Minor Hotels to debut Anantara brand in Spain
Minor Hotels and NH Hotel Group has announced the signing of an agreement to operate the Villa Padierna Palace, a hotel located in Marbella in the south of Spain. The property is owned by the Villa Padierna group and will be managed under a variable lease agreement. Following Minor Hotels’ acquisition of NH Hotel Group in October 2018, the agreement will see the first integration of the two companies’ portfolio of brands, with Villa Padierna set to be rebranded to Minor Hotels’ core luxury brand Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas in the coming months.
Located in the Costa del Sol’s Golf Valley, the property will be relaunched as Anantara Villa Padierna Palace Benahavis Marbella Resort, and will become the first Anantara in NH Hotel Group’s home market of Spain and the second Anantara in Europe, the first being the Anantara Vilamoura Algarve Resort in Portugal – which launched two years ago.
“We are very happy to debut our luxury Anantara brand in Spain with the upcoming launch of Anantara Villa Padierna, Marbella Benahavís Resort, which at the same time demonstrates our commitment to integrate Minor Hotels and NH portfolio of brands and operational expertise across our joint and expanding geographical footprint,” says Dillip Rajakarier, CEO Minor Hotels.
Ramón Aragonés, CEO of NH Hotel Group, explains: “This agreement marks excellent progress on our integration with Minor Hotels and the first opportunity for NH to offer Europe an ultimate luxury concept, which connects travellers with authentic experiences in privileged destinations.”
Surrounded by three golf courses, Villa Padierna is situated in the middle of the region’s ‘Golden Triangle’ made up of Marbella, Benahavís and Estepona. Made up of a combination of guestrooms, culinary experiences and areas for relaxation, health and wellness, the property was designed by English architect Ed Gilbert in the style of the mythical Tuscan palazzos, and is home to more than 1,200 original works of art.
Amongst the resort’s 130 guestrooms, suites and villas are a series of deluxe rooms decorated in neutral tones, including details in travertine marble, with views over the golf course, gardens and swimming pools. Suites meanwhile feature spacious surroundings and balconies with views, as well as housing valuable works of art.
The resort also offers generous villas, which combine the elements of a private residence with the comfort of a luxury hotel. The Obama Villa, renamed after Michelle Obama, hosted the First Lady during the summer of 2010.
Inspired by the distinctive character of Spanish cuisine, the property’s culinary experience is designed to enable guests to connect with their destination. Underpinned by the locale, the hotel’s gastronomic venues include La Veranda, La Loggia, Club del Mar, Hole 55, The Grill Club, Eddy’s Bar and La Pérgola.
In addition to the restaurant and bar offerings, the hotel offers outdoor facilities including gardens and two swimming pools. Inside, Villa Padierna Wellness spa is staffed with therapists and offers a range of customisable treatments, while a fully equipped gym completes the wellness area.
Elsewhere, Villa Padierna Golf Club features three courses in the vicinity of the resort –Flamingos Golf, Alterini Golf and Tramores Golf, in addition to The Tramores Golf Academy by Michael Campbell, Europe’s only golf school specialised in the short game and private classes, while The Racquet Club encompasses over 22,000m² of sports facilities, including two tennis courts, 11 padel courts and two croquet lawns.
Finally, the resort offers 2,000m² of event spaces, including eight meeting rooms, five terraces and a Roman amphitheatre with capacity to accommodate 400 people.
