Morocco

Four Seasons Marrakech Set to Open This Summer

Four Seasons Marrakech Set to Open This Summer
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is set to open its newest property this summer, the Four Seasons Hotel Marrakech. The luxe hotel situated in a 40-acre walled oasis will feature 140 rooms and suites, five restaurants, two pools, an extensive spa, and acres of sunlit gardens. Offering a modern take on traditional Moorish architecture, rose-hued pavilions with hand-carved details are surrounded by a lush landscape of swimming and reflecting pools, gardens, pathways and fountains. Buildings are low-rise so as not to obstruct stunning views of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains and Menara Gardens beyond the Hotel's towering palms.

Two Spa pavilions sit among gardens filled with birds and exotic flora. The main pavilion offers 15 treatment rooms for massages, facials and body treatments, plus a salon and whirlpool. Surrounding the Hotel's posh public spaces, pavilions of guest rooms and suites form a village connected by arcades, walkways and courtyards evoking a contemporary medina filled with riads. Each of the 140 guest rooms and suites, which are among the largest in the city, has its own spacious balcony or terrace with mountain and garden views.

Gallery: Four Seasons Hotel Marrakech

Tags: architecture, Four Seasons, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, hotels, luxury hotels, Marrakech, marrakesh, Morocco, resorts, spa

Marrakech's La Mamounia Offers One Million Dirham Ultimate Experience Package

by McLean Robbins (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Famed Marrakech hotel La Mamounia has long been long been heralded as the choice for the discerning traveler. Over the years the famed hotel has hosted the "who's who" of international royalty, politicians, celebrities and uber rich jetsetters.

For the first time, the hotel is offering anyone who can afford the million dirhams a chance to experience the resort like an A-lister with their new "Ultimate Experience Package." The trip begins with private jet transport from any European city within a three hour flight time of Marrakech. Arriving guests will be met at the airport by private Jaguar transport back to the resort.

Upon arrival, guests will be whisked away their own private Riad, a three-bedroom villa with a Moroccan salon, private terrace and ozone swimming pool nestled in the heart of the resort's historic gardens. Naturally, these accommodations feature 24 hour butler service. That evening, enjoy a private wine tasting with La Mamounia's Chief Sommelier, followed by a bespoke gastronomic menu accompanied by carefully selected fine wines, a Champagne breakfast served ensuite or on the Riad's private terrace is also included.

Tags: dirham, hotel deals, hotels, la mamounia, luxury hotels, Marakkech, morocco

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Top 10 Luxurious Adventures of 2010 -- And How to Perfect 'Em in 2011

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

When people ask me for luxury travel advice, usually along the lines of "I want to plan a perfect trip to XYZ," I have two responses: a) there ain't no such thing as perfect in this world, no matter how much money you spend; and, b) you always know exactly how to make a trip as perfect as possible after you get home.

Still, the following trips I made in 2010 pleased me greatly, which is basically what I count as sublime perfection -- and should you plan to follow in my footsteps in 2011, note the tips I've added for making terrific travel even better.

Tags: australia, BedAndBreakfast, bestof2010, chicago, cruise, FrenchPolynesia, melbourne, montreal, Morocco, NovaScotia, ontario, PaulGauguin, PuertoRico, shakespeare, sonoma, tasmania

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RSVIP: Anjelica Huston Hosts "Red Night by Marrakech" in New York

by Jeffrey Slonim (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events

Many tourism dinners backfire. Long, less than exuberant speeches can drain the life from even the most exotic destination. But with the trademarked "Red Night by Marrakech" campaign, with its key hole-shaped gates set up about Manhattan, Morocco has touted itself elegantly . . . leaving their worldly hostess, Anjelica Huston, to impart the glamour of her favored travel destination.

With the help of PR guru Vanessa von Bismark, on Tuesday, September 28, Mr. Hamid Addou, CEO of the Moroccan National Tourist Office, transformed Skylight Studios in New York, a behemoth, blank white space into a red-lit Moroccan kasbah. An acre of red plush carpet, striped couches, ornate lanterns, and shiny silver coffee services decorating star-shaped metal tables, added a touch of Marrakech souq or marketplace to the cocktail hour.

Countess LuAnn de Lesseps mentioned having traveled to Marrakech and Casablanca often. "My ex-husband was always entering his Aston Martin in the rally of Morocco," the Countess told Luxist. "I remember driving across the Atlas Mountains, getting sideswiped by a van, and losing a door."

