Marbella unplugged: Amàre Beach Hotel review

From the moment you step into the pure white reception of the Amàre Beach Hotel and receive a cool lemon drink, the stereotypical Marbella of hen and stag parties recedes into oblivion.

The Amàre, which reopened in March after a refurbishment, is perfect for either a lazy long weekend enjoying Marbella’s consistent sunshine (the nearby Sierra Blanca mountains keep the cloud away from this stretch of the coast) or as a base from which to explore the area.

The hotel is a calm oasis, its neutral decor brought into relief by explosions of colour from artwork by Anna Schellberg and Paula Vincenti. Rooms are airy and light, with glass internal walls and plenty of luxurious details. With the Med below and Africa on the horizon, you could be forgiven for spending the whole time on your sunlit balcony with a glass of wine or an espresso from your personal Nespresso machine, listening to your music on the Bluetooth sound system.

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As an adults-only hotel, the Amàre puts the emphasis on relaxation, from its luxurious bedding to the poolside sunbeds equipped with buttons to summon a cocktail or a beach massage. There’s live music out in the sun, too.

Why Marbella?

It’s not all party time. The opening of the Marbella Club in 1954 established the town’s reputation for glamour, but before that life revolved around fishing. Take a guided tour around the old town (the Amàre concierge can make arrangements) and drink in the white painted walls of the old fishermen’s houses and the tiny chapel of the Lady of Carmen, protector of those out at sea. Within the city walls, built during the Moorish occupation of Spain, are a clutch of picturesque boutiques, cafes and churches.

Go into one of the specialist shops selling jamon Iberica, made from acorn-fed pigs - some of the best ham you’ll taste. Then perhaps lunch at a tapas bar while you’re lost in the maze of tiny alleyways.

This is not the Marbella of package holidays, but the real thing: river cobbles set into patterns in the pavement, bright jacarandas, the vast Arab castle towering over flower-bedecked walls and tiny shrines from the Catholic brotherhoods that process through the town on Palm Sunday.

A wellness mecca

A tour guide (we used Daniel from TuurAdventure.com) can take you out into the beautiful Sierra Blanca, where our trail led through olive groves, evergreen oaks and pines, with views over the picturesque village of Ojén - and of Marbella itself.

You can start the day with early morning yoga on the beach (on Wednesday and Friday with the Amàre’s resident teacher) or a workout in the superbly equipped gym (all Technogym equipment and an in-house personal trainer two days a week). There are hotel bikes, too, in cool pastel colours that cut a dash on the promenade.

Having earned a treat, you can boost your post-exercise glow with a treatment or hydrotherapy circuit in the stunning Germaine de Capuccini spa. I had the Kirei Sublime facial treatment, unlike any I’ve experienced before - a treat for all the senses, starting with exfoliation and purifying, then the most remarkable facial massage, at first relaxing and then energising. I emerged refreshed and calm, my worries having floated away into the hydrotherapy pool.

Gastronomic adventures under a vast blue sky

If wellness and exercise is not your idea of an indulgent holiday, the Amàre’s selection of restaurants might get you out of your sunlounger. The Amàre Beach Club, for example, serves top-class tapas in classic beach club surroundings. Don’t miss the Salmorejo Andaluz, a cold tomato-bread soup served with Iberico ham and quail eggs - a creamy and delicious variant on gazpacho - or the baby vegetable tempura with ras el hanout mayonnaise.

As the sun sets over the Sierra Blanca, there’s only one place to be - the Bѐlvue cocktail lounge on the roof of the hotel. The incredible view is a fitting backdrop for a menu designed by Diego Cabrera - his espresso martini, served in a teacup on a glass stalk, was an amusing surprise.

And then it’s time for dinner, perhaps in the Amàre lounge, where live entertainment turns the meal into a multi-sensory experience.

Or there’s the Michelin-starred Messina next door, where an exceptional tasting menu provides a guided tour through smell, taste, texture and artistic plating. The Argentinian bread with cheese felt like the best thing I’d ever eaten, only to be surpassed by the delicious umami of sea urchin mi-cuit with celery root water. Adding layers of richness, we moved from seabass to Iberian pork with creamy lentils and roasted onion, sweet in combination with a rioja from Messina’s expansive wine list.

The next morning, over coffee on the terrace, I watched the palm trees swaying in a light breeze drifting over the calm sea and reflected on a perfect weekend escape. The stunning setting of the Amàre Beach Hotel - and Marbella’s unexpected beauty - had worked their magic, delivering luxury and rejuvenation just three hours from London.

The Amàre Beach Hotel, from £200 per night including breakfast. For more information visit www.amàrehotels.com