HOTELRESORTRESORTRESORTrenovated with marble sinks and dark woodwork, but upstairs rooms have art-deco tile and
turquoise bathtubs. The shadowy stuccoed entry, hidden courtyard, and salon club chairs add
noir -novel intrigue.
Caspien $
Offline map Google map ( 0524 42 22 82; www.lecaspien-hotel.com; 12 Rue Loubnane; s/d
Dh460/580; ) In a quiet Guéliz location near boutiques, spas and restaurants, the
Caspien is cosy and personable. Pointed archways, zellij floors, pierced-brass lamps and
balconies add Marrakesh atmosphere. For maximum quiet, choose upper-floor rooms
overlooking the pool, well above the restaurant and piano bar.
PALMERAIE & OUTSKIRTS
When the medina seems a bit much, villas in the Palmeraie let you chill out in a palm oasis.
Once your blood pressure dips and you begin to miss the madness of Marrakesh, you’re within
a 30-minute drive from the heart of the action. A taxi into town is the easiest way, but is rather
costly (Dh150 to DH250) since you often have to pay for the driver’s round-trip to fetch you.
Jnane Tamsna $$$
( 0524 32 94 23; www.jnanetamsna.com; Douar Abiad, Palmeraie; d incl breakfast
from Dh2730, ste from Dh3700; ) A-list cele- brities (Brad Pitt, Giorgio Armani, David
Bowie) flock to this North African nirvana with cloistered patios, reading nooks and sunny
terraces amid 9 hectares of organic gardens. Sustainability meets style at Meryanne Loum-
Martin’s oasis of water-conserving plants, filtered pools, all- organic cuisine, fair-trade design
gallery and cultural immersion Diversity Excursions (www.diversity-excursions.co.uk)
organised by her English ethnobotanist husband, Gary Martin, founder of the Global Diversity
Foundation. Book ahead for excursions, cooking classes, yoga retreats and literary salons with
Booker Prize winners.
La Pause $$
( 0661 30 64 94; www.lapause-marrakech.com; Douar Lmih Laroussiéne, Agafay
Desert; d half-board from Dh1100; ) Skip off the grid to a desert getaway 45 minutes from
Marrakesh (chauffeured transport to/from Marrakesh provided). Days are spent playing turf-
free golf or disc golf using available clubs or Frisbees, or hanging out in hammocks under olive
trees by the filtered pool. Ride off into the sunset on mountain bikes, Arabian stallions, donkeys
or dromedaries, and return to candlelit organic feasts. Sleep in generous Berber tents with
foam mattresses, thick carpets and open-air showers, or read by firelight in your own
minimalist-chic, solar-powered abode.
Les Deux Tours $$$
( 0524 32 95 25; www.les-deuxtours.com; Douar Abiad, Circuit de la Palmeraie; d incl
breakfast from Dh1800, ste from Dh2320; ) Tunisian architect Charles Boccara’s
deliciously decadent oasis resort started the Palmeraie villa trend – but few of its cookie-cutter
neighbours can match its amenities, distinctive modern style, and attentive new management.
Hidden passageways lead to cushy guest rooms with four-poster beds, fireplaces and French
doors that open onto private terraces and plunge pools. Cocooning guests emerge for candlelit