“Why study hospitality management in Marbella?”
It’s a question we get asked a lot, and for us it’s an opportunity to spread the love for the treasure that is this beautiful Mediterranean resort city on Spain’s Costa del Sol. But don’t just take our word for it. You want evidence, naturally. So here are the top eight reasons why Marbella is the perfect place to study hospitality management.
1. The friendly, family-oriented Mediterranean lifestyle
There’s a reason why Spain is the world’s number two most visited country. Spanish hospitality is as warm as the weather, while the country is stacked with the history, geography, culture and fantastic food that all of us love.
The food in particular provides an amazing experience for any student interested in exploring culinary experiences. Spanish cuisine is famous across the worlds for its diverse selections of outstanding restaurants, and Marbella is no different, being host to everything from street food to the city’s four Michelin-starred eateries. It means that as a student you can easily eat well on a budget and acquire the finest nutrition to support your academic performance.
Marbella’s residents are keen on the tastes and likes of their guests and always strive to make visitors feel safe and welcome. The Spanish enjoy being outside and there are always plenty of activities in which entire families participate together. Visitors to Marbella quickly grow attached to our unique brand of hospitality and many never want to leave
2. Marbella is a truly multicultural city
We often talk about the multicultural environment found on our Les Roches campuses. In Marbella, it’s also a reflection of our host city, which is home to more than 137 different nationalities. That brings an incredible diversity of cultures right to your doorstep –being an international student in Marbella is a truly enriching experience as you are open to meeting and exploring not only the wonderful Spanish culture, but also to those of the city’s international communities.
Of course, what this also means is that you’ll find the process of adapting to a new country easier than almost anywhere else; not least because in such an international city the majority of people can speak English. In fact, so broad is the diversity it’s highly possible you’ll find a community from your native country to help you settle in
3. Marbella’s hospitality sector is very well developed
We talk about Marbella as being a living laboratory for hospitality. And for students it offers an incredible environment in which to learn how the business works from the inside out. The city is situated within Spain’s Costa del Sol, which receives millions of international tourist arrivals each year. This opens up so many opportunities to grow within the hospitality industry, as well as to find employment within the tourism and hospitality sector.
The international nature of the resort’s clientele also adds a global dimension which is an asset to any hospitality professional. And for those with ambitions towards the luxury segment there are few resorts in Europe that can compete with Marbella for its exclusive atmosphere.
4. Marbella is a spacious city with an abundance of amenities
Spread out over an expansive 117 square kilometers and with an affluent cosmopolitan population of 143,000, there is ample room for everyone in Marbella. Within the city limits, you can find urban parks, running and biking trails, plenty of natural green areas, open-air dining and nightlife, outdoor festivals, and luxury shopping centers with the world’s top brands on offer.
The beachfront promenade, called the Paseo Maritimo, runs seamlessly along the coast for more than 10 kilometers. Meanwhile, turning inland you can find natural parks, and endless hiking trails in the mountains of the Sierra de Las Nieves, named by UNESCO as a Bio Sphere Reserve.
5. The city’s superb year-round climate
With an average of 320 days of sunshine per year, Marbella is known for its unique microclimate caused in part by the La Concha mountain that forms the city’s northern backdrop. Marbella boasts an average annual temperature above 18°C (64°F) which means residents can enjoy the outdoors all year round. Indeed, in the winter months temperatures rarely fall below 16°C(61°F), keeping the city buzzing when many parts of Europe are in hibernation!
6. Take your pick of outdoor sports and leisure activities
A defining characteristic of Marbella are its outdoor sports and leisure activities. Golf, sailing, swimming, running, cycling, kitesurfing, mountain climbing, hiking, tennis, football, rugby, baseball, are some of the outdoor sports you can participate inall year long.
Ironman has made Marbella one of its stops on the annual triathlon circuit, the Davis Cup has hosted the finals of the international tennis tournament here, and the Vuelta a España cycling race has kicked off here and or passes through most years. Professional athletes like the champion tennis player, Novak Djokovic, choose Marbella as their winter training location.
7. Marbella’s 24 beaches are amongst the cleanest and best equipped in Spain
If beaches are your thing, you’ll love Marbella! The city’s beaches were among 36 to be flying blue flags across the Costa del Sol in 2022, underlying the pristine nature of the coastline.
Spread over 27km, Marbella’s 24 unique beaches are always within reach. They range from the natural sand dunes at Cabopino beach, located in the protected area of the Artola Dunes, next to the Cabopino port, to the luxurious and expansive beaches of Puerto Banús and San Pedro Alcántara. Perhaps the most famous beaches in Marbella are those in the vicinity of the five-star Puente Romano Beach Resort and the wooden pier off the beach of the landmark Marbella Club Hotel where celebrities and royalty frequently spend their holidays. Throughout the entire coast, lifeguards and civil patrols work to ensure the safety of beachgoers.
8. Marbella is a safe, world-class luxury destination
The safety of visitors and residents of Marbella is always a priority and the city is equipped with modern healthcare facilities, sanitation services, and security forces. The affluent tourists who visit Marbella demand services that cater to the individual and this standard sets the tone for ensuring Marbella is well prepared to meet the most stringent safety demands.
There are five fully-equipped modern private hospitals, one regional public hospital, and numerous specialty health clinics that combine to ensure Marbella is one of the safest luxury destinations in the world. Additionally, the city’s municipal sanitation department strives constantlyto ensure thatstreets and public installations are well-maintained and always clean. This is true throughout the year –Marbella is a very clean and safe city.