Nearby, our stately hostess, Anjelica Huston, wore a shimmering red dress by Pamela Barish. "I love Morocco," she said. "Gateway to the East . . . beautiful, mysterious, romantic . . . great shopping."

Tags: countess luann de lesseps, marrakech, morocco, morrocan tourism, rsvip

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Richard Branson's Kasbah Tamadot: Tacky or Fabulous?

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

There is such a fine line between tacky and spectacular -- sometimes over-designed is over-the-top and sometimes it just makes you feel, well, over it.

I was musing on this distinction as I toured Kasbah Tamadot, Sir Richard Branson's Moroccan hotel, a few weeks ago.

The setting, it has to be said, is uncontroversially spectacular. It's about an hour from Marrakech in a town called Asni. This is in the Atlas Mountains, and it's not a well-developed area for luxury travelers. (Most of whom stay in plush accommodations in the city and make Atlas Mountain forays -- which in fact is what I was doing, at the decidedly fabulous La Mamounia.) If you want to stay in style in the Atlas Mountains, this is your hotel. But you've really got to like it, because once you're there, you're really there. If you want other high-end dining, spa or shopping options, you're driving the winding road to Marrakech.

Kasbah Tamadot offers suites of the traditional variety, and then there are the Berber Tent suites, which have their own private decks and plunge pools. "Restrained" would still not be the word I'd use for the décor, but the color palette is more towards the khaki and cream, and the tents skip some of the touches in the other rooms that set my tacky-o-meter aquiver -- like pillows upholstered in pinkish-purplish feathers. Yes, a tent's what I'd book if I were to stay here. But do check out the gallery and see what you think.

Gallery: Kasbah Tamadot: Tacky or Fabulous?

But It's Hard to Argue With This View...

Tags: la mamounia, marrakech, MarrakechHotel, Morocco, Richard Branson

Escape and Immerse in Marrakech at La Mamounia

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Writing about Marrakech, the celebrated writer Elias Canetti said this: "in order to feel at home in a strange city, you need to have a secluded room, to which you have a certain title, and in which you can be alone when the tumult of new and incomprehensible voices becomes too great."

La Mamounia, the recently renovated historic luxury hotel of the Red City, makes for an excellent refuge. It achieves sanctuary, from sights and smells and other sensory assaults in a city where everything seems heightened.

But while some hotels in overwhelming destinations achieve this effect by essentially encasing guests in a blank box of international luxury blandness, the redesigned La Mamounia remains firmly planted in its location: you never forget you're in Morocco. You're inside the city walls and quite near to the Koutoubia mosque. You hear the muezzin issuing the call-to-prayer, but the rooms are equipped with sound canceling blinds allow you to more or less skip the 5 a.m. edition.
During the extensive three-year renovation which updated the hotel from what I heard described as "eighties-tastic", as many as 1,500 craftsman labored in a single day to create the intricate plasterwork, hand-tiling, painted ceilings and leather-tooling that tastefully embellish the property. It looks as if the Moorish details had always been there, but that's just a trick of the eye -- it's all brand new. The rather boxy shape of the hotel's exterior is a good reminder of this.

There's terrific people watching here-- the hotel has been and remains celeb magnet, hosting Winston Churchill in the way back when, and Sarah Jessica Parker more recently. (And that is perhaps the only reason those two will ever appear together in a sentence.) Its mostly European guests do tend to be those who think of themselves as celebrities, for instance, one gentleman who looked just a great deal like the guy from the Old Spice commercials, but wasn't, repeatedly doused himself with baby oil and induced the pool staff to take his photo, while a bikini'd woman did push-ups in the shallow end of the pool.

Presumably the real celebrities decamp to the hotels newly opened and totally private three bedroom riads, which have their own private pools.

Gallery: La Mamounia, Marrakech

Tags: la mamounia, marrakech, morocco, mosque, sarah jessica parker, Winston Churchill

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Sex and the Next City: Marrakech, Morocco

by Carrie N. Culpepper (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Make like Samantha, Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte and head to Morocco, suddenly the hottest destination on the map. Although Morocco plays Abu Dhabi, UAE, in the movie "Sex and the City 2," which opened yesterday. But never mind that, Morocco has been absolutely everywhere in the last six months. Popping up in Vogue fashion spreads, on the pages of Bazaar magazine (with a spread on jewelry designer Paloma Picasso's Marrakech home), and on travel pages of many a newspaper (The New York Times this month touted Casablanca's contemporary art scene). So what does all this mean?

It's time to head to Morocco.

