Maria Boyle spends 48 hours in Marrakech and discovers a vibrant city full of great food, shopping and luxurious pampering.
48 Hours in Marrakech – Day 1
10am
Check in at The Royal Mansour (rates start from 18000 MAD per night for two people sharing a one-bedroom riads on a B&B basis, which includes airport transfers and Fast Track immigration at Marrakech airport). Instead of standard rooms, the property features 53 private riads across a medina-style network of alleyways. Each riad includes a shaded courtyard, marble bathroom and rooftop terrace with a private plunge pool and views of the Koutoubia Mosque.
11.30am
Head into the medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a labyrinth of souks organised by craft. With little signage, it’s worth hiring a guide Hisham (Instagram: @hisham_marrakech has 20+ years’ experience, Tel + 212 606 620620) to navigate the spice markets, leather workshops, bags and homeware sections, and take in sights including the ornate Dar El Bacha palace.
2pm
Lunch at El Fenn, a bohemian-chic riad with a 1,300-sq m rooftop restaurant, where the rose-coloured terrace walls contrast beautifully against the Atlas Mountains in the distance. Order a selection of vibrant Moroccan salads and grilled sea bass and finish with a cup of mint tea while listening to the distant call to prayer. Before leaving, browse its ground-floor boutique, a curated treasure trove of cushions, throws, ceramics and jewellery.
4pm
Back at the hotel, spend the afternoon by the 30-metre-long pool. Chill on a sun lounger and enjoy a glass of chilled rosé, topped off by the Royal Mansour’s daily treat: complimentary churros with chocolate sauce.
7pm
Dinner at La Grande Table Marocaine, the hotel’s flagship restaurant. Here, ancestral recipes are elevated into fine-dining dishes such as delicately spiced tagines and slow-cooked meats served in the opulent surroundings.
48 Hours in Marrakech – Day 2
8am
Ease into the morning with an early breakfast at La Grande Brasserie. Sit inside or on its sun-dappled terrace, and enjoy a generous spread of flaky pastries, fresh juices, traditional Moroccan pancakes (msemmen). While the menu features plenty of made-to-order classics, the French toast, caramelised to perfection and pillowy soft, is the undisputed star of the morning.
11am
The Spa Royal spans 2,500 sq. m and is widely considered the best in Marrakech. Enter the striking all-white atrium, designed in the purest Moorish style, to reach the heart of the spa: the hammam. The experience includes an energising body wrap treatment performed using ghassoul, natural clay from the Atlas Mountains, infused with lavender and sacred basil.
2pm
Taxi to Jardin Majorelle (170MAD entry), once owned by Yves Saint Laurent. Originally designed by French painter Jacques Majorelle and later saved from developers by Yves Saint Laurent, these gardens are a must visit. The electric “Majorelle Blue” of the Art Deco studio provides a contrast to the lime-green cacti and exotic palms; a beautiful botanical sanctuary that offers a calm reprieve from the heat.
6pm
Head back to the Royal Mansour for an early dinner at Le Jardin, its Italian restaurant. The menu, orchestrated by Michelin-starred chef Massimiliano Alajmo, features classics created exclusively for the hotel. These include risotto with spicy pesto, veal scallopini with lemon and Safi capers, and Majorelle cappuccino. Expect a lovely keepsake at the end: a Polaroid of your evening ready to take along in the taxi to the airport for the last flight home.
Main image ©Mitchell van Voorbergen / El Fenn
