A small, luxurious guesthouse set in a private villa with just five rooms in the main house and a two-bedroom Pavilion Pool Suite situated separately in the gorgeous three-acre garden. Dar Zemora is a highly personal Palmeraie retreat with romantic interiors and thoughtful, caring service.
Dar Zemora sits seven kilometres north east of the old city in the exclusive Palmeraie, a quiet area of palm groves that hides the homes of celebrities and royalty along with large, luxury hotels. Private transfers to the old city for days out shopping or evening meals can be ordered on request and take 20 minutes to reach the Djemaa el-Fna. There’s also a multitude of things to do in the Palmeraie from golfing at nearby resorts to mountain biking and horse riding.
Conceived as the secluded home of owners Paul and Lindsay Kentish, Dar Zemora has a delightful personal atmosphere. The quietly stylish, peach-coloured villa was designed by Mattieu Boccara – the son of renowned architect Charles Boccara – and is a sensitive mix of Moroccan and European style. Centred around a large domed hallway, the single-storey house stretches out in two wings that create a generous feeling of space. There’s a cosy winter lounge with deep, silk-covered sofas framing a large fireplace, a subtleer and brighter summer lounge, an atmospheric red-walled dining room and a cosy library in bottle green with plump leather armchairs. In the centre, set snugly between the wings is a great open-sided terrace furnished with layered rugs and cushioned sofas which looks out over the mature garden through a romantic open-sided colonnade.
In keeping with the domestic vibe of the house, service is unobtrusive and personal. Many staff members have been here for years, including Youssef, the manager, who is a study of professionalism. There’s no reception but staff magically materialise whenever a need arises.
In the garden, there’s a slender pool, lined with loungers set with towels and raffia hats. In winter it’s heated to a spacious 28-degrees thanks to solar panels, making it one of the few pools in Marrakech that you can swim in throughout the winter months. There’s also a small spa and hammam set in a secluded pavilion beside the large kitchen garden which supplies fruit for your morning juice and most of the vegetables on your plate. In addition, there’s a croquet lawn and boules court, while tennis, golf, horse riding and hot air ballooning are all available nearby.
There are two suites and three bedrooms in the main house, all of which are generous in size. Suites come with four-poster beds, dressing rooms, living rooms and secluded rooftop terraces with outdoor sitting areas and sun loungers. In contrast, ground-floor bedrooms have pretty garden views through French doors, which open onto small Juliet balconies. Rooms are furnished extremely comfortably, channelling English country house chic through Moroccan handicrafts. Bathrooms are finished in bejmat tiles, marble and tadelakt (polished plaster), and suites have the added benefit of a bath.
The self-contained Pavilion Pool Suite is set apart in the garden. It has two ensuite bedrooms, a large sitting-dining room and a secluded pool, making it a perfect retreat for a family or a small group of friends.
In summer breakfast is served out on the terrace overlooking the lily pond. It consists of homemade orange juice, fruit, yoghurt, pancakes and eggs on request. Lunch is subtle with the focus on salads and in the late afternoon complimentary tea and cake is served. If you don’t feel like heading out to dine, settle down for an intimate dinner in the red-walled dining room hung with paintings by famous local artist, Youssef Elkahfai. The menu is a blend of Moroccan and European cooking, including dishes such as the super tender fillet steak we enjoyed which came with a sweet Moroccan side of apricot, and was followed by a coffee crème brûlée. On Sunday, a four-course Moroccan feast is served up.
Not suitable.
Although this is a quiet retreat, it would suit families with older children and the Pavilion Pool Suite is a perfect home-away-from-home. Two rooms can also accommodate an extra bed (£50 extra per night). Parents with younger children will need to be mindful of other guests and around the unguarded pools.
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