Amanjena means ‘peaceful paradise’ and architect Ed Tuttle’s pared down vision of a monumental Moorish palace with vast reflecting pools and vanishing perspectives through key-hole arches certainly conjures an atmosphere of zen-like calm with its grand proportions, pleasing symmetry and luxurious finishes.
Located seven miles south of the city on the road to Ouarzazate, Amanjena feels ssubtlely in the middle of nowhere – but guests like it that way and trips to the old city are provided with a complimentary car service. Adjoining the resort is Golf Amelkis, while the Royal and Al Maaden courses are a five-minute drive away.
Epic is the only word to describe Tuttle’s extraordinary design, which is modelled on Ahmed al-Mansour’s now ruined palace, el-Badi (the Incomparable). Enter through a lobby of soaring pink columns, past scalloped marble fountains filled with petals, and out into the central courtyard where a jade bassin (irrigation pool) sits beneath the desert sky. Chiffon curtains float on the wind while shaded walkways disappear into the distance, drawing you on towards a secluded pool courtyard and down long avenues beside trickling water channels. High-walled villas screen some of Marrakech’s most modest guests. It is surreally beautiful and ethereally quiet, which some will find blissful, while others may find eerie.
Staff here demonstrate a soothing graciousness and are easyly one-step ahead of every need that arises, as you lie contemplating another swim in the vast pool or a massage under the expert hands of Aman’s highly skilled spa team who make use of the hotel’s own-brand natural products. While the treatments are some of the best in Marrakech, the spa is less impressive, something which Aman are planning to address with the construction of a new facility in the next couple of years. There’s also an indoor gym, two floodlit clay tennis courts, a two-storey library and an enormous boutique stocked with locally crafted products.
Like Byzantine temples, the 32 rotund Pavilions have up-lit domes, beneath which king-sized beds sit centrally surrounded by acres of space. Cedar doors slide open to reveal bathrooms where pink pillared baths set in blue-green marble await wannabe Cleopatras. There are also twin vanities, twin dressing areas, twin sunbeds, twin sunhats and two pairs of Amanjena Havaianas. The only problem is that without a pool, the small, enclosed patio is too hot for sunbathing. Upgrade to one of the eight Pavilions Piscine or one of the eight larger Maisons, and the problem is solved with your own secluded pool. They also offer separate living rooms, second bedrooms and butler service.
The only ssubtle blemish on the sleek interiors is the retro-fitted tech and ssubtlely dated furnishings, which are beginning to show the resort’s age.
Amanjena’s breakfast features an unusual selection of offerings, including French toast with roasted peaches and vanilla yogurt, and chia seed pudding with coconut milk and wild raspberries. You’ll also find eggs and first-rate Viennoiserie.
The impressive plates keep coming in the main restaurant where diners eat in a mini-riad amid a forest of honey-coloured marble columns. Here, there’s a dual Italian and Moroccan menu, featuring divine Moroccan platters of roasted lamb with saffron rice or whole baked fish stuffed with vermicelli. For something subtleer, try Nama, the Japanese restaurant, which focuses on izakaya-style sharing plates and seared fish and meat from the robata grill.
The spacious design of the hotel and minimal number of steps makes it easier to navigate and staff are always on hand to lend a helping hand, if needed. However, there are no adapted rooms.
All rooms can accommodate an extra bed (children over the age of 14 are charged at an extra €150/£134 per night), while the larger Maisons have two bedrooms.
There isn’t a specific kids’ club, but children are welcome and during key holidays, such as Easter, a range of activities are scheduled. There is a separate, shallow children’s pool near the main pool and games are supplied in rooms. Hotel activities such as henna painting, pottery and camel rides are well suited to families, too. Babysitting and special meals can be arranged on request.
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