Hacienda del Mar, Estepona: The Former Kempinski, Relaunched

Taxi drivers on the coast still say "the Kempinski". The sign on the A-7 at El Padrón no longer does. The terracotta village that opened in 1999 closed its doors in September 2025, came back in 2026 under Meliá, and our clients have been asking what changed and whether it is the same hotel. It is the largest name on the New Golden Mile, the strip we cover on our Estepona escorts page, and it is a regular address for the Marbella escort agency clients who prefer a quieter base. Hacienda del Mar is the former Kempinski Hotel Bahía, a beachfront five-star in Estepona, relaunched in 2026 after a full refurbishment as a member of The Meliá Collection, with 131 rooms and suites.

Below: what is confirmed about the relaunch, what is not, the rooms, the four outlets, the spa and beach, the taxi times, and how a visitor fits in.

What Is Hacienda del Mar in Estepona?

Hacienda del Mar, member of The Meliá Collection, is a five-star beachfront resort on Playa del Padrón in Estepona, built in 1999 as the Kempinski Hotel Bahía. Meliá Hotels International manages it for the owning company, Hotelera Padrón SA, and reopened it in 2026 after a renovation of less than a year. It is Meliá's first Meliá Collection hotel on the Andalusian coast.

1999 to 2025: The Kempinski Bahía Years

The hotel opened in 1999 under the patronage of Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe, the man who founded the Marbella Club, which gave it a social pedigree from day one. The Bolivian architect Melvin Villarroel designed it as an Andalusian village: low terracotta blocks, arches, courtyards and a long garden running down to the sea, with ceramics and murals by the German artist Stefan Szczesny. For 26 years it traded as the Kempinski Hotel Bahía Beach Resort & Spa, and for most of that time it was the obvious five-star answer for anyone who wanted Estepona rather than Marbella. Our review of every five-star hotel around Marbella places it against the rest of the coast.

Who Owns It and Who Runs It

The building did not change hands as far as the public record shows. The Commercial Register entry reported in February 2026 records the removal of the previous general manager's powers and the appointment of Meliá Hotels International as joint agent of the owner, Hotelera Padrón SA, which is the structure of a management contract rather than a sale. The Diario Costa report on the handover first called it Bahía Estepona member of Meliá Collection; the Hacienda del Mar name came later. For a guest the practical change is the loyalty programme: points and status now run through Meliá Rewards, not Kempinski Discovery.

When the Kempinski Left and When Hacienda del Mar Opened

Bookings were closed from 28 September 2025 for the renovation, with a planned reopening around the end of March 2026. Venue listings advertised an April 2026 opening, the Spanish press dated the reopening to June, and Meliá announced the official grand opening on 15 July 2026, with about 300 guests. Treat summer 2026 as the first real season.

What the Refurbishment Changed

Meliá credits the new interiors to Álvaro Sans of ASAH Studio. The village layout, the gardens and the Szczesny murals stayed; the colour palette moved to clay, sand tones and natural wood, and every food and drink outlet was renamed and reworked. The spa was rebranded as MAIA Spa. The launch evening on 15 July brought Meliá's chairman and chief executive Gabriel Escarrer, the designer Pepe Barroso and a set by the singer Nuria Fergó, which tells you the market Meliá is aiming at: Spanish society first, package holidays second. Tour operators sell it too, though, and Jet2 already lists it with the line "fully refurbished for summer 26".

Confirmed, Reported, or Still Unclear

If a booking site quotes Kempinski-era outlet names or 145 rooms, the listing has not been updated.

Rooms and Suites After the Refurbishment

Meliá gives 131 rooms and suites. The Spanish press reports that around 60 of them are suites, that rooms average 45 square metres and that all face the sea. Tour operators sell mostly junior suites, with or without a full sea view, plus a junior suite for sole use. Meliá does not publish a fixed 2026 rate card.

