Discovering the Hidden Gems of Morocco: From Marrakech to Tangier, a Selection of Unique and Luxurious Addresses

2023-12-13 13:30:00

THE FIGARO SELECTION – From Marrakech to Tangier via Casablanca or Fez, an overview of some of the most surprising addresses in the Sherifian kingdom.

Some sport this vibrant look that marks trendy addresses while others stick to a masterful reinterpretation of the codes of Arab-Andalusian architecture, refining the livery of an anthology palace. In bustling Marrakech, as in Tangier the artist, in Casablanca, the mega showcase of styles or in Oualidia, a confidential village on the Atlantic coast, a short guide to some of the most magical addresses in Morocco.

Also read: Morocco in autumn: our best ideas for weekends and visits

El Fenn, arty nugget in the medina of Marrakech

MARRAKECH

El Fenn, arty nugget in the medina of Marrakech. Press photo

What remains of the original El Fenn in 2004? All the arty spirit instilled by Vanessa Branson, its creator, and a little more: in 20 years, the small six-room riad has transformed into a 41-key boutique hotel! The bohemian chic spirit is intact, infusing the labyrinth of patios and staircases punctuated by exuberant gardens, chiseled alcoves and checkerboard tiles, and each of the rooms and suites. Camel leather floors, walls adorned with chick yellow or turquoise blue tadelakt, vintage furniture, works of art and large copper bathtubs… We see life in colors, even on the immense rooftop with its new vibrant look, between parasols with red and white stripes, embroidered suzanis and vintage zellige tables. A popular spot for sipping a real mixologist cocktail at sunset facing the Atlas.

WE love : the 3 swimming pools, one of which is heated, and the XXL boutique, a beautiful showcase of the creations of hand-picked Moroccan designers.

At what price ? From €350 per night in a double room, including breakfast and afternoon tea.

Electric Fenn, Derb Moulay Abdullah Ben Hezzian, 2, Marrakech 40000, Maroc. Tel. : + 212 (0) 524 44 12 20.

Read alsoMarrakech, our 10 favorite riads for an exceptional weekend

Olinto Atlas Mountain Retreat, refined oasis in the heart of the Atlas

MARRAKECH

Olinto Atlas Mountain Retreat, refined oasis in the heart of the Atlas. Pink Palm Studio / Pink Palm Studio

Olinto is one of those rare places, created from scratch but whose charm already places it beyond time. Nestled in a huge olive grove, 1 hour from Marrakech, this address was imagined by Prince Fabrizio Ruspoli di Poggio Suasa, collector and aesthete, as a paradise where beauty unfolds at every step. At the heart of bucolic gardens set with ponds and pergolas, nine ocher pavilions topped with green tiles offer a refined decor marked by a keen eye for detail, from leather-trimmed wardrobes to precious fabrics. Each has a private garden and a large roof terrace with a view of the mountains and three are equipped with a small swimming pool. Ideal for disconnecting except with family, children are only allowed from 16 years old. A musical residency is planned, another tribute to the first prince of the line, patron of Handel and nicknamed…Olinto.

WE love : the restaurant and bar with an ultra-elegant setting, all in ocher briquettes and colored windows, and the summer terrace in the shade of a pergola woven with wisteria.

At what price ? From €700 per night in a pavilion for 2, breakfast and minibar included (soft drinks, beers and wines).

Olinto Atlas Mountain Retreat, Douar Marigha, Marrakech 42152, Morocco. Such. [phone].

Also read: Our ten favorite places to recharge your batteries near Marrakech

La Mamounia, a century of glamor

MARRAKECH

La Mamounia in Marrakech, the expert opinion of Le Figaro

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One hundred years and more glamorous than ever! To celebrate its centenary this year, La Mamounia has given itself a new makeover. Under the aegis of the duo Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku, 300 artisans worked for 3 months to deliver new interpretations of immutable elegance. Reception rooms with Moorish and Art Deco inspiration, alcoves designed like cabinets of curiosities, a guest room in deep blues and an extravagant XXL light set inspired by traditional jewelry, enthroned in the middle of the lobby… Light is the star of the new version of La Mamounia, particularly in the Majorelle bar with its long aisle punctuated by chiseled glass panels reinterpreting the Moorish motifs of the ceiling fresco designed by Jacques Majorelle.

WE love : the 13-hectare centuries-old garden in the heart of Marrakech, the wine library and its table d’hôtes surrounded by 2000 precious bottles, the large heated swimming pool of the spa in a setting of 1001 nights.

At what price ? From €409 for a classic Hivernage room, €636 for a Deluxe Koutoubia room with a view of the mosque and the park, €726 for a Deluxe Parc room, €862 for a Parc suite.

