Sotogrande

SO/ 

Thanks to a friend and regular collaborator, Horacio Alcalá, our office had the chance to transform one of the resorts located in possibly the best part of the Cádiz coast: the Almenara Hotel in Sotogrande.

The vision: to rejuvenate and reposition a successful and renowned hotel in a leading European destination with a brand that is also innovative and newly created to align with the new generations – SO/ by Accor.

With that aim, freedom to create, and the trust placed in us by Alsotel, Sotogrande, and Orión, we began to reimagine the site; how to create the new atmosphere of interior architecture and landscape that would be capable of soaking up the idyllic location.

There were many concepts that were thought up, but the end the riskiest but most inclusive won out.

Aim: to go from a closed place for families to a large, rejuvenating central park that opens out to the best views of southern Spain.

To move from a golf resort to a new "country house" concept adapted to the land, creating service and leisure areas.

Destinations are created, and they start with their access points.

We created a new, awe-inspiring elevated platform to create surprise in the client as soon as he or she arrives. The platform sprawls towards the views, with the creation of a new reception building as the door to enter into the hotel's new garden park.

All associated services are below ground, leaving a clean design, exposing only the customer experience.

From this new platform, one can walk or take a golf cart to access the central park, which is parallel to the coastline and divides the hotel into two clear sectors: 

1. The existing rooms and main building, as well as the old reception area, which we kept after having demolished the spaces that oppressed the views of the valley and Sotogrande.
2. The new common areas and food and beverage areas, spa area, golf area, pools, and leisure areas.

These terraced, semi-buried, landscaped area that are integrated into the topography offer a spectacle when customers access the facilities in addition to providing privacy in each of the buildings without affecting the rear rooms or the swimming pool and restaurant areas.  These latter areas become the new nerve center of the customers' new life and rest.

Welcome to the new Eden, the new space to be; a space to share experiences.  This is an integrated, natural environment with a new image that reflects both local tradition and the innovative image associated with Sotogrande. Sobriety and neutral elegance.

Welcome to So/ Sotogrande.