Fairmont La Hacienda: A glittering new resort on the Costa del Sol 

From the huge picture window in the lobby to the swaying raffia lampshades and the sail-shaped awnings, everything at this new resort speaks to the sea. The Fairmont La Hacienda Costa del Sol opened its doors in February of this year and has quickly established itself as one of the places to stay on a coastline that has no shortage of upscale golf resorts. 

The setting is magical; the main hub of the resort perches high above the Mediterranean, while 47 private guest villas tumble down the hillside towards to sea. Look right and there’s the rugged twin-peaks of Gibraltar. Beyond that, the hazy, blue-tinged mountains of North Africa. 

If you like your luxury loud then this is not the place for you. The design is pared-back and a masterclass in understated style. Cream walls, billowing linen drapes, jute rugs and warm wood create a neutral canvas for the showstopping view. Guest rooms are elegant and spacious with marble bathrooms and terraces overlooking the sea, pool or golf course.

Larger suites are closer to the sea, some with two or three bedrooms and private plunge pools while the top of the range villas have up to five bedrooms, private gardens, pool and 180-degree views of the coast. 

At the centre of the resort is the palm tree lined pool, surrounded on two sides by the main hotel building and overlooking the golf course and the sea. It’s the main hub of the hotel and the laid-back vibe makes it easy to pass a whole day here, maybe taking a break for lunch at poolside Umbra restaurant, which serves fresh seasonal salads or locally caught fish like Cadiz tuna and fire-roasted sardines. It’s child-friendly spot too, with a graduated shallow end perfect for little ones to play in without being out of their depth. 

The show-stopper restaurant is Dalmar, a beautifully designed space with a sophisticated mid-century feel and an open-air terrace. It is overseen by Michelin-star chef Benito Gómez, and it can’t be long until this restaurant has its own star. Elevated Andalusian cuisine is served by a pitch-perfect team – we were there with two children under 10 who could not have been made to feel more welcome. The cookery and the experience were flawless. 

The hotel’s main all-day dining restaurant is El Faro, referencing the Carbonera Lighthouse visible from the open-air terrace. It’s a great spot for a relaxed, sunny breakfast of Iberico ham, freshly cooked eggs and local cheeses. We loved that the wait staff would provide a takeaway box if you had any leftover croissants or pastries so you could save them for a mid-morning snack. It’s these little touches that leave an impression. 

The spa and wellness centre wasn’t fully open when we visited, but expect a thermal circuit with saunas, steam room, Turkish bath and cold plunge pool, plus a hydrotherapy circuit with indoor/outdoor pools, jacuzzi, cold plunge, snow fountain and volcano pool.

Treatments include Rasul mud rituals and hammam scrubs, and I had one of the very best deep tissue massages in a long career of trying to relieve shoulder tension. There are also Bastien Gonzalez mani/pedi treatments, a yoga studio and a well-equipped gym. 

A path winds down the hill through the resort to the private beach club where you can nab a lounger for the day and take lunch or a cocktail at the cool Sal Verde beach bar. It’s a steep walk back up the hill so you might prefer to call one of the hotel’s golf buggies to pick you up.

Additional services include a kids’ club with a splash pool, costumes, puzzles and storytime for little ones while tweens and teens will no doubt appreciate the Nintendo Switch, PS5, arcade games, ping pong and karaoke. 

Right next door to the resort is La Hacienda Golf, formerly known as Alcadeisa Links. Two 18-hole layouts, the Links and Heathland course, make up one of the most impressive golf destinations in the region. La Hacienda’s signature Links Course is one of only a handful of links-style layouts in southern Europe and pays homage to the great Californian designs such as Pebble Beach and Cypress Point.

It originally opened in 1992 as a Peter Alliss and Clive Clark design. In 2021 it was significantly upgraded and renovated by acclaimed American architect Kurtis Bowman, which involved the remodelling of all tees, greens complexes and bunkers along with the redesign of a series of holes – in the process, creating one of the largest putting-surface areas in Spain.

It is a challenging course with wide fairways, fast, double greens, large, strategically located bunkers and gentle slopes that descend towards the sea, running along almost two kilometres of coastline, with many holes bordering the beach. The halfway house, Calma Bar, is perhaps one of the most architecturally striking in golf. 

The Heathland Course was designed by respected former Ryder Cup player turned architect, Dave Thomas. It’s the perfect foil to the challenging Links course, winding through varied terrain; some holes are in a valley with lakes and narrow fairways while a number of plateaus gift exceptional views over the surrounding landscape and sea. The Heathland course provides a good test to golfers of all abilities and course conditioning on both the Links and Heathland is exceptional. 

The La Hacienda complex includes a 72-bay driving range, two chipping areas, bunkers and two putting greens. There’s also a short game area with several par-three holes. Golfers should allow time to properly experience the club house, built around a central courtyard complete with tinkling fountain and views over the course to the sea beyond. The Sal Verde restaurant within the clubhouse is an elegantly modern gastronomic destination in its own right and a perfect spot for lunch or a cold, post-round drink. 

Although this region of the Costa del Sol is certainly less built up than the stretch around Malaga, there is no shortage of excellent golf courses nearby should you wish to venture beyond the resort; San Roque Golf Club, Sotogrande and Valderrama are all a short drive away. 

It is also worth heading out to explore this beautiful corner of Spain. The harbour towns of Sotogrande and Estepona are not far, or the hotel can arrange boat trips, horseback adventures and e-bike tours, or you can hire a Mini Moke to visit the nearby village of Castellar de la Frontera, one of the prettiest of the Pueblos Blancos. 

How do I get to Fairmont La Hacienda?

The Fairmont La Hacienda is based on the southern coastline of Spain, on the Costa del Sol. The towns of Sotogrande and San Roque are within a short drive, while Algeciras is only 20km to the southwest. Cadiz and Malaga are both around 120km from the resort. Also to the south is Gibraltar, with the border just 15km south of the Fairmont La Hacienda.

Thanks to its location in the south of Spain, and with it being within 15km of the Spanish border with Gibraltar, the closest airport to the resort is Gibraltar Airport. Malaga Airport, which serviced 25 million passengers in 2025, is 120km to the northeast, and just over an hour’s drive from Fairmont La Hacienda.

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