La Mamounia, Avenue Bab Jdid, Marrakech 40040, Maroc. Tel. : [phone].

Read alsoLa Mamounia in Marrakech, the expert opinion of Le Figaro

Royal Mansour, a showcase of the Moroccan art of living

MARRAKECH

Photo tour of the Royal Mansour of Marrakech

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This is the address of all superlatives! Imagined as a showcase of the art of living, the Royal Mansour expresses the quintessence of the refinement of Moroccan craftsmanship. Mosaics and precious fabrics, ceilings sculpted or woven with gold leaf, inlaid furniture…Coming from the four corners of Morocco, the best master craftsmen have given free rein to their talent to create a legendary palace with all modern comforts. In this large six-hectare estate in the shade of the ramparts, no rooms but an ideal medina, a maze of alleys and squares shaded by palm trees where nestle 53 private riads (140m2 to 850m2) with 1 or 2 bedrooms, all furnished of a terrace. A butler provides behind-the-scenes service but we happily honor the three tables, including the brand new Grande Brasserie orchestrated by chef Hélène Darroze.

WE love : the 2500m2 spa, a dazzling bubble laced with white where sophisticated treatments drawing on renowned cosmetics and age-old traditions (Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, etc.) are provided, and the vast landscaped garden in an Arab-Andalusian spirit.

At what price ? From €1800 per night in a one-bedroom riad.

Royal Mansour Marrakech, Rue Abbou El Abbas Sebti, Marrakech. Such. : [phone].

Read alsoHotel Le Royal Mansour in Marrakech, the expert opinion of Le Figaro

Villa Mabrouka, Garden of Eden perched on the Strait of Gibraltar

TANGER

Villa Mabrouka, Garden of Eden perched on the Strait of Gibraltar. Press photo

We can’t imagine a better location: buried in a lush oasis at the entrance to the Kasbah of Tangier, this brand new address and former private home of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé overlooks the Strait of Gibraltar. So deep blue but also bougainvillea pink, lemon yellow, and green of all shades: the British designer Jasper Conran, who signed the metamorphosis of the place, has planted more than 6,500 new trees, shrubs and plants! Beneath the apparent sobriety of its modernist architecture from the 1940s, this 12-room boutique hotel, which looks like an English country house, exudes incredible charm with its black and white tiled marble floors and its jagged arches. Three restaurants are available and three pavilions can also be reserved for private dining, one of which decorated by the American architect Stuart Church.

WE love : the large swimming pool dug into the rock (heated to 21°), the roof terrace and its café with a view of the sea.

At what price ? From 450 euros per night in a double room, breakfast included.

Villa Mabrouka, 1 Sidi Bouknadel, Tangier 90000, Morocco. Such. : [phone].

Read alsoIn Morocco, the mysteries of Tangier, a land without a master

Hotel Le Doge Casablanca, window onto Art Deco

CASABLANCA

Hotel Le Doge Casablanca, window onto Art Deco. PAUSE

In a peaceful street in the Art Deco district, you enter the Doge Casablanca like in an old film: this private hotel with the Relais & Châteaux label is a true manifesto to the glory of the 1930s. Decorated thematically, at the risk of sometimes bordering on overload , each of the 16 rooms and suites with optimal comfort is dedicated to an artist from this period. The ultra-personalized service is attentive, including at the table: Le Doge is also a gourmet’s den with two restaurants, Jasmine with careful Moroccan cuisine and Le Doge Café on the rooftop, to savor Mediterranean-inspired dishes under the sunshine of Casablanca.

WE love : the small spa with hammam and the wood-panelled bar-library lounge.

At what price ? From €151 for a standard double room, €175 for an executive double room, €214 for a junior suite and €253 for a suite.

Hotel Le Doge – Relais & Châteaux, 9 rue du Docteur Veyre, Casablanca 20250, Morocco. Such. : [phone].

Also read: What to do, what to visit in Casablanca? Our essential activities

La Sultana Oualidia, a chic stopover on the ocean

OUALIDIA

La Sultana Oualidia, a chic stopover on the ocean. Press photo

It is a golden stone fortress that seems straight out of a fairy tale, set in a garden of palm trees, agaves and cacti, between market gardens and oyster beds. A stone’s throw from the village of Oualidia (a 2.5 hour drive from Casablanca or Marrakech), in the heart of a nature reserve, this refined boutique hotel invites you to live to the rhythm of the ocean. Explore the lagoon by canoe-kayak, watch birds at low tide, taste oysters, picnic in a secret cove… We also enjoy lazing around out of sight: each of the 12 rooms and suites (30m2 to 75m2) elegant with their light stone walls and blue tones is equipped with a private terrace, including the cabin suite with panoramic views of the lagoon! At the end of the day, we head for the long wooden pontoon placed on the lagoon for an aperitif at sunset.

