Las Dunas Club Marbella: May 2026 Approval & Marbella East

By Manuel Huerta May 30th, 2026 · 26m. reading time

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On 12 May 2026, Marbella Town Hall approved the urbanisation licence for Las Dunas Club, a beachfront resort and branded-residence project planned on one of the last large coastal plots in Real de Zaragoza, Las Chapas. The decision matters because it moves one of Marbella East's most watched development sites from long-term planning uncertainty towards physical infrastructure works.

The approval does not mean that the hotel and residences can be built immediately. In Spanish urban-planning practice, an urbanisation licence authorises the preparation of land and infrastructure: roads, drainage, public services, environmental works and connections to existing networks. The hotel and residential buildings still require separate construction licences.

At Drumelia we follow decisions of this kind closely, not because we are involved in the project, but because planning moves of this scale can eventually affect neighbourhood values, buyer expectations and the strategic positioning of homes and plots around the site. This article explains what was approved, what remains pending, how Las Dunas Club fits into Marbella's branded-residence trend, and what the decision may mean for Marbella East as a residential market.

The intention is to give buyers, owners and observers an independent reference point. We are not selling the project. We are explaining it.

• On 12 May 2026, Marbella's Junta de Gobierno Local approved the urbanisation licence for Las Dunas Club in Las Chapas, according to local reporting. The licence covers infrastructure works, not the construction of the hotel and residences themselves.
• The project sits on a beachfront plot of approximately 160,000 m² in Real de Zaragoza, one of Marbella East's most sensitive and strategic coastal locations.
• The latest public project announcements refer to more than €500 million of total investment, 180 branded residences and 150 hotel rooms. Earlier reports referred to different figures, which is why buyers should treat the final programme as subject to confirmation.
• The current urbanisation phase is reported at €23.5 million and includes more than one kilometre of stormwater collectors, a new bridge connecting the site to the neighbouring Golden Beach urbanisation, cycle lanes, pedestrian areas, new electricity, sanitation and telecommunications networks, dune-regeneration measures and biodiversity-protection actions.
• The project was first presented in 2016 and has faced a long planning route, including the modification of Marbella's 1986 PGOU and a 2023 unfavourable report from Andalucía's Consultative Council that flagged several planning deficiencies.
• The hotel operator has not been confirmed publicly. Earlier reporting connected the project to Marriott's W Hotels brand, while later trade reporting suggested a possible move to a higher luxury label.
• No official hotel opening date has been confirmed.
• In our view, the main consequence is not immediate price growth, but the gradual repositioning of Marbella East in the perception of buyers, owners and investors.

The Junta de Gobierno Local approved the urbanisation project for the Las Dunas Club sector. This is not the same as a building licence for the hotel. It is the permit that allows the land to be prepared through infrastructure works such as roads, stormwater drainage, public services, environmental measures and connections to existing networks.

According to reporting on the municipal decision, the approved works include more than one kilometre of stormwater collectors, a new bridge connecting the site to the neighbouring Golden Beach urbanisation, cycle lanes, pedestrian areas, and new electricity, sanitation and telecommunications networks. The same reporting also refers to dune-regeneration works, conservation of existing trees, biodiversity-protection measures and the sustainable channelling of the Arroyo Real de Zaragoza watercourse. (Málaga Hoy; Marbella public information portal)

The investment dedicated to this urbanisation phase has been reported at €23.5 million, fully funded by the promoters. The construction of the hotel and the residences will require separate permits before the project can move from infrastructure preparation to building works.

Photo: Ayuntamiento de Marbella — Real de Zaragoza Beach

Las Dunas Club is not a new idea. It has been one of the most watched and most delayed luxury hospitality projects on the Costa del Sol for almost a decade. The timeline matters because it shows why large planning projects in Marbella can take so long, even when backed by strong private capital, an established luxury brand association and political support at municipal and regional level.

Indicative timeline

The useful lesson from this timeline is not simply that the project survived. It is that even with strong private capital, a high-profile location, an international luxury brand association and support at both municipal and regional level, a single planning route in Marbella can absorb a full decade. That context is part of why we have written separately about Marbella's new PGOM and POU framework, which is intended to reduce exactly this kind of case-by-case planning friction over time.

Two developers are publicly associated with the current Las Dunas Club resort concept:

Platinum Estates is a Hong Kong-based investment group led by Harry Mohinani. The firm acquired the Las Dunas Club plot and has been associated with the project since its earlier stages.

Sierra Blanca Estates is a Marbella-based luxury developer with a track record in prime residential development in and around Marbella's Golden Mile and Sierra Blanca. In 2025, Sierra Blanca Estates and Platinum Estates announced an alliance to develop the new resort concept in Las Dunas Club Marbella. (SUR in English)

The earlier hotel partner publicly identified was Marriott International, originally through the W Hotels brand. Later trade reporting suggested that the project could move to a higher luxury label, such as St. Regis or The Ritz-Carlton, but no hotel operator has been officially confirmed by the developers at the time of writing. Until that confirmation arrives, brand-specific claims should be treated with caution. (Hosteltur; Cinco Días)

Branded residences have become one of the most visible structural shifts in Marbella's prime property market. The city has seen a growing number of projects where real estate is linked to hotel, fashion, design or lifestyle brands. We explain the model in more depth in our definitive guide to branded residences in Marbella.

