“We try to find new avenues that ensure our residents and guests enjoy what is really important to them, their family and friends.”
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The CEO of Sotogrande S.A. focuses much of his work on the development of La Reserva Club de Sotogrande, an exceptional 600-hectare urbanization that includes a magnificent 18-hole golf course, a unique and extraordinary inland beach, various sports and leisure options, and a residential offer of the highest level.
Marc Topiol has more than 25 years of experience as a consultant in strategic and business planning, acquisition and sale of assets, and international asset development and management. In this interview and among other things, he talks about the attractions and projects of La Reserva, the implications that Brexit could have for Sotogrande, and why the development has decided to sponsor a tournament of the European Women’s Tour: La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational (May 16 to 19).
What are the main characteristics of the La Reserva Club de Sotogrande development that make it more attractive than other high-end developments?
-I don’t think I should be the one to say whether it is more or less attractive. Residents and customers can make their own decisions, but the point is that we are very focused on why we do things and this centers on three main aspects.
First, our people and level of service, offering a hospitality-based experience more often seen in the Americas and Asia.
Secondly, we are focused on the family. It’s not a golf place, it’s not a tennis place, it’s not a beach, it’s not horses: it’s a collection of all the components that allow the family to be together, which is important.
And the third aspect is that everything is inside La Reserva, without the need to go outside.
Those are the three factors that give us a certain profile, which allows us to offer an alternative, and specifically an alternative that you cannot find in Marbella because of the space, because of the history of its offer, which is more focused for single people, not for the family. There are many things for the family, but the most difficult part is to have them together, in the same place.
La Reserva has three pillars: residential, lifestyle and leisure, and education. I don’t think there is any community on the Costa del Sol that, within the same complex, offers those three components.
-What type of client is the potential buyer of a villa in La Reserva?
-Historically, Sotogrande was Spanish and British due to the origin of the destination and the proximity to Gibraltar. We are opening up much more to European countries that don’t have a Mediterranean coast. They are used to that customer origin in Marbella, which has been promoting its brand in those markets. Sotogrande is catching up and La Reserva more specifically, so we are really focused on making sure that people in Scandinavia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, to some extent Russia and some of the Middle East are aware of us, and experience has shown that when you do that buyers are interested. And then we clearly continue with the UK and Spanish markets, but our product is specifically designed for continental Europe.
What does the acquisition of a luxury real estate property imply for a non-resident in Spain?
-I’m not going to get into the politics, but, in terms of what we have experienced since we acquired Sotogrande, there are opportunities for both the Spanish and Andalusian governments to innovate by learning from what Portugal has done, for example. Residency in Spain exists, but it is not as attractive as what is happening in Portugal. I hope that the responsible parties can find ways to eliminate the wealth tax and also the inheritance tax for non-Spanish residents; that would be a very important step, a first step. If there are tax benefits similar to the exemptions that apply in Portugal, which clearly brings investment, that’s fine, but it would not help us sell faster. Maybe that’s why nothing has been done. The destination is very attractive and many people have decided to buy real estate despite those obstacles. There is a long-term benefit in what Portugal has done and I hope we can get to that very soon.
-How is Brexit affecting La Reserva de Sotogrande?
-It is clearly affecting decision making when your currency is sterling. Beyond the volatility experienced since the referendum, families are simply sitting on the sidelines waiting to see what will happen in all aspects that impact their daily lives. Spain and continental Europe are clearly more expensive, but conversely, and thanks to the profile of our clientele we are confident that our attributes and purpose will ultimately overcome short-term volatility. We have been here for 60 years and have seen many cycles, from which we always come out stronger with a timeless offering because it is based on authenticity and care.
-What are the main objectives of La Reserva de Sotogrande when sponsoring a Ladies European Tour tournament?
-There are several reasons. The first is that Sotogrande, as the golf capital of continental Europe, deserves to host all types of major tournaments. Sotogrande, the destination as a whole, offers the best in terms of facilities with Real Club Valderrama, Real Club de Golf de Sotogrande and La Reserva all located within a three-kilometer radius. Each has a long history of hosting major golf tournaments, with RCG Sotogrande focusing on amateur golf with the Sherry Cup and Nations Cup. Real Club Valderrama, thanks to the support and economic vision of Mr. Jaime Ortiz-Patiño, is the most recognized club in continental Europe. It was only natural that La Reserva Club de Sotogrande followed suit and presented its own tournament.
The second reason is that Sotogrande has never seen a major women’s professional tournament, so we continue to pioneer and innovate. Organizing a women’s event in Sotogrande is the right thing to do to complete the circle of life of our destination.
