NOTE: since this post was written in 2013, El Lodge suffered a devasting fire in early 2014 which destroyed the property. It has since been completely rebuilt, and has just opened again Dec 2016.
Sierra Nevada’s North American style mountain hotel ‘El Lodge’ get’s a glamorous 5 star make over from The Marbella Club group of hotels.
Ten years ago Andalucía was pretty new to me. I had just invested in my first Spanish property and I was eager to discover more about the country. Granada had been the first Andalusian city I had visited; fulfilling a dream to see the Alhambra and it had become a favourite. So it made sense to enjoy a few days up in Andalucía’s sunny ski resort, Sierra Nevada. It was New Year’s Eve and we wanted somewhere special.
It wasn’t until I started to research online just how limited the options were in Sierra Nevada – there were just lots of basic hotel and B&B listings; very disappointing.
Then I stumbled across The Lodge. Its Finnish log cabin design looked appealing, with simple suites with white linens. It captured the lodge feeling I was looking for.
True to the pictures, the hotel was charming and probably one of the best places to stay. But I couldn’t help think it had so much more potential! With family in the States I have travelled widely in the south west and love the classic ‘Great Lodges’ in the National Parks.
So I’m so pleased to see that the property has recently been taken over by the Marbella Club group and been given a touch of style and glamour, and relaunched as ‘El Lodge‘.
The Lodge’s public spaces and twenty rooms and suites have been transformed by interior designer Andrew Martin.
The classic Finnish timber hunting lodge structure remains, but a touch of extravagance, theatre and warmth have been added with touches like antler chandeliers, fur pelts and luxury detailing.
Marbella Club has rolled out its Suite club brand too, which is well suited to après ski; and there’s a small spa area.
Andrew Forbes in Sierra Nevada
Sierra Nevada also has the 5 star Vincci Hotel Rumaykiyya and the 5 star ‘The Level Suites’ from Melia Sol y Nieve.
The Lodge
T +34 958 480 600
THE UPS
- Style – Marbella Club class on the mountain
- Suites – decor and quality are hard to match elsewhere in the ski resort
- Ski – easy access to the piste and gondolas
THE DOWNS
- Resort – Sierra Nevada may be the sunniest ski resort in Europe, but it not the most sophisticated
- Small – with only 20 rooms it’s hard to get a room in the ski high season
COPYRIGHT 2013 – Andrew Forbes is a travel & lifestyle writer based in Europe. He is an expert in business marketing communications.
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