"This grand hotel, carved from marble, was 10 years in the making—finally opening its doors in 2019 after a decade of painstaking construction. Crouched before the Atlas mountains on 28 acres of olive groves, it’s one of the most extraordinary stays in the city. The chef and concierge were pinched from Marrakech stalwart La Mamounia; a few staff were even poached from King Mohammed’s Royal Mansour. The spa manager comes from Es Saadi and oversees the wellness program in a space set on a sparrow-skimmed, reeded lake and equipped with marble hammams and therapists from the acclaimed Oberoi Sukhvilas. In the rooms, discernment is apparent in elephant grey Chesterfields, Indian chandeliers, and sugared dates as fat as juicy cigars. Meanwhile, the mix of Mughal and Berber paintings reminds me that I am firmly in Marrakech but never far from Rajasthan. —Stephanie Rafanelli"
