by Where?
A 15-minute drive from Marrakech Menara Airport is the city’s Mandarin Oriental. When you walk through the frenetic city, it is difficult to imagine how you are able to switch off.
The medina or the old town is famous for its busy souks, constant street music and locals who try to sell them everything from food to selfies with monkeys. But when they arrive in Mandarin Oriental’s 20 hectares of meticulously created gardens and olive groves, they slip into a calm state of being.
Since the city center is only a 10-minute drive away (approx. 8 pounds in a taxi), it is the perfect retreat if you prepare for a day full of visits and absorb the rich culture of the city.
style
The Hotel Patrick Gilles and Dorothée Boissier designed the hotel on Berber and Moorish influences. The huge independent villas with walled courtyards made from local sandstone are contemporary interpretations of the traditional riad.
In the main building, Killes and Boissier reference reference Moroccan craft. There are floors of white and black mosaics and walls that are decorated with typical warm H’ssira star mats and contain subtle Berber motifs.
Food and drink
A “commitment to an extraordinary service and a spirit of innovation” is of central importance for the Mandarin -Earth’s Ethus and is shown in the hotel’s two main restaurants.
I started our culinary experience in Hakkasans Cantonese, sat on the outdoor terrace and the ponds and trees from the sanctuary. We shared the Ling Ling escape, starting with a dim -sum plate with a steamed inkfish Siu Mai with Goji berries, steamed scallop and royal crab dumplings, subdued herago (tiger shrimp) and crystal dumplings, accompanied by a beef salad (with Grazefefruit, Pine Nuts and Sods) and succulent.
The main dishes included Josper-grilled Wagyu tenderloin beef in Marmitte sauce (it worked), fried asparagus in garlic, Atlantic lobster and eggs fried rice with spring onions.
Always leave space for pudding! The Yuzu Calamansi mousse with white chocolate was dreamy. There is also a cocktail bar that serves locally inspired cocktails.
Shirvan offers world kitchen with a local turn. I wanted to try a traditional tract court and ordered the lamb Shank version with masala sauce and burned tomato. It was an unexpected but delicious combination and proof of the vision of the boss chef.
How the grill grilled ink fish served with a chermomomox sauce and Amlou (a paste made of roasted almonds, honey and argan oil). Both dishes tested my Greek blood and my resistance to traditional recipes, but passed with flying colors. Dessert for me was pistachio ice cream that was served with the above -mentioned Amlou (if it is on the menu, I order it).
Breakfast is served in Shirvan, where you can choose from a buffet of pastries, fruits, muesli and craftsmanship cakes. Or order from the A la cartemeu. The local omelet is sensational.
The Villa service is also available and the cocktail bar outdoors serve the most delightful preparations, while the heat of the day is slowly fading.
Facilities
The large outdoor heating pool is the heart of the complex and is surrounded by breathtaking lakes that expand your Aqua blue view. It was my first place of contact when we unpacked. Surrounded by sun loungers and attentive staff, hover with an inflatable lido between sip of your cocktail and enjoy the sun.
The hotel also has a award -winning spa: a wellness temple that is dedicated to health, holistic healing and rejuvenation.
Inspired by the cathedrals and ancient mosques of Andalusia, the spa contains a state-of-the-art fitness center (with a PT on site), hairdresser, beauty salon, yoga studio and a traditional Moroccan Hamman that specializes in black soap scrubs.
I decided on a 60-minute oriental essence massage and combined oriental oils with movements that focused on back, neck and shoulders. Delight.
If you feel a little more energetic, you can rent a bike to explore the landscape paths and gardens or to enjoy the brand new sports area of the hotel, the dishes. Open this summer on time for the tenth anniversary celebrations, grab your racket and visit the Tigerturfennisplatz or the Mondo Surface Padel Court.
The pavilion of the places is the ideal hub for players and spectators to get a cold drink or a light bite.
The Kasbah Kids’ club is located on the small farm with goats and donkeys to the stroke and is properly located on the organic vegetable garden of the hotel, where you can take part in cooking lessons or enjoy an idyllic lunch.
The hotel also has its own beehives, which Khalid Samata, a world -famous honey expert and owner of the Hive Restaurant in Selfridges, London, cared for. He is an employed bee …
If you apply a bee grid to visit the beehives, Khalid’s Honey Masterclass experience leads you through the fascinating process of honey production and the essential role that bees play in our ecosystem.
As soon as you have lifted a tray honey from the beehive, you can go on the way with every course prepared by the chef in front of you to a lunch enriched with honey in the vegetable garden.
Extracurricular
Marrakech has so much to offer. The famous Medina area, which is packed from a labyrinth of narrow streets full of Moroccan, from leather exchanges to locally produced art and ceramic changes during the day and evening.
It has a sum that mainly comes on the roof of the many street food providers or bars and restaurants. While the stable owners love them to encourage them to take them at the best price. This seemed to have calmed down a little since my last visit 20 years ago.
Within the old town, the Zellij Marrakech Museum with its magnificent brass chandelier and the fountain and the Musée Yves Saint Laurent was bound.
The Design District by Sidi Ghanem is a great shop window for the creativity of the city with metal work, leather work, tableware, jewelry and furniture in various craftsmanship in a quieter environment than the busy souks.
A visit to the Koutoubia mosque and in the minaret, surrounded by his rose garden, cannot be overlooked. The Moorish Bahia Palace is also not with its gilded and pickled wooden ceilings.
Known as Garden City, also immerse yourself in the Jardin Majorelle, which was created in 1920 and was restored by Yves Saint Laurent and the Agdal Gardens, some of the oldest in the world.
Do you feel adventurous? Book a quad bike trail through the city beach of Marrakech desert area. There are many operators to choose from, but after many research (mainly on security when I had our 17-year-old son with me) Furious Quad Marrakech was the obvious choice and highly recommended.
Founded by two local relatives, we immediately felt comfortable when we were warmly welcomed, and they posted us in our new means of transport for the next two hours. With helmets and a guide to lead them safely through their intoxicating exploration through the gravel and sand area, exploration of the area on four wheels was the highlight of the trip for my son.
Moto Cross and Buggy Tours are also available. The path ended with a traditional mint tea and the most bright sunset before we were withdrawn in the hotel.
Which space?
The main hotel building offers seven suites with a view of the Atlas Mountains and offers the perfect backdrop when you enjoy the heated diving pool.
But it is the private villas with 54 and two bedrooms on the complex in which you really feel at home and in your own little world, far away from everything.
If you go through the high wooden doors and in the courtyard of your villa, you will find a heated swimming pool, surrounded by sun loungers, hiding places and cute eating areas. The central bedroom opens to the adjacent whirlpool.
Inside you can escape the heat and enjoy a nap in the living room or relax in the oversized circular bathtub or the shower and steam bath.
Best for
Romantic short vacation, families looking for a home, as well as those who love a quiet escape, enjoy good food and a bit spoiled between researching the chaotic aspects of a city.
Details
The suites start at £ 1,095 per night. Villas start at £ 1,180 per night. Book it here
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