Four Seasons Marrakech Opens

We're always fascinated by Marrakech's unique blend of hotel styles, and now there's a new option to intrigue us further. The Four Seasons Hotel Marrakech, which has just opened, is a 40-acre (16 hectare) walled resort with 141 rooms and suites, three dining options (with two more to come) as well as a spa.

Inspired by the nearby Medina, Four Seasons Hotel Marrakech offers a modern take on traditional Moorish architecture next to the Menara Gardens. Rose-hued pavilions with hand-carved details are surrounded by sunlit swimming and reflecting pools, gardens, pathways and fountains. Buildings are low-rise so as not to obstruct stunning views of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains and Menara Gardens beyond the Hotel’s swaying palms. Accommodations evoke a Moroccan medina, filled with riads connected by arcades, walkways and courtyards. Each of the guest rooms and suites has its own furnished balcony or terrace with mountain, Menara Gardens or resort views.

The hotel is located in the central part of the city, right across from the Menara Gardens and an easy stroll to the Medina and the city’s legendary souks. Tennis courts are on the property, while four golf clubs are within a 15-minute drive. We hear the concierge team can arrange excursions that range from the beach to a ski resort, from the ancient to the modern. Adventurers may want to get a head start on a trek through the High Atlas Mountains by helicopter, or take a quad buggy to explore desert plains, canyons and rocky hills just minutes outside Marrakech. Individuals and families interested in traditional culture can even visit a Berber village in the mountains.

The hotel has plenty of options for families and small groups: For starters, there are two pools among the gardens—one for families, and a separate pool for adults only. Four Seasons also offers the city’s only fully-supervised facility for children, Kids for All Seasons, along with conveniences for families (think complimentary strollers, cribs, high chairs and other baby gear to kids menus). Connecting rooms with a private foyer mean everyone can be together, and a Young Adult center and babysitting services allows family members to do their own thing if they choose.

Couples can have their own escapes, too: Every room and suite has its own balcony or terrace for leisurely breakfasts or dining à deux, and the adults-only pool promises a relaxing day in the sun. And the spa has a separate couples pavilion with its own entrance and series of private suites, as well as two sawnk spa suites plus a contemporary hammam. Therapies may include the Spa’s signature Thousand and One Nights, including hammam bath and a traditional smoke essence ritual followed by a saffron, garnet and rose scrub and orange flower body wrap, and finally a facial with oils of rose, jasmine and orange flower. Individual hammam treatments include Marrakech Indulgence, a Gentle Hammam, and a longer Moroccan Hammam Ritual.

The Spa also offers a second pavilion with 15 treatment rooms. Facials by Natura Bisse take center stage, including the Casanova Facial designed just for men. Massages include treatments with ILA products, such as the Kundalini Back Massage, named for the snake-like goddess of awareness, and the Manipura massage, meaning “beautiful jewel” in Sanskrit. For active travelers, the Spa also offers the Sport and Fitness Recovery massage, and use of a soothing whirlpool. Body wraps and scrubs blend local essences (like saffron and orange flower) with ingredients from Himalayan salt crystals and lemongrass to therapeutic bio plasma and seaweeds.

Dining options include Solano – Brasserie du Sud, named for the southerly wind, Andalusia and Sicily; the poolside Azzera Grill with its namesake stone open counter; or the Inara (Arabic for “natural light”) Bar and Lounge. This October, the hotel will unveil a restaurant and rooftop lounge.

French born and trained Executive Chef Christophe Gillino has conceived a Provençal menu for Bleu d’Orange that, we hear, "infuses seasonal local ingredients into fresh interpretations of classic French dishes." We're already eager to try the crushed avocado cake with broad bean salad and artichokes niçoise; shrimp with essence of orange and carrot served with grainy mustard and parsley; bisque bouille, Bleu d’Orange’s signature interpretation of traditional bouillabaisse (seafood soup); grass-fed lamb from the Atlas Mountains with lemons and olives; roasted duck with figs, anise and squash; and for dessert, chocolate fondant cake with cherry licorice reduction, or frozen crème brulée with vanilla Bourbon, crispy oranges with strawberry balsamic reduction and fresh ground pepper.

And on top of the restaurant (and against a backdrop of the Atlas Mountains), Zest at Bleu d’Orange will be the city’s best place for open-air cocktails and live music as the sun sets over the Menara Gardens.

Special Opening Offers
The Welcome Package offers a Spa credit and non-traditional check-in/check-out times, while the Bed and Breakfast package includes a buffet breakfast at Solano-Brasserie du Sud – or guests may combine both options in one. Honeymooners may wish to enjoy their complimentary breakfast in the privacy of their room’s terrace before indulging in a two-hour couple’s treatment at the Spa. The Shop Till You Drop package includes a two-hour excursion to the souks with a private guide, ideal for those interested in picking up the region’s famous leather, brass and silk goods.