WE love : the ecological spirit of this water-sufficient address with an organic vegetable garden supplying the table; the spa and the infinity pool overlooking the lagoon. The possibility of combining a stay with La Sultana Marrakech, the other in-house boutique hotel.

At what price ? From €454 for a double room including personal concierge, €672 for a cabin and €790 for an Ocean suite. Breakfast €22.7.

The Sultana Oualidia, Oyster Park No. 3, Oualidia 24252, Morocco. Such. : [phone].

Also read: Did you know? What is the difference between a riad and a dar

Fairmont Tazi Palace Tangier, legacy of opulence

TANGER

Photo tour of the Fairmont Tazi Palace

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From the 1920s palace which was to serve as the private residence of the mendoub Tazi, advisor to the king, what remains is a building with an impressive ceiling height (13 meters!) and a scent of opulence unmatched in Tangier. Renovated and enlarged in a refined style incorporating the codes of Arab-Andalusian architecture, this urban resort perched on a hill, offers 133 rooms and suites (including two penthouses) in deep blues echoing the Mediterranean, a huge Spa of 2 500 m2 with ten treatment rooms (heating tables) and yoga studio (Om Yoga) and 7 bars and restaurants. Orchestrated by Australian chef Chris Blake, the cuisine is as original as it is tasty, with Persian (at Parisa), Moroccan, healthy or Asian and irresistible pastries to munch on at the Rose Room with a view of the hills of Tangier.

WE love : the Siddartha Lounge by Buddha Bar, open in the summer by the huge swimming pool for chill out evenings in the sweetness of the Tangier nights. Rooms with private garden

At what price ? From €272 for a Deluxe room, €300 for a Deluxe panoramic view room, €318 for a Signature room with private garden

Fairmont Tazi Palace Tangier, Palais Tazi Ksar Al Mandoub, Jamaa Mokrae, Tangier 90000, Morocco. Such. : [phone].

Read alsoPreview: the Fairmont Tazi Palace Tangier, a palace perched in the sky of Tangier

Riad Jardin des Biehn, an artists’ madness in the medina of Fez

FES

Riad Jardin des Biehn, an artists’ madness in the medina of Fez. Press photo

Sleeping in an enclosed bed from a Chinese Flower House in Canton? Not common and even less so in Fez, the most Arab-Andalusian of the former Moroccan imperial capitals! Hidden in an exuberant artist’s garden, on the site of an old carefully restored outbuilding of a pasha’s palace, this riad is unlike any other. Crazy project of a family of Provençal antique dealers, its 8 suites and 6 rooms (some with terrace) with fanciful decor invite you on a journey on the silk roads and Africa among objects and furniture unique. Playful !

WE love : the small swimming pool in the garden and the Fez café, with a design as inventive as its menu displaying revisited Moroccan and Mediterranean specialties

At what price ? From €150 for a double room, €180 for a Luxury room, €250 for a junior suite, 280 euros for a senior suite, breakfast included.

Riad Jardin des Biehn, 13 Akbat Sbaa Douh, Fes 30110, Maroc. Tel. : + 212 (0)6 64 64 76 79.

Read alsoThe 10 best riads and hotels in Fez, a thousand-year-old imperial city

The Oberoi Marrakech, a tribute to Andalusian palace gardens

MARRAKECH

The Oberoi Marrakech, a tribute to Andalusian garden palaces. Alan Keohane [email protected]

A delicately carved patio that looks like it escaped from the Ben Youssef Madrasa, the Marinid jewel of the Marrakech medina, and a “grand canal”, a succession of long pools running towards the Atlas Mountains… 20 minutes from the city Red, The Oberoi Marrakech was imagined as a masterful tribute to the spirit of Hispano-Moorish palaces, combining sophistication of detail and geometric sobriety. Of the 84 keys, 77 are spacious villas with a large swimming pool and private garden. As in tradition, the gardens landscaped by Madison Cox give a foretaste of paradise between beds of cacti and succulents, olive groves and citrus orchards, fountains and bodies of water, like the pond surrounding the spa.

WE love : the brand new Rivayat restaurant for its Indian gastronomy, the 2000 m2 Spa and its holistic experiences.

At what price ? From €806 per night in a Deluxe room with private terrace, breakfast included.

The Oberoi Marrakech, Marrakech Route de, Rte d’Ouarzazate, Marrakech 40000, Morocco. Such. : [phone].

Also read: The Oberoi, the new chic refuge in Marrakech

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