In summer 2010 the international spotlight was focused on the Costa del Sol resort, thanks to a visit by Michelle Obama, who spent a few days on holiday with her daughter Sasha at the renowned Hotel Villa Padierna Palace, located in a prestigious complex that is also home to three golf courses.

In this interview, Ricardo Arranz, owner and alma mater of the resort, talks about the flagship hotel and a novel real estate initiative.

The hotel remained closed for various months while work was carried out to expand the parking area and complete maintenance on the building, and it was due to re-open in time for Russian Meeting Point (14-16 March), an event aimed at boosting the real estate market and promoting the stock of property available for sale in the Golden Triangle, which comprises Marbella, Benahavís and Estepona.

-Why do you believe the hotel is considered one of the Marbella area’s showcase establishments, especially bearing in mind there are so many other luxury hotels?

–We’ve done something special here, not typical, a different hotel to others in Marbella and the surrounding area, a hotel with numerous works of art and completed with great attention to detail, where each room is different and each one has various works of art that have nothing to do with the one next door. We also stand out from others thanks to the hotel stay by US First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughter, which gave Villa Padierna an even stronger market position around the world.

-Many people ask if the works of art are authentic…

–They are all from the Arbi Foundation, over which I preside and which belongs to the family. Many of these works of art come from the Palacio Villapadierna in Madrid, in Calle Goya, others from the Palacio Linares, and many others have been bought at auction in different parts of Europe. Obviously, as there are so many works of art, people could think that some are copies or false, and to refute that we are going to put together a book with all the works catalogued by experts.

-Is there any other hotel in the world with so many works of art as Villa Padierna Palace?

–In my opinion, no, because while that might seem the case at hotels in Tuscany or Venice in reality they have two, three or four busts in the re- ception area or two or three statues in the gardens. To have as many sculptures or paintings as we have here… frankly, that would be difficult.

-Will the hotel management be undertaken directly by the owners or by a hotel chain?

-At the moment, by us directly. Mainly because it is important for our group of companies that the Villa Padierna brand becomes, to a certain extent, the group’s brand. We are planning to give the brand a more international scope and even move into another area. We are negotiating with various places: one in Qatar, and the Chinese market is also very interested.

–What is your outlook this year as far as golf is concerned?

-I believe there has to be a change in how we attract our future clients. In my opinion, we should copy the marketing model for skiing, how skiing is sold in Europe and the United States, in order to try to do the same with golf. Families and groups of friends spend a week skiing in St. Moritz or Gstaad or in the Dolomites. So we have to encourage the same with golf: that is, create a destination that is more attuned to couples, three or four couples, or families, where we provide a service that not only comprises playing golf at the hotel’s own course but also a specialised circuit, the same as with skiing. Taking and picking them up from the pistes, or in this case the golf courses. In short, offer a more professional and personalised service than we have up till now. We have very good courses but we need to develop a service that enables golfers to feel more satisfied with their visit.

-When do you believe the occupation figures at Costa del Sol courses will start to improve?

-In Marbella and its closest surrounding area the crisis began between 2004 and 2005, and it’s a bit the same as what happened previously: the crisis always begins earlier and, logically, it also ends earlier. In my opinion, the area known as the Golden Triangle could start to see an end to the crisis this year, though this time it won’t be like before, that is, via the central European or Anglo-Saxon market. We now have alternative markets, in the new economies, especially the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which have traditionally been ours but in recent years have been taken up in great part by the Côte d\'Azur, and, in particular, London. We can regain these markets. The Russian market is another important one for Marbella and its surrounding area, while perhaps our main unresolved issue is the Chinese market. It could prove to be quite interesting if we begin to promote ourselves there. Without forgetting, of course, that our natural markets are Anglo-Saxon and central European.

-What is Russian Meeting Point all about?

-It is going to comprise a new marketing format in which we aim to bring together 100 per cent of the Golden Triangle’s real estate stock, in an exhibition area set up with 32 conference tables, 12 of them reserved for financial institutions (banks and savings banks), 10 for high-end real estate companies and 10 for developers and urbanisations in the area. The event will involve appointments set up in advance, and we are expecting 100 Russian representatives including investors and real estate agencies.

-At the same time, Russian investors who attend Russian Meeting Point will have the added benefit of being able to visit the properties that interest them following face-to-face meetings with the local businesspeople.

-Another important feature is that very interesting round-table discussions will be held each day. One will be with representatives of the Interior Ministry and Bank of Spain, to refute the myth that Russian money comes from criminal activities and to clarify the fact that completely legal businesses are the source of this money.

-The second round-table discussion will involve the Spanish and Russian Foreign Ministries, to explain how Russian citizens can obtain visas and residence permits. We need to highlight the fact that, at the moment, a Russian who buys a home in London for two or three million pounds automatically obtains a residence permit, while here we have come across Russians who have paid 12 or 15 million euros for a house and still don’t have a residency permit.

-A third round-table will involve the Industry, Energy and Tourism Ministry, as well as the Economy Ministry, to establish some clear guidelines as to how we can capitalise on the potential of the Russian market, both for tourism and investment.

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