Morocco calls.
Sometimes I just need to dream about soothing in Eden – and I know just how to find both excitement and a meditative stillness in Morocco. From ancient trading cities, to quiet beaches, forever dunes and up to the Atlas mountains, I have a few places where you should come rest your beautiful head.
– Need a little city life for vibrancy?
Selman
Designed by the dramatic French designer Jacques Garcia, the Moorish-style grand Selman in red brick is just a moment’s drive from the riveting Marrakech medina and envelops as a world within a world hidden from the rest of the chaotic city. With 56 rooms and five Riads this family owned resort is something of a grandeur-plush-extravaganza that reverberates with everything seductive. Every space you lose yourself in is another caboodle of divergent textures meeting the finest details: from antique carpets and suede walls to ebony-stained plasterwork and the blackest lacquer and all the way to seductive linens for the sleep of a lifetime. Besides the romantic gardens reserved for whispered strolls, French kitchens serving contemporary fare and the impressive sixteen Arabian thoroughbreds parading in a paddock, there is a unique spa by Chenot. The notable Italian Alps medical spa by Henri Chenot has long attracted the die-hards of detox but here in the heart of Morocco the focus is more on unwinding, unraveling and generally slowing down the pace of life with some relaxation treatments. selman-marrakech.com
Riad Mena
My friend Philomena owns this, and she has fabulous taste. Always has, since our days in Paris shopping like we meant it.
On the edge of old town Marrakech is where this five bedroomed private Riad quietly nestles between the tight streets and always-noisy Medina. Designed by Marrakesh-based designer Romain Michel-Ménière and the art-loving owner Philomena Schurer the exclusive property, originally conceived as a private home, opened its doors this month and besides for its homey focus – which means the finest quality is absolutely evident throughout – there is also a strong locavore philosophy that rings true here. From the organic amenities to the produce, including olive oil, herbs and honey, it all comes from their two-acre permaculture farm just outside the city in Ourika Valley. Guests can spend the heat of the day at the Riad’s Hamam, getting lost in the library with carefully selected art books or cruise out to the farm where swimming in the natural pool, picnicking under the olive trees or practicing yoga on the terrace overlooking the Atlas Mountains is the very simple order of the day. Evenings the local chefs prepare traditional fare, from tagine to couscous, as old movies screen outside on the terrace with mostly the stars to behold. There is nothing quite as luxurious as making yourself totally at home all the while your every whim is satisfied. Riadmenaandbeyond.com
La Sultana
Perfectly located in Marrakesh’s Golden Triangle, adjacent to the Royal and Bahia Palaces and famous Jemma El Fna place, La Sultana charms with its commitment to privacy and authentic oriental aesthetic. The area was historically a place where the cognoscenti, artistic and lettered came to play with each other and the locals too and is solid with excessive Moorish and Berber history and so this small luxury hotel blends right into the fabric of the city. Designed with days of yore and geography in mind the hotel, with only 28 rooms each craftily and individually decorated, incorporated local craftsmen throughout the construction process. The result – an exquisite refuge from the scrambling city outside. Originally a Moroccan Riad, with windows all facing into the courtyard, the rooms are all layered with traditional décor and filled up with some of the local Moorish magic. Panoramic terraces throughout with cooling spaces, a blessing with the summer heat packing a firm punch, act as sanctuaries complete with views on the archaic world below – from street vendors, to donkeys, to colorful displays of fabrics and textiles. If eating is on the cards chefs prepare tasting menus that include terrines of Foie Gras and couscous Ghanmi with its seven vegetables and in the morning cooking classes are delivered on the terraces. The traditional spa, in pink marble, offers ancestral rituals with far-flung spices and ancient perfumes as part of the relaxation and healing. Leaving the Riad is clearly optional at this point. lasultanahotels.com
Royal Mansour
