Royal Mansour Hotel, Marrakech
A hotel fit for a King (or Queen)
Entering the beautiful gates of Royal Mansour Hotel in Marrakech, Morocco, feels like entering another time in history.
Drenched in history...
Imagine returning to Alouite Morrocco, a historical moment in time that saw great kings construct opulent palaces, erect grand gates and embellish the walls with beautiful artworks, whilst bathing in tranquil hammams, living in extraordinary luxury. The Royal Mansour Hotel allows for this imagination to be turned into a reality as it transports you back in time equipped with the pure luxuries of the future.
This beautiful converted palace was originally commissioned by King Mohammed VI in 2010 who still often hosts his guests in it’s 53 private riads. It took three and a half years of hard work and almost 1,500 craftsmen working tirelessly to create this perfect slice of paradise.
Arriving in style...
As soon as you touch down in the newly refurbished Menara airport in Marrakech, the Royal Mansour treats you to the delights of truly being royal. The hotel arranges for all incoming guests to be met at the airport as soon as their plane lands, to ensure you are sped through customs, avoiding the long and unruly queues. After you are escorted through you are met by your personal driver who takes you to an awaiting Bentley filled with lots of sweet and luxurious treats - just a small slice of the pure indulgence that lies ahead.
The hotel is set within the boundaries of Marrakech Old Town and as you drive through the vast main gates and up to the palace building you are greeted by an army of willing staff members who can’t do enough to ease you into hotel life and get you accustomed to your new home.
Exquisite craftsmanship...
The beautiful architecture and exquisite craftsmanship is evident immediately and really is a sight for sore eyes. Everywhere you look there are devinly embellished gates, doorways, sculptures, tiles and art works. The 1,500 extremely skilled craftsmen worked almost 24 hours a day to produce this architectural masterpiece adorned with the finest mosaics tiles, carved cedarwood, stained glass, dripping stuccowork, beaten bronze and inlaid marquetry.
One, two and three bedroom villas, or riads, are available throughout the hotel, all equipped with private roof terraces, shaded by private Bedouin tents with a personal plunge pool. The bedrooms themselves are strewn with suede and silk carpets and are decorated to the highest of standards. The attention to detail was quite honestly mind blowing with each and every detail intended to take your breath away. More like small homes, the bedrooms were fashioned from marble and ancient tiles to take you on a journey back in time.
Attention to detail...
The wonders of the Royal Mansour are not only aesthetic; the attention to detail exists in all things. The service was some of the warmest most assured service you’ve ever encountered. The staff are pre-emptively accommodating. If you call for room service, it is not a case of telling someone what you fancy, but an engaged conversation, rich with recommendations on what fruits are at their best that day, or descriptions of the finest teas that are available to accompany said fruit.
Another highly impressive element of the Royal Mansour is its gastronomical offering. The hotel has three restaurants which are all in partnership with the Michelin-starred chef, Yannick Alleno. Alleno overseas all food and beverage of the entire property and makes it his business to personally interact with guests to ensure their needs and desires are met. You can tell that Alleno, who recently ran the kitchens at Paris’ greatest Palace hotel, Le Meurice, has a true passion for Morrocan food and culture. Each and every dish presented to us was full of flavour, beautifully executed and extremely aesthetically pleasing.
Time to relax...
The final treat that can’t afford to go unmentioned was the impressive and indulgent Le Spa Royal Mansour. A slice of paradise which takes you on a spiritual journey the moment you enter the refreshing entrance, the spa at the Royal Mansour was one of true majesty. In total there are 10 private spa cabins, offering a range of treatments from massages, facials and
hydrotherapy as well as aesthetic and beauty services. Mirroring the palaces majestic qualities, the Spa is a feel-good oasis under a monumental glasswork.
Whilst there is so much to do in Marrakech, from exploring the Atlas Mountains or wandering through the the souks, where snake charmers, monkeys and fortune tellers come together in a cacophony of colour and downright craziness, if you stay at The Royal Mansour you certainly won’t want to leave! This exquisite beacon of paradise makes languorous afternoons on your riad rooftop, multiple massages in the spa, or soaking up the sun by the undulating pool seem the only way to spend your time in Marrakech. We will definitely be returning as soon as we can to spend even more time luxuriating in the sun feeling like royalty.