Don Carlos Marbella

Marbella, Costa del Sol · flagship

Don Carlos Marbella

THE VIBE

Conrad Hilton's final inauguration in 1969 — now reclaimed by Selenta Group after eighteen months of closure.

THE BACKSTORY

On 20 March 1969, Conrad Hilton personally inaugurated the hotel — the last hotel opening he witnessed in person — under the name Elviria Hilton, designed by architects José María Santos Rein and Alberto López Palanco. The fourteen-storey tower, an unusual silhouette along the Marbella shoreline at the time, rose from 20,000 sq m of subtropical gardens on Elviria beach east of the city. Fifty-four years later, the property was acquired by Canadian investment fund Brookfield Asset Management; Selenta Group took over management and closed the resort for eighteen months for a €45 million renovation led by designer Jaime Beriestain. The new Don Carlos opened on 1 July 2025 with 284 rooms and suites finished in natural stone tones and organic fabrics, 24 residences with private kitchens in a separate annexe building, and mainland Spain's first licensed Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre.

WHY NOW

Reopened on 1 July 2025 following a €45 million renovation, with mainland Spain's only Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre and a 1,600 sq m two-floor Natura Bissé spa — neither existed in the previous season.

THE ROOM

Choose a Deluxe Sea View (up to 40 sq m plus 11 sq m terrace) on the upper floors of the main building for Mediterranean views; a Junior Suite on a lower floor offers pool and garden outlooks but without the sea panorama.

WELLNESS

Don Carlos Spa spans 1,600 sq m across two floors, with ten treatment rooms, a VIP spa suite with private hydrotherapy, Finnish sauna, aromatic steam cabin, hot and cold plunge pools and an outdoor terrace area. Natura Bissé is the primary treatment brand; the signature Don Carlos Charm Ritual combines crystal exfoliation and orange blossom massage with hot stones. Complementary methods from Alqvimia (holistic rituals) and Indiba (radiofrequency technology) are available.

THE TABLE

Gamba roja a la plancha — Los Naranjos. Los Naranjos is the resort's flagship restaurant, one of four dining rooms added in the 2025 rebuild. Mondmodel has not eaten here since the reopening.

THE SERVICE

Jaime Beriestain's interiors — new beds, terracotta and stone tones, natural fabrics throughout — draw a clear line from the former resort aesthetic; breakfast is served at Los Naranjos with direct views over the gardens.

THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Avda. Zurita S/N, Elviria — a quiet coastal belt eight kilometres east of Marbella's centre and twelve kilometres from Puerto Banús. The A-7/N-340 coastal road puts Marbella centre fifteen minutes away and Málaga Airport approximately thirty-eight minutes away. Elviria beach, with direct access from the hotel's gardens, is one of the wider Blue Flag sandy beaches on the Costa del Sol.

HONEST CAVEAT

The resort's 20,000 sq m footprint means long walks between rooms, pools, beach and the tennis centre — worth factoring into room category selection. Nikki Beach draws day visitors and summer evenings can be lively along the shore.

THE VERDICT

Don Carlos is the Costa del Sol's most history-laden beach resort — Conrad Hilton's final inauguration, now restored by Selenta Group's €45 million renovation. The scale is real: 20,000 sq m, four pools, seven tennis courts. If you are coming for the tennis, nothing else on this coastline compares.

THE FULL PICTURE

Don Carlos Marbella opened in 1969 and reopened in summer 2025 after a roughly €45 million renovation led by Jaime Beriestain for Selenta Group. The resort sits on Elviria beach east of Marbella with 308 rooms, including 57 junior suites and 24 residences, a Natura Bissé spa, four restaurants, and Spain's first Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre with seven clay courts and two padel courts. The Mondmodel desk has not yet verified the renovated property in person. From €350 per night.

FACTS

FAQ

When is the best time to visit?

Reopened on 1 July 2025 following a €45 million renovation, with mainland Spain's only Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre and a 1,600 sq m two-floor Natura Bissé spa — neither existed in the previous season.

Anything I should know before booking?

The resort's 20,000 sq m footprint means long walks between rooms, pools, beach and the tennis centre — worth factoring into room category selection. Nikki Beach draws day visitors and summer evenings can be lively along the shore.

What is the neighbourhood like around Don Carlos Marbella?

Avda. Zurita S/N, Elviria — a quiet coastal belt eight kilometres east of Marbella's centre and twelve kilometres from Puerto Banús. The A-7/N-340 coastal road puts Marbella centre fifteen minutes away and Málaga Airport approximately thirty-eight minutes away. Elviria beach, with direct access from the hotel's gardens, is one of the wider Blue Flag sandy beaches on the Costa del Sol.

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