His dream as an architect was to build skyscrapers — he is fascinated by the Castelar Building on Madrid’s Castellana Avenue, a true marvel in 1975, when it was designed — those titans as fascinating as they are complex.
But while studying at the University of Berkeley (California), businessman and humanist Javier Rodríguez discovered the concept of the luxury residential resort that was thriving in the United States. In other words, the model that combines exclusive residential and hotel developments in the same place, allowing you to buy or rent a high-end home (like a 500 m² villa with its own sauna and private cinema) with all the services of a five-star hotel.
Think restaurants, breakfast in your room or on the terrace overlooking the sea, swimming pools, 24-hour concierge… In short, the holiday home of your dreams just three hours from Madrid.
He was so fascinated by the idea that he decided to bring it to Spain. Specifically, to the Costa del Sol, where his family, of Galician origin, had moved when he was a child in search of a milder climate to ease his brother’s asthma problems. His father, as visionary as him, already had experience in the real estate sector in Fuengirola and Benalmádena, between Málaga and Marbella, and Javier continued the legacy by revolutionising the world of luxury, hospitality and wellness in the area with the Higuerón Resort.
Today, this resort boasts the 5-star Curio Collection by Hilton hotel, 1,000 residences, the luxurious Leiro Residences villas and apartments, a Sport Club (where the NBA and the Spanish national basketball team train), a spa, several pools, a beach club open 365 days a year, seven dining spaces — including Sollo, led by Diego Gallegos, the “caviar chef” with a Michelin star — and the only De Antonio Yachts dealership in Andalusia, the most cutting-edge yacht company in Spain, loved by Felipe VI, Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz and Rafa Nadal, who chose this place for his tennis farewell last November.
As if that weren’t enough, more than 400 works of art — from Tàpies to Francisco Leiro or Enrique Brinkmann — are scattered throughout the facilities, not to mention the Rolls-Royce at the hotel entrance that once belonged to Alfred Hitchcock.
For his management of such a colossus, Rodríguez has been named one of Forbes’s Entrepreneurs of the Year, an award for his more than 30-year career. He accepts it gratefully, but fully aware that it is a team effort (500 people) and “a responsibility” to continue being so demanding with himself.
“A project with so many services demands everything from you; we’re not the typical developer who sells the homes and forgets about them.” He even offers owners the option to rent out their homes when they’re not using them.
His passion for his work drives him to continue building homes and an ultra-luxury resort in Marbella, as well as “creating a community for the 2,000 owners who have chosen to enjoy the ‘art of living’ — our motto — here. We have more than 40 nationalities for whom we organise free activities such as sushi or yoga workshops, concerts, tournaments, cultural tours…”
From Brits to Norwegians or Madrilenians, who are just a short AVE ride away (the Málaga station is 20 minutes away), so they usually “come down for weekends, long weekends, Christmas… The good weather allows them to visit all year round and they love the spa, the natural surroundings and practising sports.”
Does he see a replica of the Higuerón Resort in the capital? “Yes, absolutely. The Jarama area or the Sierra de Guadarrama would be fantastic. Everyone gets used to the good life and this would be just that.”
A word to the wise: “I do what amuses me.” For now, he’s happy just strolling through the streets of Madrid. “They’ve made it very beautiful; the arrival of the Four Seasons and the Canalejas redevelopment marked a turning point,” he says confidently.
It’s one of the places he loves to visit, one of his hobbies along with sailing, although he still remembers that trip to Japan with Robin Chiang, his mentor at Berkeley, with whom he co-designed this Mediterranean luxury oasis.
—ISABEL GARCIA, El Mundo
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