This Friday, from New York’s iconic Peacock Alley, Higuerón Developments unveiled the project that will bring Hilton’s most exclusive brand, Waldorf Astoria Marbella, to Spain for the first time. This €220 million investment aims to redefine luxury on the Costa del Sol and transform the historic Marbella Golf Club into a new international benchmark for ultra-luxury.
The event was attended by Dan Wakeling, Vice President of Luxury EMEA for Hilton; Ángeles Muñoz, Mayor of Marbella; and Javier Rodríguez, CEO of Higuerón Developments, who joined in the presentation of a project that will be integrated into the recently launched Higuerón Marbella Golf Resort brand, a development of over one million square meters conceived as a global destination.
A project born from a strategic alliance
The agreement, formalized on November 5th between Chris Nassetta, President and CEO of Hilton, and Javier Rodríguez, CEO of Higuerón Developments, marks Waldorf Astoria’s debut in Spain. Nassetta emphasized the strategic importance of this opening within Hilton’s luxury portfolio expansion plan, with the resort slated to open in 2029, offering elegant service and memorable experiences.
For his part, Javier Rodríguez highlighted the project’s ambition and international focus: to transform Higuerón Marbella Golf Resort into a global benchmark for ultra-luxury tourism, based on essential values such as humanism, authenticity, innovation, and sustainability—principles that have guided Higuerón’s trajectory for over 30 years at Higuerón Gran Málaga Resort and that form part of the DNA of this future project.
A resort to experience luxury in all its forms
The future Waldorf Astoria Marbella will feature 120 rooms and suites, in addition to 120 branded residences managed by the brand itself, designed to combine residential privacy with the services of an ultra-luxury hotel. All of this in a prime location overlooking the Mediterranean, just five kilometers from the center of Marbella and thirty minutes from Málaga Airport.
Architecture, design, and sustainability will be fundamental pillars of the development. Three Pritzker Prize-winning architects are participating in the resort’s conceptual competition, while the original golf course, designed in 1994 by Robert Trent Jones Sr., will be reinterpreted by Robert Trent Jones Jr., preserving its essence while adapting it to contemporary criteria of efficiency and environmental responsibility.
Marbella, a natural setting for international luxury
Beyond accommodations, the resort will offer a carefully curated selection of wellness, gastronomy, and personalized experiences, including the iconic Peacock Alley, an elegant lobby bar, a new Country Club, a 750 m² spa, swimming pools, a gym, and wellness areas. Branded residences will complete the experience with exclusive services such as a private spa, personal chef, 24/7 service, and tailor-made experiences.
Beyond accommodations, the resort will offer a carefully curated selection of wellness, gastronomy, and personalized experiences. The arrival of Waldorf Astoria in Marbella not only consolidates the city’s position as a leading luxury tourism destination, but also reinforces a vision that Higuerón Developments has been building for more than three decades, projecting into the future a new way of understanding luxury, territory and lifestyle.