And the highly anticipated Royal Mansour Marrakech, owned by King Mohammed VI of Morocco, promises to be a hot destination when it opens in July. The King is on a mission to bring 10 million new visitors to his country by the end of this year and it seems that he's off to a good start. This property is made up of 53 different riads. The traditional Moroccan-style homes with center courtyards were each built by craftsmen, filled with traditional tiles and textiles and furnished with antiques to showcase the best of Moroccan design. The resort's eight-acre property is speckled with ancient trees (some dating back 400 years) and is located centrally in the medina, or old town area of Marrakech with views of the Atlas mountains in the distance. Three restaurants on the property will be overseen by three-Michelin-stared chef, Yannick Alléno of Paris' Le Meurice and a 27,000 square foot spa promises to wow. Rates start at $1,850 a night. No doubt Carrie and crew would have stayed there had it been open.

Gallery: A Peek Inside the Royal Mansour Hotel in Marrakech

Tags: MarrakechHotel, marrakesh, morocco, morocco travel, paloma picasso, paloma picasso morocco, Royal Mansour, Royal Mansour Marrakech, sex and the city, sex and the city 2, Sex and the City movie, sex and the city sequel, Sex and the City The Movie, sex and the city: the movie

Richard Branson's Luxe New Retreat Near NYC

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Sir Richard Branson's plans for a luxe new retreat in New Jersey, which we first wrote about back in 2005, are finally coming to fruition. When completed the complex will consist of a culinary center, resort, spa and private club called Natirar 45 minutes from New York City. Situated on a beautiful 500-acre estate that was once the King of Morocco's summer home, and centered on a historic 40-room 1912 mansion (above), the first phase of the property is the just-opened Ninety Acres at Natirar Culinary Center, housing a restaurant, bar / lounge, cooking school, wine school and working farm. The resort will open this summer with guest cottages, a media room, a 4,000-square foot swimming pool, tennis courts, fitness facility, croquet pitch and greenhouses. Horseback riding and fly-fishing will be among the activities on offer. The invitation-only Club at Natirar will give members unfettered access to all the property's delights. The plan is for Natirar to eventually be the first U.S. outpost of Branson's Virgin Limited Edition Collection of luxury retreats.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: club, historic houses, HistoricHouses, Morocco, Natirar, New Jersey, New York, NewJersey, NewYork, Richard Branson, RichardBranson, Virgin

Naomi Campbell's Birthday Surprise for Russian Billionaire Boyfriend

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Celebrity Shopping

Naomi Campbell just surprised her Russian billionaire boyfriend Vladislav Doronin with a lavish jet-set birthday surprise in Morocco, the London Mirror reports.

The supermodel chartered a private jet to fly them there as a surprise for Doronin, who's been called the Donald Trump of Russia. There she presented him with a lifesize sports-themed cake with a boxing ring, race cars and rackets on it.

The pair partied all night before boarding a jet to Abu Dhabi and then Tanzania for her charity work for the White Ribbon Alliance. Of course, as we've reported previously Doronin has been very generous as well.

Campbell has been earning praise of late for looking better then ever despite her 39 years. Her longtime hairstylist Amoy Pitters, who tended to the precious tresses for recent A-list events like Black Girls Rock and the Clinton Global Initiative gala, deserves her share of the credit.

Pitters, whose other celeb clients include Sheryl Crow, Ashanti, Ciara, Iman, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige and The Pussycat Dolls, is famed for her unique, signature method of hair extensions, indistinguishable from - some would say better than - the real thing.

Tags: Amoy Pitters, AmoyPitters, celebrity, hairstylist, Morocco, Naomi Campbell, NaomiCampbell, private jet, PrivateJet, Russian billionaire, RussianBillionaire, supermodel, Vladislav Doronin, VladislavDoronin

Yves Saint Laurent's Moroccan Hideaway Up For Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Recently I mentioned that a second auction of the belongings of the late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent would be going up for sale in November. The AP recently revealed that Saint Laurent's cliffside home in Taniger, Morocco has also hit the market. Christie's Great Estates has announced that Villa Mabrouka, or House of Luck is for sale for an undisclosed price. The five-bedroom home overlooks the Strait of Gibraltar and includes beautiful gardens which surround the home. The interior design was done by renowned decorator Jacques Grange and combines classic Moroccan arcades with details like a living room finished in blue chintz.