With a dedication to decorative arts passed down through generations and a love for the work of 1,500 local artisans the Royal Mansour, within the 13th century Marrakech city walls, is built on three and half hectares. Conceived as a medina within the greater medina and endowed by the King Mohammed VI, who required the project to have a budget-less approach, the resort has been created as the finest representation of Moroccan architecture. The Imperial estate consists of 53 Riads; each with an individual spirit and bestowed in the finest silks, antiques, marquetry, beaten metals, hand crafted furniture and geometric tiling called zellij. With a network of discreet underground tunnels the service of the property, with butlers on call, is where it lays much of its delight and guests endlessly wandering around the courtyards past the pools, stocked libraries, fabulous bars and many aromatic Moorish gardens are always sated with that familiar sound of ice blocks singing against glass. Dining here is a choice between Grande Table Française, supposedly the best French restaurant in Africa, the fine dining Grande Table Marocaine and the all-day-dining La Table – each topping the other with a better performance. But it is the spa, with a magical all white 27,000-square-foot lacework frame that truly invites you into its inner sanctum, or harem, with the intention of healing your body and also your mind. royalmansour.com
– Beach seclusion for nourishment
La Sultana Oualidia
There is something gentle and poetic about La Sultana Oualidia – subtly away from any gaudy tourists or tawdry distractions. With only 12 suites, but also offering a luxurious yacht, the hotel renders a respite from everyday bedlam. The quietly elegant hotel, dedicated to nature and the nearby ocean, is on the brim of the preserved Oualidia lagoon with salt marshes and some wild surf at the rocky breakwater. Each room, pared down but in a neoclassical style, sports a private terrace with seawater jacuzzi perfect for hours where doing absolutely nothing is most certainly expected. The spa, with a full range of aromatherapy products and modern herbalism, uses local products including lemons, cumin, olives and also henna, and the famed Argan oils. Sunshine hours, which there are plenty of here, are spent bobbing in the ocean staring at toes or sleeping in a stirring white linen daybed on the beach. Evenings Berber tents are pitched in the sand and ocean inspired cuisine is served at glistering candlelight. A simple life celebrated. lasultanahotels.com
– Desert for revitalization
Amanjena
Called “peaceful paradise” for good reason this desert resort set in an oasis of palms and olive trees on Route de Ouarzazate is where the tired and weary come for fortification. Designed in 1998 by American designer Ed Tuttle with a nod and some respect to the Moorish heritage every beautiful arch, fountain and stone courtyard pays homage. The exclusivity of this mere 36 roomed resort commingled with the silence of the surrounding Sahara desert and Atlas Mountains on the distant horizon is what furnishes that signature Aman privilege. Inspired by the colors of Marrakesh, called “the red city,” the pavilions are rosy-hued and embellished with hand cut zellij tiles. In true Aman fashion, the resort gives off that sublime feeling of true privacy – being the only ever-so-pampered guest for miles. Each pavilion, under a stuc Venetien dome, opens up on either the 27-hole golf course or olive groves and is decorated in an understated Moroccan elegance with subtle details like tadelakt finishing on the walls, the fine leather and wielded cherry wood. The resort, with enough to do on the property between the fine Moroccan and Mediterranean fare options, clay tennis courts, golf and of course traditional spa, also encourages seeing the surrounding beauty: grab a bike and head out on some of the dirt trails through Berber villages in the abutting countryside. Returning to paradise after the exploration is certainly encouraged. amanresorts.com
Erg Chigaga Desert camp
