For French owners Catherine Arlaud, Philippe Chaslot and Jean-Olivier Arfeuillère it was love at first sight. The trio had been looking for a project to work on and when they arrived in Tangier and checked into what was then the rather run down Dar Nour, only to discover it was for sale, the writing was on the wall.
At the top of the Kasbah (with parking nearby), the guesthouse is hidden among a riddle of white-washed alleyways that look like something out of a fairy tale, all arched doorways and latticed porticos framing exuberant bougainvillea and frothy green vines. It’s an easy meander downhill past various sights, such as the recently renovated Museum and the Café Baba (where, in the 1960s, Keith Richards was known to while away the afternoon), and into the Petit Socco where you’ll find the main shopping souks.
It’s delightful to look at, but it’s the atmosphere created by the owners that has made it such a hit with regulars. Speaking about why they fell in love with Tangier, they say “it still feels a little like the 1960s” and there’s a similarly bohemian vibe to the space. Spread through five, interconnected houses it is pastiche of exuberant colour and texture along with original artworks antiques and curios, piles of well-thumbed books and an eclectic play list, all of which may well have been created by the person you’re sitting next to. Impromptu jam sessions, poetry readings and deep, late-night conversations are all par for the course.
The roof terrace has expansive views over much of Tangier, including the landmark spires of the Spanish Cathedral, and it’s a delightful place to start or end the day. In the middle of the house, the first-floor lounge with its tangerine damask sofa and intimate nooks is where guests gather every evening at 6.30pm for Dar Nour’s beloved heure de l’aperitif (the ginger gin is a thing of beauty). On the ground floor there’s a crimson TV room that invites you to hole up for a couple of hours with an art house movie, and beyond that, squirreled away behind the front desk, a teeny-tiny shop stacked with treasured finds from the owners’ frequent forays into the souks.
Bedrooms range from bright and breezy with snowy white linens, to technicoloured boudoirs that celebrate the splashy Moroccan design oeuvre: hand-cut tiles (zellije), locally woven bed spreads, leather pouffes and vintage kilim cushions scattered nonchalantly across low-slung banquettes. True, some of the mattresses sag a little in the middle, and standard rooms are on the small side, but they are also cosy and warm, with decent bathrooms and plenty of piping hot water, plus the rates are very keen indeed.
Breakfast at Dar Nour is whispered about around town thanks to its decadent approach to the tired old buffet. Taking centre stage is a gigantic crème brulee made fresh every day, pastries from the city’s famed Patisierre Italienne, and an enlivening citron presse. For dinner, the hotel’s sister restaurant, Le Salon Bleu, is a five-minute amble where several dining rooms in Wedgewood blues provide the backdrop to the best cooking in the Kasbah – don’t miss the butter-tender calamari tagine and tasty grilled bream. No alcohol is served, but should you feel the urge, stroll over to the Avenue Pasteur for a cocktail or two at their popular bar, the aptly named Number One.
Not suitable.
It’s better suited to couples and friends.
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