Mejjat 3/38, Cercle Ennakhil, Commune J’Nanate, Marrakech, Morocco | (888) 616-5829
Luxury kasbah-style hotel awash in Moorish style
Set on five acres
of exotic and tranquil gardens
Large swimming
pool with separate kids' area
Spacious rooms
with balconies or patios, and such luxury touches as Jacquard linens, feather beds, and pillow menus
Pavilion and
villa accommodations -- some with private pools
Most bathrooms
have jetted tubs -- a few mini-steam baths
Excellent dining
and cooking lessons available
Breakfast included in the room rate
Twice daily
shuttle service free of charge
Free in-room Wi-Fi
Located outside central Marrakech (a pro for some)
Small breakfast
selection
Pool can be cold
The 28-room Mosaic Palais
Aziza & Spa is a luxury boutique hotel blending kasbah-style architecture with traditional Moroccan decor and a palatial finish. Located in the Palmeraie, about a 15-minute drive from the bustling souks of the medina, the Mosaic Palais sits amid five acres of tranquil gardens and pools. All rooms have private terraces or balconies, and range from Deluxe Rooms with hot tubs to freestanding Pavilions and Villas with private gardens. The on-site spa offers a palette of custom treatments, along with the traditional hammam. The on-site dining is outstanding. Maroliano, adjacent to the Mosaic Bar and Lounge, serves Moroccan fare with an Italian twist, while the more casual La Pergola, with its "theater kitchen" and alfresco dining, is for lighter far. The Citrus Bar serves signature cocktails poolside.
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Scene
Deluxe kasbah-style hotel with plush palatial touches set amid gardens
Guests enter between a pair of formidable-looking heavy wooden gates to reach the hotel's relatively unassuming kasbah-style facade -- red-earth toned and fort-like. The Mosaic Palais Aziza & Spa was built in 2010 by Saudi Prince Bandar (whose own palace is nearby), and once inside its elegantly arched entrance this comes as no surprise. The lobby is awash in Moorish palatial touches, from plush green velvet upholstery, traditional zellige tiling, and mashrabiya latticework, all crowned by a gorgeous intricately decorated carved cedar-wood ceiling. The boutique property is set on five acres of lovely exotic gardens full of roses, banana plants, and bougainvillea, where well-heeled guests relax around central pools under shaded palms to the sound of bird song. In the evening, the gardens are illuminated by traditional Moroccan lanterns so diners can eat alfresco and take in the particularly peaceful surroundings.
Location
Set in a quiet suburb within a 15-minute drive of the medina
The hotel is
located in La Palmeraie, a vast palm grove outside the city that's home to luxury hotels, royal residences, and golf courses. It's about a 15-minute drive to the Marrakech's bustling medina -- or old city -- an 11th-century quarter full of with bustling souks, labyrinth streets, tranquil shaded courtyards,
and the UNESCO-recognized Djemaa el Fna square. The
hotel provides twice-daily shuttle service to the medina. With little nearby besides a few
homes and other guesthouses, the Mosaic Palais Aziza & Spa can feel a little isolated, but that's part of its point. Marrakech Menara
International Airport, on the other side of town, is at least a half-hour drive away.
Rooms
Restrained traditional Moroccan decor with plenty of luxury touches
The hotel has a
range of accommodations, ranging from spacious Deluxe and Superior Rooms with private courtyards, terraces, or balconies to Suites to freestanding Pavilions and one- or two-bedroom Villas -- most of which have private plunge pools. Decor is elegant though relatively unfussy
by Moroccan standards, with a mixture of modern and traditional Moroccan
furnishings, tadelakt polished
plaster walls, and the ubiquitous geometric Arabian tiling. Luxury touches
include high-count Jacquard Egyptian linens, duck-down duvets, pillow menus, and a choice of seven pillows
(including horsehair), along with free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs with satellite
channels, and iPod docking stations. Pavilion suites also have high barrel-vaulted
ceilings and private gardens, while most bathrooms feature hot tubs and
walk-in rainfall showers -- some even doubling as mini-steam rooms.
Features
Large swimming pool, excellent dining, and Moroccan cooking classes
A small
but good quality breakfast of cooked-to-order eggs, toast, and pastries, which is included in the rate, is
served each morning overlooking the pool. The
hotel's main restaurant -- Maroliano -- offers a high-end fusion of Moroccan
and Italian cooking, though is expensive for Morocco, while La
Pergola provides an alfresco experience for lunch and dinner. Moroccan cooking
classes are available in the hotel's semi-open air theater kitchen, which
end in a three course meal. The property is centered around a large swimming
pool, with a separate areas for kids, and plenty of Wi-Fi coverage -- although
heated, the water in the pool often remains cold. There's a large hammam and spa
complete with Arabian-style interiors,a heated plunge pool, and traditional body
scrubs and massage treatments.
