Voices of Select Green Hotels: Conversations with the people shaping sustainable hospitality.
Between the Strait of Gibraltar and the cork oak forests of Los Alcornocales, OKU Andalusia sits on the coastline of La Alcaidesa in a corner of southern Spain that still feels unhurried — where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean and the air carries, on certain mornings, an unmistakable salt-marsh scent drifting in from the water.
Opened in July 2025, OKU Andalusia is the brand’s first family resort and its first property on the Spanish mainland, joining OKU Ibiza and OKU Kos in a portfolio rooted in what the brand calls barefoot luxury — a way of being that is at once sophisticated and deeply grounded in place.
We spoke to Sergio Tamayo, General Manager at OKU Andalusia, about what makes this stretch of coastline unlike any of the brand’s other destinations — and why the smell of the estuary at dawn might be the hotel’s most honest welcome.
“Guests come here and find everything they need to be happy.”
1. OKU Andalusia opened in July 2025. The brand already had properties in Ibiza and Kos. What does Andalusia offer that those destinations didn’t?
Yes, the brand already had hotels in Ibiza and in Kos, Greece. We were the third to open, and OKU Bodrum in Turkey has just launched too. Andalusia is an international destination with great gastronomy, a very family-friendly atmosphere, golf courses, good weather all year round, and a wide range of leisure options for visitors from around the world — I think it’s a perfect place for the brand to keep growing.
2. How does OKU Andalusia connect to the wider OKU philosophy?
The OKU philosophy is closely tied to nature and local culture, so I think this was exactly the right move. The hotel sits between Sotogrande and the Los Alcornocales nature reserve, with views all the way to Gibraltar. The Alcornocales has an extraordinary variety of vegetation, and we’re also surrounded by some of the world’s finest golf courses, including Valderrama. The location makes the hotel a truly unique space, one that connects deeply with nature and with the local culture we want to convey.
3. The renovation followed ecological building standards. What do guests notice about the hotel’s sustainability, and what happens behind the scenes?
We used a lot of wood and noble materials, and we preserved the traditional Andalusian architecture. All the roofs, for example, are built with terracotta tiles, which help keep temperatures low in summer and protect against the cold in winter — a great ally when it comes to energy consumption. Almost everything on the menu is locally sourced. Guests also notice our Mediterranean garden, planted with native species that need very little water. Some things are less visible but just as important: we have solar panels, smart cisterns, taps fitted with aerators to reduce water use, and recycled water is used to irrigate all the gardens.
4. The hotel works with local producers and the surrounding community. How do those partnerships work in practice?
Bread, vegetables, fish, fruit — everything comes from local suppliers across Cádiz and Málaga, since OKU Andalusia sits right on the border between the two provinces. And we never rely on a single supplier. For fruit, for instance, we work with three or four different producers and buy whatever is in season from each of them — that way we support more businesses in the area. We apply the same logic to hiring. We have international staff, but also people from Algeciras, La Línea, San Roque, Estepona, Marbella — it matters to us that the local community benefits from good working conditions.
5. If a guest had only one full day at OKU Andalusia, how would you suggest they spend it?
I’d start with a long, leisurely breakfast with sea views first thing in the morning — the sunrises from the breakfast terrace are spectacular. Then a walk along the beach, some time by the pool, and in the early afternoon a treatment at the spa. A good lunch, followed by a siesta — we are in Andalusia, after all, and we Andalusians love our afternoon rest. Later, some sport on the tennis or padel courts, and after a long shower, dinner at Teyo, our Japanese restaurant.
6. Wellbeing is central to the OKU experience — a 2,000 sqm spa, yoga, tennis, padel, water sports. What does a guest arriving here typically need?
OKU Andalusia is a destination hotel. Guests come here and find everything they need to be happy. There are spa treatments, an indoor heated pool, sauna, hammam, sensory showers, sound healing… For families, there’s a fantastic kids club set in the upper part of the hotel, with sweeping views and direct contact with nature. Outside there are lawns, an organic garden where children go to pick aromatic herbs and then make pizzas with a chef in a kitchen just for them. The programme is fun and educational at once. Whether guests come with children or not, they arrive to unwind, slow down, and enjoy a beach resort at its very best.
7. What feeling or memory do you hope guests take with them when they leave?
I hope they leave with a memory of happiness. The feeling of: “those days at the hotel were wonderful — I’d love to go back, because it was a place where they truly looked after us.”
OKU Andalusia – In Short
8. Your favorite spot in or around the hotel?
The low armchairs at the bar, right next to the counter, at sunset. You can see the sea, the occasional sailing boat drifts past — it’s a very peaceful spot.
9. A dish at Teyo you would always order?
The Gambero Rojo — a red prawn tartare with sauce. I love it because it puts a genuinely local product front and centre, and anyone who enjoys seafood will find the flavour remarkably intense.
10. A sound, a texture, or a detail that defines this place for you?
Being so close to the Strait of Gibraltar, there’s sometimes a salt-marsh scent in the morning that is unlike anything else. I tend to arrive at the hotel very early, and when I step out of the car, the first thing I notice is that smell of the sea — something I’ve never experienced anywhere else along this coast. The sound of the waves is also present throughout almost every part of the hotel, even from the rooms. Here, where the Atlantic comes to meet the Mediterranean, it’s more powerful than anywhere else in the region.
Curious about the rest of the OKU family? Find out more about OKU Ibiza, OKU Kos, and OKU Bodrum.
