Like a clever Berber version of an English country house hotel, Kasbah Bab Ourika embraces a comfortable shabby-chic style throughout its sprawling pisé cottages and relaxed flowering gardens. Guests sink into the setting appreciatively, bewitched by the gentle service and panoramic mountain views.
Unforgettable. Set on a hill above the Ourika Valley, on one side is a pretty ridge of red rock in the Toubkal National Park that staff fondly call “Arizona”. On the other, a handful of ochre villages dot fields swathed in olive and orange groves. It’s an hour by car from Marrakech Airport (35km/22mi), with the last few kilometres off-road.
The creation of Stephen Skinner, an Englishman who fell for Morocco years ago, the Kasbah is solidly built of rammed earth using an age-old Berber technique. As a result, it blends into the scenery, cloaked from view by the mature, terraced gardens.
Set around an internal patio, the kasbah accommodates large comfortable public spaces, including a lounge with stacks of games, a bar, a glass-fronted dining room and a small reading room. Supple leather chairs, vintage carpets, old radios and clocks, and stacks of cushions covered in local fabrics create an inviting ambiance, particularly in winter when all the fires are lit.
Still, it’s the outdoor space that impresses most. Meandering pathways lined by clipped rosemary bushes lead you to a walled pool and astonishing views where tables beckon for memorable sundowners.
Local Berbers from the surrounding villages make up the courteous staff. Their focus is entirely on the comfort of the guests, from the knowledgeable guided walks, to the preparation of a guest’s market-bought leg of goat for dinner. Days disappear easily here, spent either idling around the pool, reading in the garden or unwinding in the hammam.
Try to stay at least a few nights to enjoy great mountain walks, visits to local markets and waterfalls, or even skiing in winter. At night, there’s little to do except play board games, linger over dinner or relax gazing at the brilliant stars.
There are 26 individually decorated rooms furnished with country-style Berber furniture, creamy woollen blankets, supple leather chairs and thick-pile, handwoven rugs. There are 15 rooms in the main kasbah, with an additional 12 scattered throughout the gardens, including two great pool suites (with their own secluded pools overlooking the valley), and a two-bedroom villa with a sitting room, kitchen and secluded pool.
Aside from the pool suites, of particular note are the rooms in the kasbah’s four towers, which have double-aspect windows and stunning wraparound views. All but the superior rooms have either a fireplace or a secluded balcony; while most of the Zen-like bathrooms come with showers only.
What has to be one of the best vegetable patches in Morocco provides high-quality ingredients for a smart, unfussy menu. Breakfast is a delicious parade of homemade bread, jams, mountain honey and Berber pancakes, and there’s a chef at a hot station who’ll prepare omelettes and eggs on request.
Lunch on the terrace is a real highsubtle and features smart takes on local fare, such as Moroccan spiced lamb patties with orange salad. The set menu for dinner changes daily and features simple Medi-Moroccan dishes, such as leek and potato soup, spiced fish stew with white beans, and cheesecake with berry compote. Flavourful and simply presented, it’s just want you want to eat after a day in the mountains.
One suite on the ground floor is suitable for wheelchair access.
Extremely. This is a perfect place for families. Children under four stay free; for those over four, extra beds are charged at €50 (£45) per night.
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