Las Dunas Club is relevant because it is planned as a mixed hotel-and-residential resort. If it ultimately delivers an internationally operated luxury hotel alongside branded residences, it would belong to a narrower category than purely designer-branded residential projects. The difference matters: in hotel-anchored branded residences, the brand is tied to hospitality operations, service standards and guest infrastructure, not only to design or licensing. That has implications for service-charge structure, resale logic and ownership experience.

Selected luxury and branded-residence projects shaping the wider Marbella market

This is not a ranking and not a direct competitor table. It is a positioning reference. Buyers should distinguish between hotel-anchored branded residences, designer-branded residential projects and high-end beachfront developments without an operating hospitality brand. They can look similar in marketing language but behave differently in ownership costs, services, rules and resale logic.

Photo: Sierra Blanca Estates — Branded Residences Marbella

Marbella's property map has historically been weighted towards the western half of the municipality: the Golden Mile, Sierra Blanca, Nueva Andalucía, Puerto Banús, San Pedro and the inland communities behind them. Marbella East — including Los Monteros, Río Real, El Rosario, Las Chapas and Elviria — has offered a different proposition: wider beachside frontage, lower density, mature residential communities, and a quieter rhythm. It has historically traded at lower prices per square metre than the Golden Mile equivalents, even where the underlying land quality is comparable.

That balance has been changing gradually. The announced Four Seasons project in Los Monteros, the continued strength of beachside hospitality around Elviria, and the replacement of older villas with higher-specification new homes have all contributed to a shift in buyer perception. Las Dunas Club is one of the largest single planned interventions in this corridor.

The relevant question for owners and buyers is not whether values will move because of one approval. They should not be expected to move immediately on that basis alone. The more useful question is whether the structural identity of Marbella East is changing. In our view, it is. Las Dunas Club is one of the most visible markers of that long-term repositioning.

Areas most directly relevant to this development

Buyers searching across this corridor can review current availability on our pages for Las Chapas, Elviria, Los Monteros and Marbella East as a whole.

What it changes. The most important practical effect of the 12 May 2026 decision is that the project has a credible path to ground works. Years of planning ambiguity around this specific plot, including the question of how to handle the 30% protected-housing requirement, have now been addressed sufficiently for infrastructure works to be authorised. That clarity is real, and it matters for any current or future transaction within line-of-sight of the parcel.

What it does not change. The hotel and the residences are not licensed for construction yet. No operator brand has been confirmed by the developer side. No official opening date has been announced. The project has previously announced timelines (2019, then 2021) that did not materialise, and the urbanisation phase itself will take time. Investors and buyers should treat any timeline for the resort as preliminary until building licences are issued and visible construction begins.

What we would caution against. A single project announcement, even one of this scale, does not on its own justify aggressive repricing of nearby properties. Sustainable value moves are driven by infrastructure delivery, operator confirmation and the actual stabilisation of the hospitality offer over multiple seasons. Sellers and buyers acting on the announcement alone should expect that anchoring effects will only crystallise over years, not weeks. Reactive pricing in the first weeks after a planning milestone tends to overshoot in either direction.

The Real de Zaragoza dune system is one of the most biologically distinctive coastal areas remaining in central Costa del Sol. Its protection has been one of the central public concerns about the project for the entire decade it has been under discussion.

The approved urbanisation licence explicitly includes dune-regeneration works, conservation of existing trees, biodiversity-protection measures, sustainable channelling of the Arroyo Real de Zaragoza, new stormwater drainage and flood-prevention infrastructure. The municipality has publicly framed these as integral to the project rather than optional. (Málaga Hoy)

Whether the works deliver in practice the level of dune protection envisaged on paper will only become clear during execution. This is one of the dimensions of the project most worth following independently over the coming years, irrespective of any property-market view.

• Do not rush. Urbanisation approval is a milestone, not delivery. Wait for hotel construction licences and visible ground works before treating the resort as a hard market input.
• Re-test your area assumptions. If you previously dismissed Marbella East because it had fewer ultra-luxury hospitality anchors than the Golden Mile, the Four Seasons and Las Dunas Club pipeline is changing that argument. The change is gradual but real.
• Distinguish between resort-anchored and standalone properties. A villa within walking distance of an internationally branded resort behaves differently from one without that anchor, even at otherwise similar specifications.
• Understand the branded-residence proposition before assuming it is the right product for you. Branded residences carry higher service costs, stricter rules and longer reservation cycles than standalone luxury homes. They are an excellent fit for some buyers and a poor fit for others. Our definitive guide goes into this in more depth.
• If you already own in Las Chapas, Elviria, Los Monteros or El Rosario, request a fresh valuation once infrastructure works are visibly progressing, rather than reacting to the approval alone.
• Treat operator-brand claims with caution until the developer or the operator confirms publicly. Until then, references to specific Marriott labels should be regarded as informed reporting, not final confirmation.

