For decades now, Costa del Sol has been famous for being a dream destination for tourists from all around the world. And it is no surprise once you know the exceptional weather almost all year long, the nice beaches, the beautiful cities and villages, its kind people, the wonderful gastronomy, all the fun and exciting activities we can experience thanks to the mountains, rivers and sea (water sports, hiking, canyoning and so much more…).
However, hotels have been noticing an increasing demand for corporate groups as companies have seen they can perfectly combine work and leisure in this amazing destination, which is so well connected to Europe’s main cities through the International Malaga Airport. These companies came from all kind of industries: medical, pharmaceutical, sales and trade, technological brands, logistics and so on… And they come from Great Britain, Germany, France, Scandinavia, US, Canada and even national companies from the rest of Spain. Which is why, in the last 10 years, most of the best Costa del Sol hotels have started refurbishing and rethinking the layout of their facilities in order to satisfy the MICE segment as well.
The list is so long, but here is a selection of 10 great MICE hotels of the Costa del Sol :
Hotel Puente Romano is not only a luxury hotel, perfectly suitable for individual guests and corporate groups, it is a small representation of an Andalusian village with its white walls covered with flowers, gardens, surrounded by the mountain and the sea, right between the famous Puerto Banus harbour and Marbella center, only a 20-minute walk away from each.
An ideal setting for groups after long meeting hours to enjoy a coffee break, lunch or dinner in one of the patios, beach restaurants prepared by any of the amazing chefs. The meeting space is also worth mentioning, with a capacity from 20 to 600 people, with natural light, Andalusian patios and versatility in terms of size, dividable in smaller sections etc…
The Don Carlos Resort has a very large area for events, around 2,000 m2, and offers one of the largest ballrooms of the Costa del Sol with a capacity of 1,000 people. Their impressive hydraulic stage is ideal for large product presentations such as cars or heavy items. The great outdoor space, 40,000 m2 of tropical gardens, are perfect for gala dinners or corporate functions in general, as well as the Beach Club, Nikki Beach, or the poolside areas. Let alone the endless list of team building activities that can take place in all these outdoor facilities such as Strategy games, Beach Olympics etc…
The H10 Andalucía Plaza has 8 meeting rooms with a total capacity for up to 1,000 people, equipped for small business meetings and large events. Modern and recently refurbished rooms, a large variety of outdoor spaces for any kind of functions, and most of all located right next to the famous Puerto Banus harbour. So the advantage here apart from the excellent MICE facilities is no transfer is needed for lunches or dinners outside the hotel, activities on the beach, or free time for shopping and drinks for the participants.
The Gran Hotel Miramar is without a doubt the most luxurious MICE hotel of Malaga city. The building is a perfect fusion between the Mediterranean and Moorish style, at the beach front and walking distance from the Historical Centre of Malaga.
The meeting rooms are bright and most of them have beautiful garden views. Combining business and leisure is very easy when staying at The Gran Hotel Miramar. The meeting space and great gastronomy make the working sessions very pleasant and going away at the end of the day to enjoy a great team building activity at the beach, in the city historical heart and enjoy a fun tapas route is so easy to do.
Kempinski Bahia Estepona is fully equipped for the MICE segment. The meeting space, fully versatile to satisfy each group goes from small breakout rooms to great ballrooms which can be used for a conference, a product launch or regular meetings for up to 350 people.
Once the meeting is over guests find themselves walking through beautiful gardens, by the pool where they can enjoy group functions, coffee breaks, team building activities or even fun parties.
Barceló Málaga is one of the best MICE hotel in the Costa del Sol for 2 main reasons: It features a breath-taking state-of -the-art meeting space with the latest technology which is probably one of the reasons it has been selected one of the best business hotels in the coast. The second reason is its location, right next to the high-speed train station and 15 minutes away from the airport. Malaga historical centre is also a 15-minute walk away, which makes it ideal to enjoy a nice tapas route at the end of the day or a fun team building interactive Ipad activity while discovering the city.
Gran Meliá Don Pepe guarantees successful events thanks to their RedGlove meetings and events team. They are trained and have great expertise to make sure they exceed the clients’ expectations. Their facilities adapt to any kind of requests from small to large groups, providing technical assistance as well to make sure meetings and presentations run smoothly. Besides, the hotel apart from offering wonderful gardens, terraces and restaurants, is located at the beach front and has direct access to the famous beach promenade that connects Puerto Banus to Marbella centre. So it is ideal for groups having limited time for leisure activities as they can be offered on site, combined with a fun and delicious tapas route in the city’s old town a few minute-walk away.
The Meliá Costa del Sol has its own Convention Centre, has been recently completely refurbished and is located right at the beautiful Torremolinos beach promenade. Need we say more? This hotel is perfect for a full leisure programme combined with meeting sessions. Everything is at hand for a relaxing cocktail at one of their roof tops after work, beautiful outdoor space for team building activities including some Beach Olympics right across the street, themed or gala dinner and party onsite, and the Malaga International Airport is less than 15 minutes away.
The Elba Estepona hotel is a dream place for a corporate group looking to gather their teams for business reasons and add a leisure incentive touch to it. Their meeting capacity goes up to 300 people and they are famous for a high-level Mediterranean gastronomy. The beautiful rooms, gardens and terraces overlooking the sea are ideal locations for group activities following the meetings. All of these are all the ingredients needed for a successful MICE event in the Costa del Sol.
Sol Marbella Estepona Atalaya Park offers such a large list of options for all the MICE functions starting from a huge capacity in terms of bedrooms, meeting rooms, the newest equipment and technologies, restaurants, outdoor spaces, beach and sports facilities. There is just so much to do combining with the actual meetings, presentations or conferences, let alone the strategic location right between Marbella’s famous harbour Puerto Banus and the enchanting village of Estepona. Options are endless in terms of team building, sports and adventure activities that can be done on site, and the proximity of the Benahavís mountains and rivers for adventure activities is definitely something to consider.