MARBELLA has finally achieved world-wide recognition as the highest quality resort destination of it’s type in Europe
Marbella and its adjacent municipalities reached historic sales peaks in the high-end market in 2021 and this trend has continued unabated into 2022, increasing by the month. We have even seen bidding wars for some properties, something seldom seen before in Marbella, and unusual in any luxury, second home real estate market.
The Covid pandemic and lockdowns have brought about a new urgency to where and how people want to live on a global basis.1 But the historic level of activity in Marbella since the end of the lockdown is especially significant, and one of many signs that Marbella has finally achieved worldwide recognition as the highest quality resort destination of its type in Europe.
THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS AND EXCLUSIVE DESTINATION IN EUROPE
Ever since Marbella rose to fame in the mid- fifties and sixties as the southern California of Europe and a favourite destination of the jet set, Marbella has increased in popularity decade after decade.
Thanks to the mildest winter weather in Europe, the avoidance of high rise and high density construction (which ruined many of Spain’s other coastlines), the quality of its infrastructure and local governance, its high standard of international schools, shops, restaurants and sporting facilities, including 52 golf courses just in the province of Málaga, the Marbella area has reached a whole new level of recognition since its beginnings as a luxury real estate destination. It has finally become a household name in Europe and an international symbol of quality development and quality lifestyle.
In evidence of this, Marbella won the coveted award of European Best Destination 2022 for being the most prestigious and exclusive destination in Europe, along with the second prize for the Best Overall Destination, beating the likes of Monte Carlo, Gstaad, Capri and Madeira.
MARBELLA’S “LOW SEASON” HAS CEASED TO EXIST
Since 1995 when Marbella achieved a low season population, including tourists and part-time residents, of around 150,000 – enough people to keep the hotels, shops, restaurants, night life, sporting events, social events and other activities operative in the low season – Marbella has enjoyed a true 12-month “open for business” season unlike any other resort city on the Mediterranean.
Within that 12-month season, there were the high, shoulder and low seasons. However, in the winter of 2021-2022, the unprecedented activity made it apparent that the low season in the Marbella area never came, and the strong “shoulder seasons” of autumn and spring merged into one. This has always been the full potential of Marbella and one of the principal reasons our agency opened its first office here in 1970.
Never has there been more winter-month activity in Marbella, with so many quality tourists visiting the area, including those non-residents who come to spend time in their own homes (a phenomenon referred to internationally as residential tourism, of which Marbella is a pioneer). Four and five-star hotels, real estate agents, lawyers, notaries, architects, decorators, builders and most service industries are reporting the highest level of activity they have ever witnessed, continuing into 2022 from an already historic level of activity in 2021.
Since the end of the lockdown in 2021, and despite the post-pandemic and later global economic and political issues, occupancy and room rates in the best hotels in Marbella soared to the highest levels ever, further evidencing this historic surge in activity.