What is Las Dunas Club Marbella?

Las Dunas Club Marbella is a planned beachfront luxury resort and branded-residence project in Real de Zaragoza, Las Chapas, in Marbella East. The latest public project announcements refer to a mixed resort with a hotel, branded residences, wellness, gastronomy and leisure facilities.

What was approved on 12 May 2026?

Marbella's Junta de Gobierno Local approved the urbanisation licence for the Las Dunas Club sector, according to local reporting. This allows infrastructure works such as roads, drainage, public services and environmental measures. It is not the construction licence for the hotel and residences.

Where exactly is Las Dunas Club?

The project is planned on a beachfront plot of approximately 160,000 m² at Real de Zaragoza beach in Las Chapas, within the Marbella East corridor and next to the Golden Beach urbanisation.

Who are the developers of Las Dunas Club?

The current project is publicly associated with Platinum Estates and Sierra Blanca Estates. Platinum Estates, led by Harry Mohinani, acquired the site, while Sierra Blanca Estates joined the current resort concept as a Marbella-based development partner.

Which hotel brand will operate Las Dunas Club?

No hotel operator has been officially confirmed publicly at the time of writing. Earlier reporting linked the project to W Hotels and Marriott International, while later trade reporting suggested the possibility of a higher luxury label such as St. Regis or The Ritz-Carlton. Until the developer or operator confirms this directly, brand-specific claims should be treated as preliminary.

When will Las Dunas Club open?

No official opening date has been confirmed. Earlier timelines attached to the project (2019, then 2021) did not materialise. The urbanisation phase must progress first, and the hotel and residences still require separate construction licences.

How much is being invested in Las Dunas Club?

The current urbanisation phase has been reported at €23.5 million, fully funded by the promoters. The latest public project announcements refer to total investment of more than €500 million, while earlier reports during previous planning stages referred to lower figures.

Why did this project take a decade to get to this point?

A combination of factors. The project required modification of Marbella's 1986 PGOU. In October 2023, Andalucía's Consultative Council issued an unfavourable report citing several planning deficiencies, including the absence of justification for exempting the project from the 30% reserved-for-protected-housing rule. The Junta de Andalucía required several rounds of corrections through 2024 before granting definitive approval of the PGOU modification. The municipal urbanisation licence followed in May 2026.

Will Las Dunas Club increase property prices in Marbella East?

In our view, the durable effect is structural rather than immediate. The arrival of internationally branded hospitality is one of several factors gradually repositioning Marbella East. A single approval is not sufficient on its own to justify aggressive repricing, and we would caution against using the announcement alone as a basis for short-term decisions. Infrastructure delivery, operator confirmation and actual construction progress matter more.

Is Las Dunas Club similar to Four Seasons Marbella?

Both projects combine a luxury hotel operator with branded residences in the Marbella East corridor, and both are still pending delivery. They are complementary rather than directly competing because they sit in different sub-locations (Los Monteros and Las Chapas) and likely target overlapping but distinct buyer profiles. The useful comparison is not project against project, but the combined effect they may have on buyer perception of Marbella East.

How does this fit with Marbella's new PGOM?

The Las Dunas Club approval process was completed under the legacy 1986 PGOU framework, with the help of a specific modification for the sector. Marbella's new PGOM, explained in our PGOM and POU guide, is intended to reduce the kind of case-by-case planning friction this project encountered. The full operational rules will only become detailed once the POU is approved.

Las Dunas Club has been on Marbella's planning agenda for so long that the May 2026 approval can easily be misread in two opposite ways: either as a non-event, or as a fully transformative milestone. Neither reading is accurate.

It is a meaningful but partial step, with real environmental commitments attached and with several major uncertainties still ahead, including operator confirmation, construction licensing and final timing.

What the decision does confirm is the direction of travel. Marbella East is being reshaped by internationally branded hospitality infrastructure, new residential investment and a stronger luxury positioning. The gap between West and East Marbella is not closing overnight, but it is narrowing slowly and visibly. Buyers, owners and observers should follow this process carefully, based on evidence rather than announcements.

Drumelia is not involved in the Las Dunas Club project. Our role is to give buyers, sellers and owners an independent reading of how decisions of this kind can affect specific streets, urbanisations and individual properties across Marbella. If you are weighing a purchase, a sale or a long-term position in Las Chapas, Elviria, Los Monteros, El Rosario or anywhere else in Marbella East, contact Drumelia for an unhurried, data-led conversation about your specific case.