Thirdly, we like to be where no one expects us to be, and clear support for women’s sports is a just cause: the company and the entire team enthusiastically embarked on the task. If we can contribute to the greater goal of gender and racial equality, we are very proud of that small step. As the saying goes, “every vote counts”, here every initiative counts for this never-ending effort to focus on what really matters. Once we decided, it took us two months to organize it and now three months to prepare. And I hope that many other companies will join us in this tournament, grow it and make it a premier event in Sotogrande for women’s golf and for women in general. We are very proud to join others who are already active in this segment, starting with the Andalusian Government, the Diputación de Málaga and private companies like Estrella Damm and all the other sponsors active in women’s golf in Spain and abroad.
-The La Reserva golf course enjoys an excellent reputation. What would you highlight about it?
-Well, we have been blessed with a nice piece of land, where Cabell Robinson was able in 2003 to design a course that is fairly flat. It’s a rarity on the Costa del Sol in general to have courses built on flat land. Real Club de Sotogrande is one, and Valderrama to some extent as well. In general, Sotogrande offers that possibility, where there are no restrictions with ravines and steeper areas that we find elsewhere. And we have space, which is something that is not available when you want to build a golf course on the Costa del Sol.
The second aspect to highlight is the daily effort of the staff, which is focused, as I said before, on service. And maintenance: we make sure that the course is in tournament condition every day. The greens are among the best on the whole coast… Costa del Sol, Costa de la Luz, as you go along the coast. But that’s also due to the fact that we are a very private place. We have a lower level of occupancy than other courses in Marbella that have hundreds of green fees per day, which results in a big impact on the course. So we are very fortunate. We are more on the level of Valderrama in terms of occupancy, which allows us to be in very good condition, even compared to RCG Sotogrande, which has a lot of green fees and 2,900 members. All those things make this place what it is.
-Creating a beach club with an artificial beach inside the urbanization was a challenge not without complications, but in the end it was worth it. What is it that attracts or attracts the attention of those who visit it for the first time?
-I go back to my first answer: it’s a family place. You can’t find a beach club on the coast that is for the family. No children are allowed, they can’t be together. We want our residents and guests, as a family, to be together, and the beach at La Reserva offers just that. We didn’t know what it would be like until it opened because nothing similar has ever been done anywhere else. The most satisfying result of this is that the first summer, for two months, we received more than 11,000 paying visitors, not counting children under 12 because they don’t pay; and, of those 11,000 people, 60 percent came from Marbella.
The greatest satisfaction is that the concept of “distance” between Marbella and Sotogrande or being far away seems to be a banished idea for the families who are ready to visit us. The most attractive thing, beyond the innovation, is the quality of the experience: the water is pure, while a day at the “real” beach is salt water, jellyfish, currents, dirt. Here everything is clean and the family is safe. It is the only real private beach in all of Spain. It’s not just 100 square meters of sand next to a standard liner pool: it’s 4,000 square meters of pure sand from the Cadiz region, it’s not artificial, it’s man-made. The authorities had never seen this before, but I must say that the regional, city council and Campo de Gibraltar authorities really supported our efforts.
-What projects are planned for La Reserva de Sotogrande in the short and medium term?
In the short term we are focused on complementing La Reserva with a first-class hotel, so we will be closing the Almenara hotel that we also own, in phases, starting in April, and by the end of 2020 there should be a very high-end five-star hotel that offers international standards, with a strong focus on wellness and nature, taking advantage of the 1,500-hectare green reserve just behind the hotel. The new hotel will bring a new dimension to Sotogrande, to the destination as a whole.
In the medium term, as we continue to increase the number of residents at La Reserva Club de Sotogrande, we will add services in all segments to continue to reinvent resort living and ensure that our residents appreciate their time with us. Since this is about innovation, I can’t speak to specifics, but our recent history shows that we “get it done” when the time is right to act.
-What future do you foresee in general for the Sotogrande area and in particular for La Reserva?
-Sotogrande’s future is to remain a valuable player in the world of residential resort destinations. We need to constantly evolve in our thinking and offer to remain a relevant player in this field. All we can do today, and tomorrow, is to present ourselves to the world and make sure we do our best, so we are the destination of choice for families looking for purpose and happiness. There are many other destinations to choose from, and each has its own profile and attributes. Sotogrande cannot fit all profiles: it has a long life as the place of choice for families looking for authenticity, simplicity and quality. La Reserva Club de Sotogrande intends to play its part in meeting the needs of its residents and ensuring a wonderful family life in this unique location.
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