Concept-Helios Almuñecar.

Helios Hotels is a hotel group closely connected to Spain’s Mediterranean coast. Its large resorts, many of which emerged during the tourism boom of the 1970s, belong to a recognisable tradition of holiday architecture that is now entering a new phase of transformation. The group is redefining its positioning around wellbeing, sport and slow tourism, seeking to offer a more relaxed experience that is more closely connected to each destination.

Following Trenchs Studio’s intervention at Helios Mallorca, this evolution continues at Helios Costa Tropical in Almuñécar, with the refurbishment of the ground-floor lounge and bar, together with the outdoor bar and terrace.

In this case, the project begins with a particularly significant condition: the architecture of the hotel itself. Its strong geometry and distinctive Mediterranean resort character are understood not as something to be transformed or concealed, but as part of an identity worth recovering and enhancing.

The proposal therefore establishes a dialogue between Helios Hotels’ new philosophy and the memory of the building. A certain essence of Mediterranean hotels from the 1960s and 1970s remains present, but in a subtle and renewed way. Rather than literally reproducing a vintage aesthetic, the project seeks to recover their natural simplicity and their relaxed way of inhabiting spaces by the sea, reinterpreting them through a contemporary sensibility.

The Mediterranean becomes the guiding thread of the project. The architecture opens itself to the landscape, while the sea remains present throughout the entire sequence of spaces. Warm woods, ceramic, mineral surfaces, metal and small accents of colour create a calm and timeless atmosphere, where materiality and light reinforce this constant relationship with the surroundings.

Inside, the intervention respects and works with the existing architecture. The new slatted ceiling emphasises its geometry and creates a continuous rhythm across the lounge, while the large bar retains its distinctive layout and becomes one of the main features of the space. Its timber front is combined with stone surfaces and a large suspended steel-and-glass glass rack, conceived almost as a sculptural piece.

Coffee takes on a particularly important role here. One end of the bar is specifically dedicated to its preparation, turning it into a small, visible and recognisable ritual within the lounge. More than simply an additional service, coffee becomes part of the way the space is inhabited throughout the day, reinforcing its social and relaxed character. The project itself positions it as one of the protagonists of the space.

Around it, the large lounge is divided into different ways of occupying and experiencing the space. Generous upholstered benches, tables at different heights, armchairs and more informal pieces create a sequence of environments that allow the space to be used in different ways throughout the day. The deliberate mix of furniture, materials and textures introduces a slightly nostalgic, lived-in quality, moving away from an overly homogeneous hotel aesthetic. Vegetation, integrated at various points, also brings the landscape into the interior.

This variety allows a large-scale space to feel more domestic and intimate. Each area develops its own character without losing the overall sense of continuity, encouraging both social interaction and quieter, more contemplative moments.

The transition towards the terrace is natural and seamless. The interior opens onto the exterior, and the terrace becomes an extension of the lounge itself, recovering the direct relationship between architecture, climate and outdoor living that is so characteristic of Mediterranean hotels.

Outside, a second bar and different furniture groupings create a variety of settings, ranging from dining tables to more relaxed seating areas. Integrated planters and slatted elements introduce vegetation and privacy without isolating the space from its surroundings. The terrace thus becomes a new place from which to experience the hotel, always in dialogue with the light, climate and landscape of Almuñécar.

Helios Costa Tropical continues the hotel group’s renewal process through a site-specific approach. It is a project that does not seek to erase the hotel’s past, but rather to update it: enhancing its architecture, subtly reinterpreting the essence of the great Mediterranean hotels, and using it as the foundation for a new way of enjoying time by the sea.