MARBELLA – After a terrible 2020 and a 2021 with some recovery, the managers of luxury hotels on the Costa del Sol foresee a very positive 2022, in which the figures of the pre-corona years will be “far surpassed”.
Jorge Manzur, general manager of the Anantara Villa Padierna Palace Benahavís Marbella Resort, tells the Spanish newspaper El Confidencial that next year (season 2022) the figures for 2019 and even 2018 will be “far exceeded”. This will make 2022 a record year for luxury hotels on the Costa del Sol. There are 20 five-star hotels along the coast, mainly in Marbella, but also in Benahavis, Estepona, and Mijas.
That is also good news for all related companies in the sector. Additionally, investment funds take a positive view of coastal investments after a season in which luxury hotel prices have risen. And they will do it again next year.
General optimism
There is general optimism. “The challenge is to finish at the 2018 level. It is working much better than expected. There is a very high occupancy rate and high customer spend,” explains Carlos Díez de la Lastra, CEO of Les Roches Marbella. He met with several directors of luxury establishments in Marbella and the patronage of the Costa del Sol this week to discuss developments in the segment.
These discussions also highlighted the growing need for better connections with Malaga. The city has been a very thriving destination in recent years. The Marbella tourism industry still doesn’t understand why Marbella is the only city with more than 100,000 inhabitants in Spain that does not have a rail connection.
The daily crowds and traffic jams on state highway N340 do not contribute to better cohesion between the two cities. The train would be a great incentive for the high-purchasing tourist who demands a cultural activity in Marbella. Because the cultural offer there is very limited compared to that in Malaga. And also for workers in luxury hotels who daily have to travel from the second Andalucian city to Marbella.
