Whether you're considering your move to Spain or already live here, it's always refreshing to hear about others' stories and find out about some of the people who live here. That's why we are conducting quick 10-minute interviews with colleagues, clients, friends and acquaintances so you get an insight into the type of people living here and day-to-day life here in Spain!

Arjan van de Vrande is a dear friend of ours and is the owner of the incredible Castillo de Monda. Recently upgraded by the local town hall to a 4-star establishment in the "Rural hotel" category, Castillo de Monda offers fabulous rooms for the ideal getaway, a restaurant, bar, wellness treatments and conference rooms.

1. How long have you lived on the Costa del Sol for?
Since 1996, although I have been back in the Netherlands from 2008-2015. Prior to Hotel Castillo de Monda, I used to have a much smaller hotel - restaurant in an old Cortijo in Coín. As my brother wanted to leave the hospitality industry and I was aiming or something a bit larger (so that indeed you can be off a day or two) we sold it in 2007. I was asked to do two interim jobs in the Netherlands and thought that would be nice after so many years in Spain. I was once there for 1.5 years before the financial crisis started and I thought it would not be a good idea to start a new hotel in Spain at that moment. That is why I stayed much longer than planned until I returned at the end of 2015. Luckily I kept my house here!

2. What made you want to open a business on the Costa del Sol?
Beautiful nature, space, nice weather, friendly people, relatively relaxed way of life (compared to the Netherlands).

3. What’s the best thing about the Costa del Sol as a place to live in your opinion?
The combination of everything mentioned above.

4. Give us a brief description of what you get up to on your usual working day.
As a director of a relatively small (34 rooms) hotel restaurant, my tasks are very diverse and it is definitely not a nine-to-five job. Obviously, my first responsibility is making sure that our guests are comfortable and spend a nice time in our hotel or restaurant. Sometimes I help out in the restaurant as one of the waiters (something I really enjoy, but unfortunately, don’t have much time for). I could be doing the administration, paying the invoices, having job interviews, etc. etc. Of course I have regular meetings with my senior management team, the ladies of our events sales department, local authorities, our accountant, the guys from our maintenance department, just to name a few. I can even be found washing the dishes (I find that pretty relaxing, nobody talks to you and you are there with just your thoughts), it just depends on where we need assistance at a specific moment.

5. How has business been for you in the past two years?
Obviously, the Covid 19 period has been awful. Altogether, we have been closed for nearly a year, and the time we have been open in between the lockdowns have been a (financial) disaster. It set us back a year in time when it comes to finances, so we had to delay refurbishment works and other investments we would have liked to do and we sadly had to give up the successful restaurant we used to have in Marbella. Luckily, after Covid, business has picked up really well, although it remains a challenge because of the heavily increased prices of energy and the products we buy. It means that I have to be on top of what we spend, because we do not want to raise our prices as much as our buying prices have risen. After Covid, it is also suddenly very difficult to find good staff. We are really happy with the team we have now, but we have had a hard time finding them.

6. How do you enjoy spending your weekends and free time?
My "weekends" are normally not at the actual weekend, usually I try to be off during the week. Admittedly, it is pretty difficult to be completely off, there is always someone calling me or sending a WhatsApp message. I find it difficult not to reply immediately. During my time off, I enjoy walking my dog Yaco through the countryside, spending time gardening, washing my car (yes, I really enjoy that, I find it extremely relaxing and love a clean car, believe it or not) and having a nice dinner party/bbq with friends or go out for a meal in a decent restaurant. I always try to have a 30-minute siesta on the sun lounger in the shade, even on working days. I think I might have been born in the wrong country?

7. If you could be in charge of any other business here on the Costa del Sol for a day, which would it be and why?
Hmmm, I wouldn’t mind working as a real estate agent, I have always had an interest in that and in fact I used to help out a friend with a real estate agency in the Netherlands in the past. I have always loved houses, maybe Kelly asks me one time to help her out. Occasionally I help out the local building company – the owner is a good friend for many years already - with foreign clients who don’t speak Spanish good enough to execute a large refurbishment of their home. I actually really enjoy thinking about how to redecorate a house, but there is only so much you can change in your own home… I am multi-lingual, I speak and write English, Spanish, German and Dutch at a decent level and I get by with French. That is very helpful here when living on the Costa del Sol and running a hospitality business.

8. What’s your favourite food?
I don’t have one favourite dish, there are too many things I like! If I was to name just a few: good jamón Ibérico, Asian food, dry-aged meat and a good gazpacho...

9. Describe what your perfect home on the Costa del Sol would be like and where it would be.
I personally love my own - a detached house in Monda with a nice spacious garden and a pool. I have lived in Marbella in the past but Monda has the best of both worlds in my opinion. Monda is an authentic, quiet Spanish town yet still within easy reach of the coast, Málaga town, the airport, etc. When it comes to the house, I think also in southern Spain a well-insulated house with a proper heating system is very important. I have never felt so cold whilst living in southern Spain. Here nothing has been built for cold weather and in winter time it can be cold and humid. That is why my house is equipped with central heating, wall insulation, thick double glazing, etc. Obviously, a good wood-burning stove can heat well, but you have to keep it going all the time. I sometimes come home from work (way) after midnight and if you then come home in a cold house - it is not pleasant! I also have air conditioning, but I hardly use it. Obviously, the insulation helps there as well. The central heating, however, I use every Winter.

10. Who would be your perfect dinner guest?
Happy people, cheerful people who believe life is fun.