Listing pictures are scant but the Daily Mail has a couple pictures from a book, The Private World of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé by Robert Murphy with photographs by Ivan Terestchenko, which give more of a look into the home. This home's style was based on, according to Grange, "the house of an eccentric Englishman who moved to Tangier in the 1950s." The home does not feature much of the couple's famous art collection because as Bergé put it, the pieces that would have worked in the home were by Matisse and already hanging in museums. If they couldn't have the best, the pair decide to go for simplicity instead.

Gallery: Yves Saint Laurent in Tangier

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Tags: celebrity real estate, CelebrityRealEstate, morocco, pierre berge, PierreBerge, tangier, yves saint laurent, YvesSaintLaurent

Le Royal Mansour Marrakech

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The King of Morocco plans to open a new ultra-luxurious hotel, Le Royal Mansour Marrakech, in November. HM King Mohammed VI has spared no expense to create a new icon of Moroccan elegance and establish the locale as one if the world's premier luxury travel destinations. The hotel consists of 53 riads, Moroccan-style dwellings lavishly furnished with silks and brocades, ornate tiles, handcrafted wood and antique furniture and interior gardens, ranging in size from 1,400-sq.-ft. to a palatial 21,520-sq.-ft.

They feature roof terraces (above) with sun beds and private pools provide stunning views of Marrakech or the Atlas mountains. Built into the ancient wall of Marrakech, the resort recreates an historical medina and is punctuated with Andalusian courtyards, winding alleyways, and spectacular water displays and fountains. In addition to the riads, the eight-acre property will feature three restaurants and a 26,900 sq.-ft. spa located in its own glazed pavilion surrounded by a moat with a fitness center, treatment rooms, and an indoor pool.

Tags: Marrakech, Morocco, pool, Royal Mansour, Royal Mansour Marrakech, RoyalMansour, RoyalMansourMarrakech, royalty

Classic Rug Introduces Luxe Collection

by Tracy Chait (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Classic Rug Collection has just introduced its "Luxe Collection," a series of Eastern-inspired rugs hand-knotted from fine silks and featuring patterns borrowed from the graphic pasts of Morocco, Tibet and Nepal. Classic Rug has been known to provide custom decor to discerning interior designers and is perhaps best known for its collection of Gee's Bend inspired rugs, which were formerly on exhibit at the Whitney Museum and will be part of a special exhibit this September at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. (Note: Classic Rug Collection founder Barbara Barran also has a reputation for her commitment to eradicate child labor in the carpet industry.)

The Luxe Collection is primarily available by special order, although Classic Rug has teamed with 66Degrees.com to offer its limited edition Bargello rug through August 2008. The four by six foot piece inspired by 13th Century Florentine design is crafted from silk and pashmina in Nepal. I love this juxtaposition of age-old pattern from one part of the world and age-old technique from another. The Bargello rug sells for $4,400.

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Tags: barbara barran, BarbaraBarran, classic rug collection, ClassicRugCollection, gees bend quilts, GeesBendQuilts, luxe collection, LuxeCollection, morocco, nepal, rugs, tibet

Add a Moroccan Glow with the Chandelier Mamounia

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

This Chandelier Mamounia is full of the richness and warmth common to most Moroccan decor, and each lantern is hand made of brass, tin, Moorish glass, and other elements. Light glows out from behind the colored panels and intricately designed hand punched details, which creates a look the website describes by saying "only when lit in a darkened room can their beauty be truly appreciated." I can totally see how that would be true!

Definitely not a piece that will go just anywhere, or with just anything, but if you've got the right place it could really "make" a room. $499.

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Tags: chandelier, chandelier mamounia, ChandelierMamounia, lantern, light, lighting, mamounia, moor, moorish, moors, moroccan, morocco

Octogone To Open First Hotel

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Octogone Hotels is opening their new luxury resort, Terre in Marrakech this month. The sumptuous Moroccan hotel spreads out over 12 acres and has 52 suites, which are all octagonal. Terre is the first of eight resorts planned across Morocco each with a one word named that embraces the basic concept of the resort. Terre includes a spa with treatments such as a four-handed hot oil massage by two therapists. Terre has three restaurants include Milagros which serves Cuban Moorish fusion food and the Royal Suites have the option of private chefs to cater to your every whim.

The octagonal concept comes from U.S. entrepreneur Christian Rivadalla. Rivadalla, who doesn't speak any French or Arabic but fell in love with Morocco, sees the octagon as the perfect dream. According to a recent profile, he envisions his new hotels as filling a valuable niche, introducing luxury travelers to this beautiful region.

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Tags: fusion food, marrakech, morocco, terre, travel