Which Room to Ask For

The buildings step down the slope towards the beach, so height and position matter more than the category name. A "sea view" room on a lower floor near the pools can look at palm tops and sunbeds; a higher floor in a block nearer the shore looks over the water. Reviews from the 2026 season describe large suites with two balconies, which is the configuration worth paying for if you plan to spend time in the room. Ask for a room close to the lifts and the main building if you value a short walk at night, because the gardens cover 45,000 m² and the far blocks are a proper stroll from reception.

What a Night Costs in 2026

There is no public rack rate, and we will not invent one. Rates move with the date and the channel: the Meliá site, tour-operator packages and corporate rates all price differently, and an old event-venue listing still quotes a range from the Kempinski years. In practice the hotel prices below the Golden Mile names such as Puente Romano and Marbella Club for the same month, which is the main reason clients choose Estepona in the first place. Check the Meliá site for your dates, compare a package with flights, and book direct if you want the room-type guarantee. July and August sell out first.

Neguri, Burladero, Almenara and Umbral: Eating and Drinking In

The relaunched hotel has four outlets: Neguri Beach Club, a seafood and rice restaurant on the beach inspired by a yacht club; Burladero, contemporary Andalusian cooking with grilled meats; Almenara, the breakfast restaurant; and Umbral, the lobby bar. A pool bar serves the day. The Kempinski-era names are gone.

Neguri for Lunch, Burladero for Dinner

Neguri is the outlet to book. It sits on the sand, the menu leans on Mediterranean rice dishes and fish, and lunch there runs long without anyone hurrying you. Burladero is the evening restaurant: grilled meat, Andalusian plates such as sautéed artichokes, and a room that works better for two than for a group. Almenara does breakfast only. Umbral, the lobby bar, is where most evenings start and the natural place to meet someone arriving from outside. If you knew the hotel before 2025, El Mirador, Baltazar, Spiler Beach Club and Black Rose no longer exist under those names; any review that mentions them predates the refurbishment.

When to Leave the Hotel for Dinner

Two or three nights in, most guests want a change. Estepona old town and the Puerto Deportivo are about 10 minutes west by taxi, with tapas bars and fish restaurants that cost a fraction of hotel prices. For a bigger night, Puerto Banús is 15 to 20 minutes east. Late at night a taxi is not always waiting, so ask reception to book the return or keep the driver's number; our guide to getting around without a car covers ride-hailing on this stretch, which is thinner than in Marbella.

MAIA Spa, Three Pools and Playa del Padrón

MAIA Spa has six treatment rooms, a heated indoor pool, a Finnish sauna, a steam room and relaxation areas. Outside there are three pools set in the gardens, and the hotel opens directly onto Playa del Padrón, a narrow, coarse beach at the mouth of the Padrón river. Pack beach shoes.

The Spa and the Pools

The spa is the part of the hotel Meliá has pushed hardest, with a treatment concept named after the mythological figure Maia and yoga sessions on the programme. Six treatment rooms is a modest number for 131 rooms, so book a slot when you check in, not on the afternoon you want it. The heated indoor pool keeps the hotel usable from November to March, when the outdoor water is cold. The three outdoor pools are spread through the gardens, so a quiet sunbed is rarely far away even in August. Towels are provided at the pools.

Playa del Padrón and the 16th-Century Tower

Do not expect the fine sand of Nagüeles. Jet2 describes the hotel beach as pebble,, so beach shoes help. Next to the hotel, on the right bank of the river mouth, stands the Torre del Padrón, a 12-metre round watchtower built in the second half of the 16th century and one of seven such towers on Estepona's coast; it is a protected Bien de Interés Cultural. The walk along the shore towards Estepona is flat and makes a good early-morning hour before the heat.

Where Is Hacienda del Mar? Distances and Taxi Times

The hotel stands on the A-7 at El Padrón on the New Golden Mile, about 5 km east of Estepona town centre, 16 km from Puerto Banús and 25 km from central Marbella. By taxi that is roughly 10, 15 to 20 and 20 to 25 minutes, outside rush hour. Málaga airport is about an hour away.

