Amanjena
Inspired by the 16th-century palace of Moroccan sultan Ahmad al-Mansur, palatial Amanjena lies close enough to Marrakech for trips to the medina with the complimentary car service, but far enough away to enjoy the zen-like calm of the resort’s reflecting pools, vanishing perspectives and cool, shaded courtyards.
Make no mistake about it, this is as much a work of art as it is a hotel. You enter through a lobby of soaring pink columns, past scalloped marble fountains and out into the central courtyard. Irrigation pools and trickling water channels nourish the gardens in which spacious standalone guest pavilions rest, all with private gardens and many with private pools. Larger still are the magical maisons, complete with separate living rooms, second bedrooms and butler service.
Views stretch across olive groves and palms towards the High Atlas Mountains standing tall on the horizon. Facilities include a comprehensive spa with four private treatment rooms, two Moroccan-style hammams, a fully equipped fitness centre, two clay tennis courts, and restaurants specialising in Moroccan, Italian and Japanese cooking. A 27-hole golf course sits just next door, and excursions include dining beneath the stars in the Agafay dunes set deep within the desert.