In November 2018, Brendan Dwyer was appointed as the new general manager of La Finca Resort – part of Golf Quara – and has plans to turn the Spanish resort into Costa Blanca’s leading golf and gastronomy destination.

With a background in hospitality, and a cv that includes spells with Hyatt Hotels and La Manga Club situated just along the coast, Dwyer heads up a team that also includes Luke Murphy and Ana Lopez and is focused on repositioning the resort as he explains.

“My background is in hospitality and marketing so when I arrived at La Finca Resort I quickly realised that the product was essentially dormant.

“The golf facilities were very good but there was no real connection between these and the hotel, which is why I knew that we needed to reposition the product. To do this we needed to reinvest in a new team to radicalise the marketing, along with being tactical in the marketplace to attract a new, diverse clientele.

“The plans that we set in place were ambitious and required financial backing as we set out on a journey to diversify the product offering and make it more international. We also needed to deliver the message that the hotel and facilities at the resort are the very best in the region and cater for many types of client, not just golfers.”

La Finca is one of three courses within the Golf Quara group – which includes Villamartín and Las Ramblas – and Dwyer is keen to ensure that the resort in Algorfa, Alicante, sets itself apart with a reputation for fine food and the best of Spanish hospitality.

“La Finca was already very highly regarded and we were keen to ensure that the resort as a whole was reflective of that. As such, we carried out a soft refurbishment of our spa facilities, revamped our five-star hotel and opened Jardines La Finca Restaurant, which serves the very finest in Mediterranean cuisine with a touch of designer style.

“These have all helped to take what we already had here and elevate the visitor experience to the next level, and [we] have seen a very positive response to our hard work, especially from leisure clients.

“The resort now caters for a much wider business mix; it essentially boils down to diversification and this has led to a very positive start to 2020. We have started to work with a range of golf federations and tour operators, and it is very pleasing to see that we are starting to see the results of the implementation of our more focused marketing strategy.”

It’s evident talking with Dwyer that he sees the future of the resort as a five-star golf hotel & spa, with an emphasis on attracting couples – irrespective if they golf or not.

Given the inland location of La Finca, which forms part of a thriving all-year-round residential urbanisation, the resort is the ideal place to escape and relax in the Spanish sunshine. The surrounding towns of Algorfa and Los Montesinos exude Spanish charm, and are a world apart from the busy town of Villamartín with it’s vibrant night-life.

“Our focus as a management team was to create a modern and exciting resort that offers the best cuisine in the region – to be enjoyed by golfers and leisure visitors alike – and that is still very much at the forefront of our plans. We already have an excellent food and beverage offering, and we will be adding to these by opening two new restaurants and a winery later this year as we build on our reputation as a true gastronomic hub.

“Frijolino, a Mexican-Italian hybrid restaurant is set to open in the summer, followed soon afterwards by Misto Grillhouse, while the Bodega La Finca winery will open its doors in the next few months. These additions are all part of our bigger plan to globalise the product, making it more experiential and reaching out to a more diverse audience. People are looking for choice and our offering will be explosive, dynamic and interesting.”

And as Dwyer explains, the new gastronomy offerings will differ from traditional golf resort dining experiences: “We know that it is vitally important for our product to be the very best in the region if we are to reach the lofty heights that we set out to achieve.

“That’s why we will be going above and beyond to provide our guests with an experience that is truly unique and authentic; for example the new winery will be able to seat up to 35 people and will facilitate wine tasting presentations from expert sommeliers, which is an ideal addition for a golfing trip or those looking to try a variety of fine wines from traditional and New World regions.

“Misto Grillhouse will offer the very best meats from around the world – cooked by great chefs and accompanied by the very best wines – and guests will also have the option of enjoying truly authentic Valencian paellas, cooked over natural woods for a spectacular taste and stunning overall dining experience that reflects our vision of the resort as a whole.”

La Finca Resort was named ‘Spain’s Best Golf Hotel’ at the 2019 World Golf Awards which reward excellence in golf tourism around the world, and that is an accolade that Dwyer and his management team are seeking to build upon.

“We are extremely proud to say [that] we have been nominated for the award again this year.

“We also won Spain’s Leading Sports Resort at the World Travel Awards in June which again shows that our hard work is paying off, and gives myself and the other members of the management team a lot of confidence going forward.

“We are on a continuous journey to enhance our offering at La Finca Resort and put the venue on the map as the very best golf resort and pinnacle of golfing tourism in Costa Blanca.”

On the golf operational side, all three of the courses in the Golf Quara group are in the second year of a three-year enhancement project, with subtle changes at La Finca visible, although not prominent.

La Finca opened its doors in August 2002, and was designed by Spanish designer Pepe Gancedo. Forming two loops of nine returning to the Andalusian-style clubhouse, the course is most famous for its distinctive 7th green, which is square and resembles a bowling green.

Walkable, the course is divided into two parcels of land, with the par-3, 3rd hole through to the dog-leg right par 4, 7th – with the aforementioned green – enclosed by front-line golf villas that form a natural amphitheatre.

The facilities at La Finca Resort include the five-star hotel with 120 guest rooms; an outdoor swimming pool; a conservatory with space for 350 people; a racquet area with both tennis and paddle courts; and the newly renovated, luxury spa with a gym, water circuits, and massage and treatment rooms.

But as Dwyer concludes, he and his team are not resting on their laurels, as there is still much work to be done.

“We are extremely proud of what has been achieved at the resort to date and we will continue to build on that success in 2020 and beyond. It is always encouraging to see tangible improvements from one year to another and we are excited by the prospect of what we can achieve with our new gastronomic offerings.

“Our key goal is to continue to attract a wider mix of clientele alongside our golf business and we are very confident about achieving this.”