Deep into the magical desert beyond the dunes is where Erg Chigaga set up their private exclusive-hire nomadic desert camp consisting of a series of luxury tents. An eternal sky with no real sense of time the desert is a place for both contemplation and reflection and so an undemanding life is revered here. Solar powered private camps, with three en-suite white and ruby tents, come with elegant yet unshowy bedrooms and lounges for retreating, wall to wall kilims throughout and a little stool in the bathroom for lavish sponge baths. Outside hang enviable hammocks and poufs are laid out for resting back just taking in the intoxicating desert air. The local Berber staff lead excursions including a trek that runs overnight on camel back into the dunes and of course sand boarding for the purveyors of more activity. Breakfasts are served with the morning sun and dinner is an affair for under the stars – days and nights feel longer here and somehow that is exactly the point. desertcampmorocco.com
Dar Ahlam Maison Des Rêves
In the land of the thousand Kasbahs the Dar Ahlam, on the edge of the South Moroccan desert and with the Atlas Mountain peaks in the distance, is a mysterious country getaway in a lush palm grove; and is absolutely perfect for finding some solace. The surroundings, with dates and roses, almond trees and secret gardens all lead to the main fantastical looking red brick Kasbah. Set in a restored 19th century Kasbah the hotel, called the “house of dreams,” is a fanciful wonderland that delivers playfulness and whimsical magic through the Parisian owner’s fantasy world. This Ouarzazate region of the country, located between Skoura and the Atlas mountains, conjures the Arabian fables and was said to have been the medieval sultan’s hunting ground. Besides the nine suites and three private villas, all done with that certain French panache combined with touches of subtle Moroccan flavors and the luxury of no televisions, the hotel is coupled with a luxury desert bivouac tent. This desert jaunt comes en-suite, and has a private terrace for looking across the sands at mystic lights and Arabian dreams all whilst enjoying a sunset cool down drink. The dunes offer a quiet murmur of timelessness and the stillness here becomes you. maisondesreves.com
– The Atlas Mountains for meditation and reflection
Kasbah Bab Ourika
Regally atop a hill with the sonorous Atlas Mountains seemingly right close up and the lush river valley below, this limestone and earth mountain retreat extends a gentle repose with a focus on sustainability far away from the usual tourist track of Marrakesh. Berber villages are in the distance, olive groves, rose bushes and lemon trees are dotted around the gardens, some even supplying fresh produce in the kitchen, and then there are the rolling hills with snow-capped mountains – just a few of the views from the lazy deck chairs at the pool of the romantic Kasbah Bab Ourika. The rustic 15 rooms and suites mostly come with private balconies and all decorated with Romain Michel-Ménière’s careful hand – unique craft décor items, leather bed heads and a variety of lines and fabrics are mantled on sofas, day beds, comfortable chairs and across oversized beds were laying low and daydreaming is envisaged. Dining here is an amorous affair with candles, the finest fresh seasonal food including the acclaimed lamb. As the sun sets across the mountains the stars light up the sky in silence and the guests are afforded a reprieve from the monkey mind. kasbahbabourika.com
Kasbah Tamadot
Owned by Sir Richard Branson this hilltop boutique palace has the best of both worlds – a magical daydream finesse quality overlooking the mountains with forever views and perfect access to the best adventure the area has to offer. With only 27 bedrooms and suites the hotel feels like a big country house with a relaxed and convivial attitude – just ask the wandering peacocks. The décor, a mix of African, Indian and Far Eastern, is colorful and effortlessly simple. Besides spending hours at the sizable pool the Kasbah offers a full range of activities from tennis to quad biking to trekking, to hot air ballooning all the way to a 2-day hike to the top of the nearby Mount Toubkal. Only the best will do and so the Asounfou spa and Hamam deliver the goods with treatments like Yazire, a moisturizing massage with rosemary and warm oils – a bonus that 15% of the proceeds from treatments make its way to developing sustainable enterprises in the local community. kasbahtamadot.virgin.com
Only the cognoscenti know about these surprises in Marrakesh (little insights from my friend Philomena):
– Marrakshi Life, for textiles and woven designs (souk cherifia, 1st floor sidi, abdelaziz 4000)
– An exclusive and private dinner at the oldest guesthouse in the city (darrbaalaroub.com)
– The first concept store in town Majorelle 33 (33ruemajorelle.com)
– Riad 18 is an art space and residency for artists (18 Derb el Ferrane, laaroussa Riad)