Much has been written and said – including me – about Sotogrande during its 60 years of existence. Here I summarize what they can be really proud of and what their competitors can learn from.
We will see thanks to being contextualized with culture and society Sotogrande is relevant, valuable, and profitable.
It is also not neglectable that people are starving for true meaning & connections: things that truly matter in life and increase their value in time. We consume products, and services for what they mean to us!!!
Let’s see what they are!
- One of Europe’s most revered residential destinations by providing a unique lifestyle and luxurious residential experience.
- Sotogrande has retained its rich Andalucian culture, creating a charm and understated elegance that provides a beautiful contrast to the fast pace of modern-day life. Authenticity, just like exclusivity represents a cornerstone for luxury branding. Authenticity is the highest form of luxury!
- Sotogrande’s latest chapter, La Reserva Club: an avant-garde country club overlooking the Mediterranean and surrounded by stunning countryside where the days are filled with diverse leisure and sports activities.
- Sotogrande is the largest privately owned residential development in Andalucia. It used to be a gated community.
- Regular visitors and inhabitants of Sotogrande include Sir Peter Caruana, former Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Tony Blair, Quintana, as well as HRH Prince Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou, the legitimist pretender to the throne of France.
- Sotogrande was established in 1962 by the generous couple, Joseph McMicking y Ynchausti, an heir to the Pilippine multi-national conglomerate Ynchausti y Compañia, and Mercedes Zobel de Ayala y Roxas, of the prominent Zobel de Ayala family. Both are Spanish Filipino.
- In the later half of the 20th century, Sotogrande earned its position as a destination of glamour, repose, fun, and excitement, thanks to its mix of Mediterranean sun, rich architecture, and the profound sense of privacy that its landscaping and design afford.
- High-profile powerbrokers have long been attracted by Sotogrande’s ‘low key’ lifestyle. Famous residents in this early period included the president of the First National City Bank in New York, George Moore. An influential and popular character, he brought his powerful friends with him, including Jackie and Aristotle Onassis, opera singer Maria Callas, and the politician, Spiro Agnew.
- Sotogrande is well known as an architectural showcase on the Costa del Sol, with styles varying from the traditional Andalucian to mid-century modern, all the way through the 21st-century design and even more unusual designs, including Moorish/Mudejar style homes and even a Swiss chalet.
- In 2008 the local government declared 3 buildings as of cultural interest, protecting them from reform or demolition. These architectural gems were the Biddle House, by Francisco Javier Carvajal; the Zóbel House by José Antonio Coderch; and the Real Club de Golf by Luis Gutierrez Soto.
- It has 4 golf courses, all ranked among Spain’s Top 100 Courses:
- Real Club Valderrama – Spain’s number one course, and host of the European Tour’s (DP WorldTour) Andalucia Masters, the 1997 Ryder Cup, the 2016 Open de Espana, and the new innovative LIV Golf Series.
- Real Club de Golf Sotogrande – Sotogrande’s original golf course, was designed in 1964 by Robert Trent Jones and continues to entral players after more than half a century.
- La Reserva de Sotogrande – Host of the La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational, hosted by Annika Sorenstam in 2019, and the Ladies European Tour’s recent Aramco Team Series.
- Almenara Golf – Located on-site at the SO/ SOTOGRANDE hotel, it’s comprised of three nine-hole courses designed by Dave Thomas, and recently renovated by the legendary local golfer, Manuel Piñero.
- 6 world-famous Polo fields are owned by the Santa María Polo Club.
- The Beach at La Reserva Club includes an adult pool for your daily swim, and a large sports lagoon that offers a perfect setting in which to practice water sports ranging from kayak and SUP boards to electric surfboards.
- 2 tennis and padel tennis clubs, the SotoTennis Academy, and the Racquet Centre at La Reserva Club with championship and club-size clay courts.
- A rugby club and two Beach Clubs (Trocadero, Octogano).
- A kayak / sailing club, riding stables, and a busy Marina accommodating 1,400 berths.
- Finca Alcaidesa, 1,500 hectares of protected nature reserve.
- River Guadiaro and Estuary, Sotogrande, a natural area of 27 hectares and the only marshland on this part of the coast. It has been designated as an Andalucian National Park, Wildlife and Nature Reserve.
