by Del Sol Marbella, Spain (23rd Country of Operation for Del Sol)
New store owners, Gunter and Sabine Heuten, first saw Del Sol while on a Holland America cruise in St. Thomas years ago. They fell in love with the Del Sol’s color-changing clothing and store experience and have wanted to open a store ever since.
Marbella is a city in Andalusia, Spain, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, situated in the province of Málaga, beneath La Concha Mountain along the Costa Del Sol, which is 90 miles east of the Strait of Gibraltar. Marbella is considered one of the most important beach resorts in the area and attracts tourists from Northern Europe, including the UK, Ireland and Germany, as well as the U.S., Italy and Spain.
The Costa Del Sol is extremely popular because of the climate, the golf courses, and the hotel resorts in the region. There are 2,000 hotel rooms within a five-mile radius of the new store. Marbella does not receive cruise ships right now, but a big development is planned for the main port, which is directly opposite the store. The Heutens are hoping to receive cruise ships within the next five years once the development of the pier is complete. Gunter is hoping that this store is the first of many Del Sol stores in Spain in the very near future.