MARRAKECH on the road again
King Mohammed VI of Morocco came to power in 1999 and began to change policies and implement reforms. Inspired by his country and people, he began to honour the Berbers. Out of a desire to showcase the richness of their culture, he came up with the idea of creating the Royal Mansour hotel that is the most beautiful in the world in terms of architecture and culture.
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King Mohammed VI gave the task to his best architects and designers to draw a hotel project that would show all the inner richness of Moroccan life: the luxury of culture, the talent of artists and sculptors, and the people themselves, who create amazing things with their own hands. The project took a long time to be approved. The idea of this hotel is a small town where you can see the riads and streets. The visible part is much smaller than the invisible part — it’s as if everything takes place in a parallel underground city.
All the staff appear and disappear invisibly; they appear from each of the three floors of the hotel exactly when there are no guests on the floor. The Grand Riad and Spa is designed for politicians and heads of state — for people who are very recognizable but don’t want to be recognized. It is like a mini palace with its separate territory. There is a separate entrance and entry from the underground car park. For example, a person can fly to Marrakech in his private plane, get into a car, which at a certain point ‘dives’ under the ground and he is already brought to the underground car park, to the lift doors, and from there he enters the Grand Riad and Spa.
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No one knows how much the hotel cost. The King opened his treasury and said: I want the best, not necessarily the most shiny and gold, but a hotel filled with works of art. As a result, half of the hotel was made by the hands of his architects and the finest Moroccan craftsmen, and the other half by the finest design firms in the world. Many fabrics and furniture are made by world-famous brands such as Dior, Christian Louboutin, and Chanel, but this is not publicized anywhere. The King did not want to advertise it. Who understands — he will know.
This hotel is comfortable for those who come to have a cup of coffee for a few euros and those living in the most expensive room. A few years ago, the General Manager of Royal Mansour Marrakech set up a Majordomo academy here, where even the butlers of the royal palace are trained. For this purpose, an etiquette expert who specializes in educating the most senior staff was brought here from Paris. She trains the entire staff. The Royal Mansour Marrakech Academy is another feature of the hotel.
The hotel has an exciting and beautiful spa centre. In its lace interiors, wedding shoots with ring exchanges were held twice. The spa centre is famous for its hammam, and therapists and masseurs are invited from around the world. The hotel has been around since 2010. It's 14 years old.
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About 8 years ago, when the previous director retired, the king wanted to invite the world's most famous and best general manager. He was Jean Claude Messant, who still manages all three hotels. He began to rebuild the hotel. If before the hotel was not accessible to everyone and riads were very expensive, Jean Claude immediately reduced the prices almost three times and made it accessible. He wanted anyone to be able to get here, and soon, the hotel became very popular. People started coming here to have dinner or a glass of champagne. And the hotel, coming out of the shadows, began to rumble.
Almost at the same period, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum opened in Marrakech — all the stars flew here, and fashion shows started to be held, which made it a popular destination. Jean Claude Messant can sense trends and is constantly experimenting in hotels, bringing something new. A few years ago, he wanted to extend the garden but didn't know how to do it, as the city's main street ran through it. With the help of the king, who ordered the street to be reversed to a bypass, he expanded the hotel's garden almost to double its size. The garden is planted with rare plants from different parts of the world.
Jean Claude Messant pays great attention to the hotel's restaurant side. The hotel's restaurants used to be run by the famous Yannick Alléno, who left a few years ago, and now they are distributed among several brand chefs. They are Hélène Darroze (La Grande Brasserie and La Grande Table Marocaine) and Massimiliano Alajmo (Sesamo restaurant). Hélène had never experienced Moroccan cuisine before; she said it was a great challenge for her and she made Moroccan dishes with French touches.
The most famous chef in the world, Éric Fréchon, a favourite of French presidents, who has two Michelin restaurants in Paris, runs two restaurants in two other hotels, Royal Mansour Casablanca and Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay.
"But a hotel filled with works of art"
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ULVIYYA MAHMUD’S HOTEL DIARY (ROYAL MANSOUR MARRAKECH)
•Best spa (especially hamam)
•Best Italian restaurant in Marrakech (I've tried almost all since my kids love spaghetti)
•Asian restaurant (very trendy and yummy)
•Breakfast is magical (very important for me)
•Very comfortable and cosy riads, perfect if you travel with kids
•Each riad is perfect for a family (they have riads with two bedrooms or more + kitchen, living room, study room and beautiful rooftop) - Swimming pool on the roof (each riad has one)
•Beautiful garden
•The interior has a traditional Moroccan vibe (which I loved)
•Each riad has its own 24/7 helpful butler
•Perfect location
•On my next visit, I'm definitely staying here again
•Tasty room service
•Beautiful rooftop in each riad where you can relax, have time to read, and enjoy the sun
Discover the world of Royal Mansour Marrakech, where hotel rooms and suites give way to a collection of 53 luxurious riads in the heart of the medina, lined with flower-filled alleys and mysterious doorways. Each riad in this collection is an exceptional space, with its Moroccan unique decor spread over three floors.
