Hong Kong | Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has today announced that it will manage a luxurious resort and branded Residences at Mandarin Oriental currently under development in the exclusive enclave of Marbella, which will open in 2010. The Group has now announced two hotels in Spain, and has a total portfolio of nine properties open or under development in Europe and North Africa.

Mandarin Oriental, Marbella will be located within a tranquil and protected environmental area of outstanding natural beauty, with stunning views of the Mediterranean, the Rock of Gibraltar and the Moroccan coastline. This peaceful and spacious 153-room property is a short drive from the centre of the historic city of Marbella and the equally stylish resort of Puerto Banus. The development will include 19 spacious villas and 61 luxury residential apartments which will be branded and managed as Residences at Mandarin Oriental, providing a unique opportunity for ownership along the spectacular Andalusian coast.

At a minimum of 60 square metres, the hotel’s guestrooms and suites are amongst the most spacious in the region and feature attractive outside terraces. Within the grounds will be an impressive Presidential Suite, a number of generously proportioned Villas and Duplex Villa Suites, all with private gardens, terraces and plunge pools. All accommodation is being designed in an elegant and contemporary style reflective of the area’s Moorish ancestry and with Mandarin Oriental’s exacting attention to detail. Guestrooms will also incorporate the Group’s superior technology and entertainment systems.

The hotel will have seven restaurants and bars with expansive views of the surrounding region. Dining options will include a stylish signature restaurant, all day dining venue, a chic MO Bar, a lobby lounge, a contemplative library lounge, an al fresco poolside grill and a signature Mandarin Oriental Cake Shop.

In keeping with the Group’s award-winning spa concepts, The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Marbella will focus on the well-being of its guests, offering holistic rejuvenation and relaxation in a serene, meditative setting. With the most comprehensive range of wellness, beauty and massage treatments available in the Andalusia region, the Spa will offer life-enhancing signature programmes created exclusively by Mandarin Oriental as well as specifically developed treatments inspired by local traditions and customs. The expansive 2700 sq.m Spa will feature 11 private treatment rooms, relaxation areas, significant water and heat therapies as well as a comprehensive fitness centre and a swimming pool. Other leisure facilities include a private beach club for the exclusive use of Mandarin Oriental guests, and full golfing facilities at one of the neighbouring world-class golf courses.

A self contained and state-of-the-art ‘meeting complex’ will include a grand ballroom that can accommodate 250 people and a selection of smaller function rooms ideally designed for meetings, incentives, executive retreats and private dining. In addition, there will be two well equipped boardrooms.

The owner and developer of the project is Las Colinas de Marbella S.A. Gabriel Allende, the renowned Spanish architect, is responsible for the overall development. The interior design of the hotel is by LTW Design Works from Singapore, while The Residences are being designed by the US-based Rockwell Group.

Edouard Ettedgui, Group Chief Executive of Mandarin Oriental said, “We are delighted to further extend Mandarin Oriental’s renowned levels of hospitality into a second Spanish destination for the Group. Marbella is recognised as one of the Mediterranean’s foremost leisure destinations and we are confident that this exceptional property will add significantly to the vibrancy of the surrounding area.”

“It is exciting to be working with Mandarin Oriental on creating one of Europe’s most exclusive resort and residential hideaways. For many decades, the area has been a magnet for sophisticated travellers and the extraordinary facilities that this development will offer will appeal to those in search of tranquillity, serenity and luxury.” said Mr Habib Bou-Habib, chairman of Las Colinas de Marbella S.A.

The hotel is located in the tranquillity of Benahavis, 50 kilometres from Malaga on the Spanish Sunshine Coast of the Costa del Sol. Mandarin Oriental, Marbella will be easily accessible from both Malaga and Gibraltar’s international airports, both 45 minutes away, as well as the historic and cultural cities of Seville, Granada and Ronda. With a combination of beautiful beaches, mountains, shopping, dining and cultural attractions, such as the recently inaugurated Picasso Museum in Malaga, the Andalusian coast is one of Europe’s most popular leisure destinations. A gentle climate that keeps temperatures cooler in the summer, and warmer in the winter, plus a wide range of premier golf facilities, are attractions for which the region is particularly renowned.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is the award-winning owner and operator of some of the world’s most prestigious hotels and resorts. Mandarin Oriental now operates, or has under development, over 10,000 rooms in 23 countries with 16 hotels in Asia, 14 in The Americas and nine in Europe and North Africa.