Villa Padierna Palace Benahavís Marbella Resort

About

Ten minutes inland from Marbella, a pink palace rises between golf courses and cypress trees. The setting feels faintly improbable. On one side lies Andalusia. On the other stands an estate that appears to have borrowed ideas from Tuscany, an English country house and a Roman villa before deciding it liked all three. Villa Padierna rewards wandering. A marble staircase leads nowhere in particular except towards another courtyard. Fountains appear with suspiciously good timing. Statues emerge from between rows of cypress trees. The property contains more than a thousand artworks, yet somehow avoids feeling like a museum. The rooms continue the illusion. Floral fabrics, antique inspired furniture and deep blue walls would not look out of place in the Cotswolds. Elsewhere, terraces open towards gardens filled with palms and Mediterranean light. Fashion barely enters the conversation. Comfort does. Michelle Obama’s 2010 stay later inspired the name of Villa Obama, one of the resort’s private residences, though celebrity anecdotes feel largely irrelevant here. The more interesting story is the confidence behind the project.