“Dreams are only the plans of the reasonable,” reads the placard by the entrance to Kasbah du Toubkal, a dreamy alpine retreat in the High Atlas Mountains about an hour’s drive from Marrakech. It’s a slogan that prepares guests for the magical, out-of-time, out-of-place experience that unfolds inside its stone walls and atop its carpet-strewn terraces.
It also explains the thinking that led British brothers Chris and Mike McHugo to buy a ruined Kasbah, the home of a local chief during Morocco’s French occupation, in the early 1990s and turn it into a charming small hotel with a strong sense of place. Mike first fell in love with Morocco on a 1973 jaunt around the country, and started doing business with his adventure travel company in the Imlil Valley in 1978. He connected then with a young local mountain guide, who would later become a partner in purchasing the Kasbah—a decision the brothers made in 1989, when the government made outside investment in the tourism industry easier and they wanted to save it from being turned into an expensive private home or luxury hotel.
Instead, they wanted to restore it in a sustainable way, one that would introduce travelers to the Morocco they loved, and would benefit the surrounding villages. It was designed to consume little energy, and to give back to the community: As much as possible was sourced locally, and the staff is all Berber villagers. The McHugos created foundations to support the community, and built a hammam in the Kasbah that’s a gathering place for local women as well as hotel guests.
It’s grander than their original vision, but they still bill Kasbah du Toubkal as a “Berber hospitality center” rather than a hotel. It doesn’t have the traditional trappings of luxury: no marble bathrooms or imported shampoos, no wine list or room service. You can’t even have your driver drop you by the front door. The paved road stops in the nearby village of Imlil, staff loads your baggage onto mules, and you trek 20 minutes uphill. (Wear sturdy shoes.) The walk makes you appreciate the milk and dates that you’re served, according to Berber tradition, when you arrive, and it’s a good warm-up for the primary activity here: trekking in the High Atlas.
The Kasbah offers a variety of guided hikes at varying levels of difficulty, from short loops to a two-day ascent of nearby Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa (13,665 feet). It also has a second, more rustic lodge a four-hour trek away, for guests who want to overnight somewhere even more remote. The guide on my hikes was terrific, fluent in English, knowledgeable about the plant life and the villages we passed through, and generally quite convivial. Non-hikers can easily spend several happy days here, relaxing on the terraces with a book or a camera. (My stay was comped.)
The 12 guest rooms (from about $200) are simple but spacious, with carved walnut furniture and big soaking bathtubs, and spectacular views. There are also a three-bedroom house and some very simple shared accommodations. The hammam is a DIY affair but a beautiful facility, and perfect for scrubbing off the sweat and dust from a day of trekking. The staff are hospitable as can be, and the very traditional Moroccan food—there’s a set menu every evening (vegetarians can be accommodated)—was as good as anything I’ve had in the fine restaurants of Marrakech. The fact that the harirasoup was ladled tableside from an earthenware pot into handcrafted bowls made it taste all the better.
