Hotel of the week: Es Saadi Marrakech Resort, Morocco

Jeannette Arnold checks into the sumptuous resort that has housed the likes of Princess Margaret, Leonardo DiCaprio and the Rolling Stones
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Jeannette Arnold4 January 2020

January is by far the coldest month of the year in Marrakech, yet compared with the cold, grey and drab weather in the UK, you’ll step off the plane into a totally different world full of colour, sunshine and azure skies.

While locals will be wrapped up in their woollen djellabas, to us Londoners it actually feels quite warm during the day - the perfect temperature for sightseeing, exploring the medina and shopping.

Es Saadi has an interesting history. In the early 50s, the owner of Paris’s Moulin Rouge opened the iconic Casino de Marrakech, still a leading destination for poker professionals today. L’Hotel followed in the 60s and became the place where wealthy Europeans came to escape the winter.

The likes of Princess Margaret , Leonardo DiCaprio and the Rolling Stones have all stayed here. The sumptuous Palace was opened in 2008, along with ten private villas and eight Berber-style ksars.

Where is it?

While spending a few days inside the Medina and shopping in the souks is quite an experience for first-time visitors to this magical city, it’s a relief to escape the dust and pollution for some pure luxury at Es Saadi Marrakech Resort. Situated in the area known as L’Hivernage, just 10 minutes’ taxi ride from the walled city.

Es Saadi Marrakech Resort

Style

A pair of bronze horses and fountains lead you to the Es Saadi Palace entrance and the opulent lobby with its 17-metre high dome. This is the epitome of Arabian luxury with plush red velvet seating areas, white marble, fountains and enormous flower arrangements. The owners (the Bauchet-Bouhlal family) have amassed a very impressive art collection by modern Moroccan artists, and paintings and sculptures feature round every corner.

Outside, the 20 acres of lush gardens feature an enormous lagoon swimming pool (the biggest in Marrakech) complete with swim up bar and a ring of faux-Roman columns. An afternoon spent lounging poolside is the perfect antidote to the busy world on the other side of the walls.

Which room?

The Palace has 84 suites over three floors, all with balconies overlooking the gardens and pool, with views of the snow-capped Atlas mountains in the distance. These feature stylish Moroccan decor and have queen-sized beds, dressing rooms and marble bathrooms (with separate jacuzzi bath and walk in shower). Families can opt for the two-bedroom ksars which resemble little castles and have direct access to the gardens and pool.

Es Saadi Marrakech Resort

Food & drink

Es Saadi sources all of its fresh produce from the family owned farm. Breakfast and lunch are served poolside in the Lagon & Jardin. The breakfast is buffet style with a huge choice of pastries, fruit, fresh juices, ham, cheeses and superb omelettes. The lunch menu embraces the SLOW (sustainable, local, organic, wellness) food movement and there is a wide of choice of healthy and delicious salads. You can also snack by the pool.

In the evening, there are several choices: the beautifully ornate La Cour des Lions on the top floor serves gastronomic Moroccan food, while you can enjoy Venetian cuisine in the intimate Othello restaurant which seats just 20. Le Saadi, the restaurant at L’Hotel, offers a French-influenced menu.

Facilities

The spa is simply stunning and home to the only Christian Dior Institut outside Paris. Built over three floors around a 100-year-old eucalyptus tree, you should aim to spend the better part of a day here relaxing by the massive heated hydrotherapy pool and indulging in holistic treatments as well as a traditional hammam.

Es Saadi Marrakech Resort

The list of treatments is extensive and all designed to soothe and nourish the body. The signature massage using Micheline Arcier aromatherapy oils is tailored to your individual needs. It certainly did the trick and got rid of the knots and stiffness in my upper back and shoulders, after which I had the best night's sleep I'd had in months.

The following day I booked in for a Kobido facial, an anti-ageing treatment derived from a technique developed in 15th-century Japan by Samurai warriors who designed Kobido to calm their mind after intense battles. The dynamic, yet relaxing, massage using traditional and natural Moroccan oils alternates rhythm and pressure to stimulate the skin's circulation and lymphatic flow. This is said to remove metabolic waste and prevent wrinkles, and certainly left my skin visibly smoother, glowing and radiant.

Best for

Those wanting to get away from the busy city, but close enough for a few days sightseeing. Es Saadi is a haven.

Details

Junior suites at Es Saadi Marrakech Resort start from £270 per night and villas from £800. Buffet breakfast, Wi-Fi and airport transfers included. essaadi.com

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