tr ave l
much more
to morocco
satisfy your taste for the exotic
with a stay in morocco, where luxury
retreats are an ever-growing trend
r oya l m a n s o u r ,
marrakech
a m agic a l wor l d w h e r e e v e ry
w i sh i s m e t a n d e v e ry e x pe c tat ion
e c l i p se d, s ay s jonat h a n w h i l e y
M
arrakech may take your senses hostage with all
the subtlety of an armed robber in broad daylight,
but it seeps into your soul like a thief in the night.
Stepping into the warm perfumed air of Jemaa el Fna,
the city’s main square, dusty motorbikes zoom through the
cracked cobbled streets like incessant flies.
Donkeys plod carrying biblical loads and monkeys,
dressed in child-sized football shirts, clamber on their
owners’ shoulders with wild abandon. As the egg-yolk rich
sun begins to dip beneath the sea of terracotta buildings,
a deep growly call to prayer from the tower of the nearby
Koutoubia Mosque – one of five daily – fights to be heard
amid the carnival-like cacophony.
Wandering amid the tightly packed market stalls,
fortune tellers try to catch your eye. Snake charmers
drift past with cobras draped round their necks like thick
patterned scarfs and cinammon hangs in the air.
In the narrow side streets – a labrinyth of passageways
bathed in an ethereal glow as the light streams through
slatted roofs – the clip-clop of horse and carriage is
replaced by the clatter of skilled craftsmen plying their
trade in tiny, cluttered workshops.
Sparks fly like mini firework displays in the blacksmiths’
quarter and each shopkeeper, smiling broadly, gestures
to his bewildering array of goods, from mosaic tiles to
traditional slippers and reams of brightly coloured fabric.
Further and further we venture into the bowels of the
souks. A cat lazes within thieving distance of a vegetable
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stall, ornate lanterns flicker in the distance and leathery
snakeskins hang like long shiny sweet wrappers.
The kaleidoscopic array is catnip for the soul. Fiery
spices are piled high in hessian sacks with colours so vivid
they could have jumped from a Warhol poster.
Little wonder Sir Winston Churchill, a regular visitor,
described Marrakech as “the Paris of the Sahara” and
once remarked, gazing towards the snowcapped Atlas
Mountains, that it was “the most lovely spot in the world”.
Unofficially there are two cities in Marrakech. A
short walk from the cultured chaos lies a sprawling
sophisticated realm. This is a private mini city quite
literally fit for a king with a sense of exclusivity which
extends to a private check-in for guests at Menara Airport.
Owned by King Mohammed VI, Royal Mansour is the
most extraordinary hotel I’ve ever set foot in.
The splendour is such that it was recently chosen to
feature on an upcoming BBC series profiling the crème de
la crème of other-worldly boltholes.
The craftmanship involved in its construction alone is
staggering – more than 1,200 artisans spent three years
perfecting every detail – and on first view the stunning
geometric aesthetics had this particular journalist
momentarily lost for words.
Rooms do not exist here. Instead you are guided to your
riad, a three-tier oasis with a private roof terrace, plunge
pool and arresting views over the palm tree studded city.
Larger riads have a Bedouin tent, open fire and private
hammams, while the lavish four-bedroom Grand Riad
also boasts a library, gym and solarium. In each there are
staff entrances on each level, leading to a discreet network
of subterranean tunnels that span the hotel site.
The incognito set-up means each and every request is
carried out without any need to disturb you.
My private pool is heated for a spontaneous late night
dip and the following morning, breakfast is beautifully
arranged on the rooftop. It feels like a magic trick where
you never encounter the magician. Three Michelin-starred
chef Yannick Alléno is a wizard of the culinary variety,
overseeing the superb French and Moroccan restaurants.
In the latter, a delicately spiced, deliciously sweet crispy
lamb pastilla – a perfect marriage of tradition and modern
technique – has its own safety deposit box in my memory
bank. A nod to the past and a concession to the future is
evident throughout. Last year the hotel unveiled one-anda-half hectares of extended landscape gardens inspired by
the traditional agrarian landscapes of Marrakech.
Le Jardin, the hotel’s new outdoor restaurant, is a casual
contemporary offer in a nearby clearing. Here Asianinspired dishes – king prawns from Agadir and nigiri duck
foie gras – sit side-by-side with homegrown hay and saltbaked vegetables and lamb chops that have been licked by
flames from the open grill.
Perhaps the pièce de résistance is the spa. The signature
hammam treatment, with marocMaroc products that also
appear in your riad, allows your mind to refresh as your
body relaxes. For all the material luxury, it’s the warm white-gloved
staff who really make your stay special. The hotel’s general
manager, the charming Jean-Claude Messant, maintains
a restless quest for the best and can spot the tiniest of
imperfections. It’s an attention to detail which means that
while he has one eye on the needle, we can all but marvel
at the most beautiful haystack imaginable.
royalmansour.com
Don’t miss
ANIMA
The opulent botanical creation of Austrian artist André
Heller, every colour of the rainbow leaps out at you
with magical sculptures and blossoms spread across
two hectares of land. It has been known to make
guests cry at its beauty.
anima-garden.com
Jar d in Maj or e lle
Created by French painter Jacques Majorelle, this
glorious 12-acre garden was bought by fashion
designer Yves Saint Laurent to save it from becoming
a hotel. Following his death in 2008, the designer’s
ashes were scattered in Villa Oasis, a private
residence in the gardens, and a memorial was
erected. Later this year a museum dedicated to his
work will open in the city.
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