Marbella, Spain is a prestigious resort town boasting 22 five-star hotels, five Michelin-starred restaurants and a collection of luxury real estate ranked among the finest in the world. Not bad for a place that began as a sleepy fishing village — until the 1950s, when German aristocrat Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe turned his family holiday home by the sea into a luxury hotel for the international jet-set: the renowned Marbella Club.
Within a decade, drawn by 320 days of sunshine per year, movie stars like Brigitte Bardot, Sean Connery, Cary Grant and Liza Minnelli, among many others, flocked to its glamorous shores, cementing Marbella’s legendary status.
The 1980s ushered in a new wave of prestige, as King Fahd of Saudi Arabia fell under Marbella’s spell and made it his summer retreat. His vast estate, featuring a mosque and a home modeled after the White House, added to the area’s allure. Today, Marbella continues to define high-end living. Iconic brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Lamborghini and Karl Lagerfeld have chosen the area to host exclusive branded residence projects.
Embedded within this luxury lies Cilo Marbella, a boutique real estate agency founded by two former affiliate directors of Sotheby’s International Realty. Cilo Marbella specializes in high-end villa sales and vacation rentals, boasting a portfolio of approximately 70 rental villas with an average market value exceeding €10m ($10.3m).
Summer rental rates range from around €20,000 to €200,000 ($20,500 to $205,000) per week. Purchasing one of these villas, or similar, would cost anywhere in the region of €2m to €50m ($2.1m to $52.5m).
“Most popular, of course, are our beachfront villas,” says Jason Higgs, director at Cilo Marbella. “Everyone dreams of waking up to the sound of the waves lapping against the shore.”
For history and celebrity enthusiasts, Cilo Marbella offers villas steeped in fascinating stories. One villa hosted Princess Diana and President Gerald Ford, while another, once owned by a friend of Pablo Picasso, features what is believed to be the only swimming pool in the world adorned with original artwork by the legendary painter. This exceptional property is available for both sale and rental.
Discover the pinnacle of luxury living with Cilo Marbella.
Contact info@cilomarbella.com, +34 952 768 331, cilomarbella.com
Images courtesy of Cilo Marbella