It's not often that one is invited to be the guest of a king, but that’s how this hotel will make you feel. Comprising 53 individual three-storey riads, it was commissioned by Mohammed VI of Morocco as a celebration of national architecture and luxurious hospitality. The reception area alone is a scene from The Arabian Nights and each room pays homage to the craftsmanship of the 1,000-plus artisans who helped create this masterpiece.
The estate’s winding paths and gardens provide complete tranquillity and the staff going discreetly about their duties via ingenious underground corridors give a new meaning to ‘below stairs’. The call to evening prayer floating on the breeze makes a soothing backdrop to drinks on the private roof terrace, yet only 15 minutes’ walk away is the hustling, bustling souk, where a guide will help you haggle for the best prices.
Then, it’s back for a soothing massage in the spa—or, if you’re feeling adventurous, a traditional hammam experience, which is pulverising yet energising—and an exquisite dinner cooked by three-star Michelin chef Yannick Alléno. Unbelievably, this entire other-worldly experience is only a 31⁄2-hour flight away—easyJet flies twice daily from London Gatwick to Marrakech (www.easyjet.com).
A one-bedroom riad costs from about MAD10,000 (£719) per night (00 212 5 29 80 80 80; www.royalmansour.com)
Amazing places to stay: Castell Son Claret
This idyllic hotel has uninterrupted views of the Tramuntana mountains.
Amazing places to stay: Six Senses Con Dao
This luxury spa retreat is the real deal, says Emma Hughes.
Amazing places to stay: Fregate Island
Visit this incredible island as quickly as you can.
-
Nature and nurture in the gardens of Bramham ParkTim Richardson looks at the innovative and superbly maintained 18th-century landscape garden of Bramham Park in West Yorkshire, home of Nick and Rachel Lane Fox. Photographs by Paul Highnam.
-
If the future of Ferrari is electric vehicles, then it is our future tooIt's widely believed that Ferrari will unveil its first electric car this year. It's the signal that the internal combustion era is coming to an end.
