As Marbella Enters a New Chapter, Its Most Historic Hotel Is More Alluring Than Ever | Vogue

"Opened in 1954 by Madrid-born playboy Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe, this seafront resort put Spain’s Costa del Sol on the jet set’s party circuit, drawing the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Sean Connery, and the Duke of Windsor. Photos by Slim Aarons and other high-society shutterbugs offer glimpses into its rollicking heyday—poolside backgammon tournaments, black-tie balls, and even a guest pulling up to a costume party on camelback. Fast forward 70 years, and the Golden Age glamor lives on: on my first night, I dined beneath a canopy of pines by candlelight as white-jacketed, bow-tied waiters whisked trays of champagne past a band playing Julio Iglesias and Perry Como; when a distinguished-looking gentleman at a nearby table produced a crimson jewelry box and surprised his date with a necklace that seemed to light up the sky like a swarm of fireflies, my waiter topped off my glass with a conspiratorial wink and, "Welcome to the Marbella Club, Mrs. Reid"—as if to say, "Cariña, this happens all the time." - Siobhan Reid