From the Hotel Door

The hotel is closer to Marbella than Estepona town is, which matters for anyone coming from the east. Evening traffic through San Pedro can add ten minutes. There is no walkable nightlife; the nearest shops and bars are about 550 m away.

The Airport Run and the Town Around It

Most guests fly into Málaga, which handled 26.76 million passengers in 2025, 6.15 million of them on British routes, according to Aena. A pre-booked car is the sensible option for a five-star stay; our airport transfer guide compares the choices, and on this stretch the AP-7 toll saves time in summer. Estepona itself counted 79,621 residents in the INE's 2025 figures, a town big enough to have real restaurants and a working port rather than a resort strip.

Booking a Marbella Escort at Hacienda del Mar

A companion visiting a guest is routine at any large resort, and Hacienda del Mar spreads 131 rooms across terraced buildings and gardens. Estepona is outside Marbella municipality, so the minimum is two hours, €600, and you pay her taxi. Allow 25 to 30 minutes from confirmation plus the 20 to 25 minute drive. Tell us the hotel name when you book.

How Arrival Works at a Relaunched Hotel

New management means new staff and possibly new house rules, so tell us anything the hotel has said about late visitors and we pass it on before she sets off. Send the hotel name and the time you want her; you do not need the room number until she is on her way. Meet her at Umbral, the lobby bar, or at the entrance, and walk back together: a guest receiving a visitor is unremarkable in a 131-room resort, and the village layout spreads people out. If reception asks a late visitor for ID as house policy, that is the hotel's rule, not a problem. Our hotel arrival guide explains Spain's guest-registration rule and why visitors who leave are not registered.

What It Costs on This Side of the Coast

The rates are the same as in Marbella; only the minimum and the taxi change. Two hours is €600. A dinner date runs at least three hours, so from €900, and suits an evening at Burladero or in the old town. An overnight costs €3,000 to €4,000 depending on the companion and the length. You pay her taxi from Marbella; it costs more only for a very early start, and the quote says so. There is no weekend or summer premium. For how Estepona weekends compare with staying in Marbella, see Estepona vs Marbella for a weekend.

Payment, Deposit and Changes

Payment goes to the companion before the booking starts: cash, bank transfer or crypto, never card. A 25% deposit applies only to bookings made in advance, not same-day ones; our page on how payment works has the detail. A dinner date can be changed free until 24 hours before, an overnight until 48 hours before, and a late cancellation costs her taxi, about €30. We delete the WhatsApp thread 30 days after the booking and keep no client database.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Kempinski in Estepona still open?

Not under that name. The Kempinski Hotel Bahía closed for renovation from 28 September 2025 and reopened in 2026 as Hacienda del Mar, member of The Meliá Collection. Meliá now manages it for the same owning company, and the official grand opening was announced in July 2026.

How many rooms does Hacienda del Mar have?

Meliá states 131 rooms and suites. Early reports from February 2026 said 134 and older listings from the Kempinski years show 145, so treat those as out of date. The Spanish press reports that around 60 of the 131 are suites.

Is Hacienda del Mar adults-only?

No. It is sold as a general five-star resort, and tour operators list it for couples and families alike, with three outdoor pools and a heated indoor pool. Ask the hotel directly about children's facilities before booking a family stay.

How far is Hacienda del Mar from Puerto Banús?

About 16 km east along the A-7, which takes 15 to 20 minutes by taxi outside rush hour. Estepona old town is about 5 km the other way, around 10 minutes, and central Marbella is about 25 km, roughly 20 to 25 minutes.

What beach is Hacienda del Mar on?

Playa del Padrón, at the mouth of the Padrón river on the New Golden Mile. Tour operators describe it as a pebble beach rather than soft sand, and the 16th-century Torre del Padrón watchtower stands beside it.