From the moment guests step into the Fairmont La Hacienda Costa del Sol, it’s clear that the sea is the star of the show. Opened in February 2025, this resort has quickly made a name for itself on a coastline already crowded with luxury golf destinations. Yet, it’s not just the setting—a hillside above the Mediterranean, with 47 private guest villas cascading down toward the shimmering water and the iconic twin peaks of Gibraltar—that sets it apart. It’s the mood: understated elegance, a focus on comfort, and a design philosophy that lets the views do the talking.
According to National Club Golfer, the resort’s aesthetic is a masterclass in subtlety. Cream walls, linen drapes, jute rugs, and warm wood tones create a neutral canvas, letting the dramatic landscape outside take center stage. Guest rooms are spacious, featuring marble bathrooms and terraces overlooking either the sea, the pool, or the manicured golf course. For those seeking a bit more privacy, larger suites closer to the water come with two or three bedrooms and private plunge pools, while the top-tier villas boast up to five bedrooms, private gardens, and panoramic 180-degree views.
The heart of the resort is a palm tree-lined pool, flanked by the main hotel building and offering sweeping vistas of both the golf course and the sea. The laid-back vibe here is infectious—easy to lose track of time lounging in the sun, perhaps breaking for a bite at Umbra, the poolside restaurant. The menu highlights local flavors, with fresh salads and regional seafood like Cadiz tuna and fire-roasted sardines. Families will appreciate the pool’s graduated shallow end, a thoughtful touch for little swimmers.
Dining at Fairmont La Hacienda is a highlight in itself. The show-stopper is Dalmar, a beautifully designed restaurant with a sophisticated mid-century vibe and an open-air terrace. Overseen by Michelin-star chef Benito Gómez, Dalmar serves elevated Andalusian cuisine with flawless execution and a pitch-perfect team. Even families with young children are made to feel right at home, and the experience is as warm as it is refined. El Faro, the main all-day dining spot, references the Carbonera Lighthouse visible from its terrace and is a sunny haven for breakfast—think Iberico ham, fresh eggs, and local cheeses. The little touches stand out: staff offer takeaway boxes for leftover pastries, so guests can enjoy a snack later in the day.
The wellness offering is equally impressive. While the spa and wellness center was still in the final stages of opening during a recent visit, National Club Golfer reported that guests can expect a thermal circuit with saunas, a steam room, Turkish bath, cold plunge pool, and a hydrotherapy area with indoor/outdoor pools, jacuzzi, snow fountain, and volcano pool. Treatments range from Rasul mud rituals to hammam scrubs, and deep tissue massages that are, by all accounts, among the best around. The spa also features Bastien Gonzalez mani/pedi treatments, a yoga studio, and a well-equipped gym.
For families, the resort’s kids’ club is a haven of entertainment, offering everything from splash pools and costumes to puzzles, storytime, Nintendo Switch, PS5, arcade games, ping pong, and karaoke. And when it’s time to hit the beach, a path winds down the hillside to a private beach club, complete with loungers, a cool Sal Verde beach bar, and a menu of fresh lunch options and cocktails. The trek back up is steep, but a quick call for a hotel golf buggy solves that problem.
Right next door to the resort lies one of the region’s most impressive golf destinations: La Hacienda Golf, formerly known as Alcadeisa Links. The club features two 18-hole courses—the Links Course and the Heathland Course—each offering a distinct experience. The signature Links Course, originally opened in 1992 as a Peter Alliss and Clive Clark design, underwent a major renovation in 2021 by American architect Kurtis Bowman. The overhaul involved a complete remodelling of tees, greens, and bunkers, as well as the creation of some of Spain’s largest putting surfaces. The course winds along nearly two kilometers of coastline, with wide fairways, fast double greens, and strategically placed bunkers. Many holes border the beach, making for a challenging yet breathtaking round.
The halfway house, Calma Bar, is described as one of the most architecturally striking in golf—a perfect spot to pause and soak in the scenery. The Heathland Course, designed by former Ryder Cup player Dave Thomas, meanders through valleys and plateaus, with lakes and narrow fairways in some areas and sweeping views in others. Both courses are meticulously maintained and provide a good test for golfers of all abilities. The golf complex also includes a 72-bay driving range, two chipping areas, bunkers, putting greens, and a short game area with several par-three holes. The clubhouse, built around a central courtyard with a tinkling fountain and views over the course to the sea, offers the Sal Verde restaurant—a modern culinary destination in its own right.
This stretch of the Costa del Sol is less developed than the area around Malaga, but that doesn’t mean options are limited. Nearby, golfers can find other top courses like San Roque Golf Club, Sotogrande, and Valderrama. For those looking to explore, the harbor towns of Sotogrande and Estepona are close by, and the hotel can arrange boat trips, horseback adventures, e-bike tours, or even a quirky Mini Moke rental to visit the picturesque village of Castellar de la Frontera—one of the famed Pueblos Blancos.
Getting to Fairmont La Hacienda is straightforward. The resort is situated on the southern Spanish coastline, about 15 kilometers north of the Gibraltar border and 120 kilometers from Malaga Airport. Gibraltar Airport is the closest, while Malaga Airport—servicing 25 million passengers in 2025—is just over an hour’s drive to the northeast.
But as the resort welcomes guests seeking sun, sea, and sport, local health authorities are grappling with a new concern. As reported by The Olive Press, a fresh West Nile Virus alert was issued in November 2025 after the virus was detected in a dead wild bird in the Campo de Gibraltar area, specifically in El Zabal, La Linea. This zone, nestled between Sotogrande, San Roque, and the Gibraltar border, has now been designated an official ‘alert zone’ for West Nile Virus.
Enhanced mosquito-control measures have been activated across surrounding municipalities, as this autumn’s heavy rainfall, warm temperatures, and persistent standing water have created ideal conditions for mosquito activity. Local authorities are urging residents and visitors alike to take immediate precautions: use mosquito repellent at dawn and dusk, install screens where possible, and remove any stagnant water from gardens, patios, and containers—prime breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Larval-control teams are treating wetlands, drainage channels, scrublands, and agricultural zones in the risk areas. Meanwhile, health surveillance is ramping up across both Cadiz and Malaga provinces, regions particularly vulnerable to mosquito-borne diseases due to their wetland habitats and dense population centers. While experts stress that the discovery does not indicate an immediate threat to humans, it does confirm that the virus is present in local wildlife and circulating closer to the Costa del Sol than in previous years.
As the sun sets over the Mediterranean, guests at Fairmont La Hacienda can rest easy knowing that both comfort and caution are top priorities in this corner of Spain. The region’s blend of refined hospitality, world-class golf, and vigilant public health measures makes it a destination that’s as safe as it is stunning.