Who's Going
Drunk Brit-Elite, Paris Weekenders, Fashionable Gays
Reason to Stay
Hip Crowd, Party Hotel, Designer Interiors
Hotel Type
Desert Resort
This is Marrakech at its best, like a St. Tropez in an ocean of sand. Owned by own of Paris' trendiest hoteliers, Murano Urbano Resort, this chic palm-filled oasis is located in Marrakech's northern suburb of La Palmeraie. The ride from the airport includes first hand views of good and bad Moroccan architecture, but somehow guests are still unprepared for the magnificence of the hotel's lobby riad with its arched windows and regal stone facade. It's divided over six riads on a well-manicured property of desert wildflowers and majestic palms. No building is more than two stories, creating architectural intimacy amongst the swaying trees. Guests enter a two-story lobby area that incorporates traditional-white walls and ebonized woods with contemporary furnishings like a tufted-white sofa and black-upholstered settees. Artless-walls are offset by endless fireplaces flickering with candlelight even in the height of summer.
Walking the edge of the lobby area, the red-tile pool comes into view with its biblical coloring offset by all-white loungers with whimsical headrests and curved arms. The crowd oozes sex appeal as electro-remixes ala Buddha Bar boom from the hotel's DJ booth, echoing throughout the pool area like a Western anthem. The crowd seems to forget they're in a Muslim-country, as women opt for topless afternoons even in the company of local male staff. The hotel features a separate riad with formal restaurant and lounge area that's the place to be after dark, even luring visitors from other hotels. A new spa facility was recently unveiled with steam rooms and plunge pool as well as the usual gamut of massage and facials.
The Room
The hotel is far smaller than its size would suggest, with only 32 guest rooms divided amongst three terracotta riads around a large blood-red resort pool. Room categories are divided between medium and large, each offering towering ceilings and crisp white plastered walls. Bedrooms feature raw brick floors, sculpted fireplaces and large domed doors opening to charming balconies and the occasional terrace planted with mandarin trees. The architecture of the rooms is distinctly Moorish and predominantly white, accented by vintage rock posters and pop art that offers a touch of the hip. The décor is straight from Paris, with blood red coloring working its way inside to the sofa cushions and modernist tulip chairs. Platform and white canopy beds are dripped in high-thread count linens and offer mosquito netting on request. Bathrooms mix all the hotel’s elements together with marble floor and deep tubs along side an array of naturalist body products.
Preferred Room
Murano Large
Special Features
Resort Setting, Trendy Clientele, World’s Top-10 Swimming Pools, DJ, Outdoor Bar
Amenities
Restaurant, Lounge, Bar, Outdoor Bar, Swimming Pool, Spa
