, Mayoress of Marbella
