SEARCHING for the perfect accommodation?
If 6-star hotels just aren’t doing it for you anymore, we have the answer.
Palaces.
Yep, that’s right. You can live like a king in a palace, and let us tell you, it’s pretty awesome.
And where better to go than Marrakech in Morocco?
With storytellers, snake charmers and souks in abundance, Marrakech has long been on the adventurous traveller’s must-visit list. Now the King of Morocco Mohammed VI, and a handful of hoteliers are turning Marrakech into the world’s most luxurious destination.
We explore two of the most extravagant palaces in Marrakech – the Royal Mansour and Palais Namaskar.
1. The Royal Mansour
In Marrakech opulence is everywhere, but it’s not every night you can stay in a hotel that is, literally, fit for a king. The Royal Mansour is a splendid residence that was King Mohammed VI’s private project.
On royal orders, a top Parisian design firm created 53 one, two and three-bedroom riads within a 3.5 hectare private median, meaning guests wake to the sounds of birds and trickling water fountains – despite being a five-minute walk from Marrakech’s legendary busy central square, Jemaa el-Fna.
It really is a sight for sore eyes. The imperial high ceilings, zellige ceramic tiles and cedar wood carvings wow. And of course, there’s the elaborate chandelier that cascades 12 metres from the roof right down to just above your head.
A complex network of underground tunnels is used by the hotel’s staff to discreetly navigate the grounds. They also bring you right to your door.
Outside, marble paths lead guests beneath Moorish arches and across manicured to the white spa, famous French chef Yannick Alleno’s restaurant or the four-tonne bronze gate that’s wheeled open by guards whenever a visitor arrives.
And you can be pretty sure the service won’t be a let down.
“All staff have a year of intensive training before they can see the guests,” Kenza Zizi, Royal Mansour’s marketing manager said.
“When they finish, they must be perfect. The King wanted to create a place that would exceed the expectations of luxury travellers while reflecting the true Moroccan sense of hospitality.”
Prices can range from: $1319 – $2066 per night.
2. Palais Namaskar
Privacy is this palace’s biggest draw card. Thanks to the geranium-covered walls of the pool villa at Palais Namaskar – Marrakech’s newest luxury accommodation – you can spend your days swimming, reading and doing whatever you desire in absolute privacy.
After finding faults in even the world’s best hotels, owner and developer of the Palais Namaskar, Philippe Soulier transformed a crumbling palace on the outskirts of Marrakech into a hotel he would want to stay in.
50,000sqm of Balinese inspired gardens, hundreds of litres of water, 29 rooms, 10 villas and two palaces later, Palais Namaskar opened its doors to the public last year.
The Palais Namaskar is one of a number of luxury properties in La Palmeraie, a sprawling palm grove that’s Marrakech’s answer to millionaire’s row. It commands prime position in this exclusive enclave, with restaurants and rooftop lounges offering dramatic views to Morocco’s Atlas Mountains and Djebilet Hills.
An elite clientele has followed. The high rollers travel from the Middle East, America and Europe on the palace’s private jet.
“A stay at Palais Namaskar is a completely decadent experience,” says Imaad Rahmouni, the architect who spent five years working with Philippe to design every aspect of the hotel.
“We took so much care with the privacy of the villas, because privacy in this kind of experience is very important.”
Standard rooms can cost from approximately $561 a night, while the more extravagant palaces can cost from $2290 to $3865 per night.
