Always popular, Marrakech offers a taste of far-flung exotica at tantalisingly close quarters.
Luxury hotels abound but the Mandarin Oriental, a relative new-comer on the scene, unreservedly steals the show with its picture-perfect setting against the snow-capped Atlas Mountains
Where is it?
Adding to its attraction as weekend-away accessible, the hotel is just 15 minutes from Marrakech Menara international airport and only five minutes from the vibrant Medina, where snake-charmers charm, stall holders haggle and the narrow souks are filled with the smell of leather drying in the sun, noise from the beat of the blacksmiths and colour from the weavers and jewellers.
Style
Designed by French duo Patrick Gilles and Dorothée Boissier, the hotel draws on Berber and Moorish influences. The huge stand alone villas with walled courtyards, built from local sandstone, are contemporary interpretations of the traditional riad and lie surrounded by the lush 20 hectare gardens filled with olive groves, roses and rambling bougainvillea. In the main building, Gilles and Boissier reference Moroccan crafts: floors of white and black mosaics; walls adorned with typical warm H’ssira star mats incorporating subtle Berber motifs. In the lobby a fan, the logo of the hotel group, was designed by Zineb Joundy and constructed by Maison Duvelleroy, fan makers for the royalty in the 19th century and the only Parisian fan house to remain in operation. The ‘palmettes’ of the fan alternate between grey and white silk, with some embroidered with cotton thread in grey and saffron in a traditional Berber design. The adjacent spa was inspired by the cathedrals and ancient mosques of Andalusia. Sunlit pathways are framed by red-brick walls and columns with endless arches leading to an indoor pool, under a white carved stucco ceiling.
Facilities
As appropriate for a resort which is a destination in itself, facilities are numerous for both adults and children alike. There is a large outdoor heated swimming pool as well as an indoor one in the Spa, which has six treatment rooms, two Moroccan hammams dedicated to the traditional black soap scrub, a hairdresser, a beauty salon, a yoga studio and a fitness centre. There is bike hire and a jogging trail around the 20 hectare gardens and there is also direct access to two local golf courses and two tennis courts. There are cooking classes with the Chef. Customised tours with a private driver and guide into the Atlas Mountains or the Agafay desert can be organised, as can quad biking, horse or camel riding. Cultural trips into the medina and shopping trips are also available. For children there is the excellent Kasbah Kid’s Club which is centred on the small farm complete with donkeys and near the Chef’s organic garden from which the children can pick vegetables and learn to cook. There are also classes to learn Berber-style carpet weaving and Arabic calligraphy.
Food & Drink
The Mes’Lalla Restaurant specialises in traditional Moroccan gastronomy with contemporary touches, using organic products from the hotel garden; think Tangia M’rrakchia, slow cooked beef shank, semolina with chickpeas and carrots and tagines with preserved lemons and the characteristic crushed Mes’Lalla olives accompanied by Moroccan Rosé wine. The Salon Berbere, light-filled for breakfasts of Moroccan specialities like Msamen (small squared pancakes eaten warm with honey) with its white Moorish columns, re-invents itself at dusk when it opens as a champagne bar. Ling Ling is an outpost of the renowned Hakkasan group and its night time buzz and party vibe pulls in the crowds. Cocktails (try the Kzbor Freshness: Belvedere vodka, limoncini, cucumber, coriander, lime) meet Cantonese dishes such as steamed scallop in a noodle nest with spicy black bean sauce before an evening of dancing, with the restaurant’s large terrace coming into its own in summer. The sound design has been perfected by Pathaan, the resident Hakkasan DJ in London. The Pool Garden is the place for easy lunches under the sun, with a wide variety of Mediterranean-inspired dishes as well as delicious tuna and avocado tartare.
Extra-Curricular
With Marrakech on your doorstep there is plenty to do once you tear yourself away from the hotel. The design district of Sidi Ghanem is a great showcase for the creativity of the city with metalwork, leatherwork, tableware, jewellery and furniture on display at different artisan shops in a more tranquil setting than the bustling souks. A visit to the Koutoubia mosque and minaret, surrounded by its rose garden is not to be missed, nor is the Moorish Bahia Palace with its gilded and inlaid painted wooden ceilings. Known as the garden city, do also dip into the Jardin Majorelle, created in 1920 and restored by Yves Saint Laurent and the Agdal gardens, one of the oldest in the world.
Which room
The main building houses seven suites with a heated plunge pool and views of the Atlas Mountains. There are two infinity pool suites with 18 metre long heated infinity pools. The rest of the accommodation is in 54 private villas (one and two bedrooms) dotted around the rose-filled gardens. These must rate as some of the most impressive hotel villas in the world with their large walled courtyards enclosing good sized heated pools and heated plunge pools. There are sun loungers and dining areas and a log fire to sit around when the night turns cold. Indoors there is a sitting room, a bedroom which opens out directly onto the swimming pool and a sumptuous bathroom with a circular tub big enough for two.
Best for
This hotel ticks a number of boxes. It makes a perfect romantic escape but it is also great for a family holiday with something for everyone under warm blue skies. Its spa also puts it into the girls weekend away category and its accessibility means it is highly appealing for a few days break.
When to go
July and August need to avoided as the heat is extreme. Spring and autumn are lovely and winter with its crisp blue skies and sunny days is uplifting, but it cools down at night.
Details
Abercrombie & Kent (abercrombiekent.co.uk; 01242 547 918) offers a 3-night stay at the Mandarin Oriental Marrakech in a pool villa from £1,890pp based on 2 sharing on a B&B basis. Includes flights, private transfers and a Medina cooking class.
