[Continuation from "Miami to Marbella"]

Puerto Banús, Spain

Once my friend Cecilia arrived, we stayed port side at Puerto Banús. Immediately I began comparing and contrasting it to South Beach. The high end hotels, pool parties, the parade of luxury cars (Rolls Royces, Ferraris, Lamborghinis) and the marina with multi-million dollar yachts, were the similarities. Unlike Miami and more reminiscent of San Diego is the mountainous backdrop. The city was clean and like Marbella, all tourists were British. As an avid traveler and owner of a tourism company in the U.S., my fascination continued as to why Americans were not vacationing at this coastal gem. Perhaps it was due to the "quiet" wealth, no flash or loud celebrities.

Marina at Puerto Banús

Our hotel was the adults-only boutique hotel H10 Andalucia Plaza. While it was the tail end of high season and the hotel was sold out, it was an excellent choice for two single career women.





On our way to the beach we passed by the Marbella Club. The inviting atmosphere lured us in for a peek. They were setting up for an afternoon pool party, a weekend tradition of renting beds (costing in the thousands), drinking endless bottles of alcoholic beverage of your preference and dipping into the pool for further socializing, all why a DJ blasted party music. Attendees start arriving at 12pm and the peak is around 3pm.

Christine Michaels at pool of Marbella Club

Our next stop was a trendy bar that I learned about on Instagram, Babilonia Banus. While it is more lively at night, I preferred the less crowded daytime setting.  Right on the marina, one can easily enjoy the water view, the yachts, and people watching. 

Interior of Babilonia Banus in daytime

Christine Michaels cooling off from afternoon sun

Back at the hotel we refreshed for dinner.  Below is a photo of the hotel lobby  in neutral decor and a dual bench and sandbox display.

Christine in hotel lobby of H10 Andalucia Plaza, Puerto Banus

For dinner that evening we returned to the marina and further down Babilonia we selected an Italian restaurant, Los Bandidos. A long-time local favorite, the ceiling was covered in ivy, the walls in old photos or shelves of wine.  We were very fortunate to reserve a table on left side by the open window facing the marina for the alfresco air.


A portside Italian restaurant, we could not go wrong with a pasta and fish dish. Very tasty. Reservations are needed given the popularity.


Along the same street, name brand shops intersperse with restaurants.  One of my favorites was Michaels Kors. My nude strapless chiffon dress was an MK dress. Time to strike a pose. 



To top it off we returned to Babilonia Banus for evening cocktails and drinks. Sure enough the famous purple and pink lights were in full force.

Cocktail at Babilonia Banus

 DJ James Hanbury from London played various music from the 80s, 90s, to current hits. The DJ pod was center stage and guests could request any song and DJ James was ready to please. I even stole a dance from him.



Another great day!