Marbella Old Town’s first luxury boutique property, Hotel Claude, has opened an exhibition by the artist Julia Roder in the public rooms of its 17th-century townhouse, a few steps from the Plaza de los Naranjos. The show marks the start of a year-round cultural programme that will be open to residents as well as to guests.
Eighteen works hang across the marble patio, the library and the upper terrace, and can be seen free of charge until July 2027. This week’s inauguration brought together a tour led by Roder herself, a locally based artist, live music and a tasting prepared by the hotel kitchen. Among those present was Francisca Caracuel, Fifth Deputy Mayor of Marbella and Fourth Vice-President of the Diputación de Málaga.
‘Showing my work at Hotel Claude has a particular meaning, because it is a place where art belongs naturally’, said Roder. ‘The building itself tells stories, and its intimate atmosphere creates a rare conversation between the work, the architecture and the people looking at it.’
Art is part of the biography of the building. Local tradition connects the house to the Empress Eugénie de Montijo, and it was later the home of the French opera singer Claude Devoize and her husband, Don Juan Berjano, whose enthusiasm for music and the arts turned it into a meeting place for artists, writers and notable visitors. Through the seventies and eighties it hosted opera rehearsals, literary gatherings and society balls.
Cultural Calendar
Hotel Claude works regularly with artists, galleries, musicians, craftspeople and businesses across the city, and intends to build a calendar that combines exhibitions with literary evenings, concerts, wine tastings and food events, all of them open to the public.
‘Hotel Claude is not simply a hotel’, said Olivia Voicu, the hotel’s director. ‘It is a house with a soul, where history, culture and genuine hospitality come together. Our ambition is to preserve the timeless character of this extraordinary house, while enriching it with food, art and cultural experiences that celebrate the spirit of Marbella.’
The hotel opened in 2007 and has seven rooms, each one dedicated to an Andalusian province and furnished with bespoke pieces. The most recent full restoration was completed in 2021.. Hotel Claude is part of the Grand Hotel & Suites Group.
Soleil Brasserie Restaurant
Towards the end of 2026 Hotel Claude will be opening Soleil Brasserie, the hotel’s first restaurant open to non-residents. Led by executive chef Volodymyr Huk, it will serve a refined Mediterranean menu.
Contact Details
Website: hotelclaudemarbella.com/
Address: C. San Francisco, 5, 29601 Marbella, Málaga, Spain
