DEPARTURES TRAVEL
DEPARTURES TRAVEL MOROCCO NOWS 44 Above: an elegantly presented snack for the senses at the palais; below: the elaborate interior of the threebedroom Sultana Private Riad that houses the hotel today. The restaurant is still very much the property’s heart, offering a menu that hasn’t changed in 40 years, cooked by a team of women to create flavours that are “the same as our grandparents ate”, says Tazi. Initially, it was thought that the hotel spanned a collection of smaller palaces that had been acquired by Tazi’s father over the years, and subsequently connected. But that proved not to be the case. “We discovered that what we thought were solid walls were actually made of plaster,” says Tazi. When they broke through one of them, they discovered exquisite artisanal work including a handsome archway, plaster carvings and mosaics. “There’s no history book that tells the story of the house, so we started asking people who used to own parts of it, and we realised that it was once one estate,” says Tazi. The building was split into separate units as different family members inherited parts of it. “By pure luck, we realised and reinstated the entire estate,” says Tazi. “It was split by descendants of the former owners, and my brother and I, as descendants of another owner, have brought it back together. We feel blessed to have had the chance to do this.” The restoration and addition of new suites is being undertaken using the same techniques that the artisans of Fez have used for centuries, with skills passed down from generation to generation. The intricate wall mosaics are made of tiles called zellij, cut by hand by Abdelatif Hayani in his workshop on the ground floor of the house. It’s easy to locate – just listen for the clink of hammer on tile as he cuts and shapes the tiny fragments that form the base of the palais’s colourful walls. To complete the mosaics of a house this size can take up to 20 years. “Our zellij master told me that back in the day, it would take a zellij artisan so long to complete a house that he’d practically become family and would often end up marrying one of the daughters,” says Tazi. The artisans were also afraid of the evil eye, and would often cover their works in progress so that no one could see them until completion. Alongside the mosaic artisans, a team of 20 master plasterers is hard at work on the restoration. Each has a different role, the younger ones working on simpler sections and the most experienced being responsible for the intricate patterns that are carved directly into the walls with sharp metal implements. Some have charcoal templates rubbed onto the wall to follow; others are done completely freehand. In addition to the ten new suites, Tazi is also working to add a spa with three treatment rooms and a traditional hammam, as well as a wine cellar, épicerie, new spaces around the central courtyard and its large fountain, and a pool. More than a hotel, the project is described by Tazi as a tribute to her father, and the Tazi siblings are focused on treating the palais with the respect it deserves, ensuring that the restoration is done with care and without cutting corners. “I feel honoured to be able to do this,” says Tazi. “It’s a piece of history, and it’s a legacy that we’re going to leave. I hope that one day people will talk about it with pride.” palais-de-fes.com © PALAIS DE FÈS
FROM LEFT: ANDREW MONTGOMERY, © ROSEMARY RECENT UNVEILINGS From medina to mountain, a clutch of beguiling new hotels offer fresh perspectives on Morocco’s vast beauty – both natural and manmade. OUT THERE TANGIER STAR British designer Jasper Conran’s new 12-room Villa Mabrouka sits high above the Bay of Tangier, surrounded by meandering flower-filled gardens with views of the shimmering sea beyond. The former Tangier home of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, the hotel combines the 1940s modernist silhouette of the house with Moroccan craftsmanship and Conran’s own contemporary aesthetic. It’s a place to explore slowly and leisurely, with garden cottages, a swimming pool carved into the clifftop’s rocks, and secluded dining pavilions all waiting to be found. villamabrouka.com MEANWHILE IN MARRAKECH … For an arty stay, head to the new Rosemary Marrakech (rosemarymarrakech. com) deep in the medina. Lovingly created by designer Laurence Leenaert and Ayoub Boualam (above), cofounders of LRNCE, the riad’s spaces are filled with the label’s instantly recognisable ceramics, fabrics and artworks, mixed with hand-laid terrazzo floors, stained glass and pottery made by 20 Moroccan craftsmen and women. There’s a bijou plunge pool as well as a rooftop for lounging, but perhaps the loveliest space of all is beneath the jacaranda tree in the calming courtyard. Outside the medina, the pink façade of the new Maison Brummell Majorelle ( brummellprojects.com) blends modernist touches with traditional Moroccan tadelakt polished plaster, combining to create a peaceful retreat on the edge of the Majorelle Gardens. Two new accommodations await in the remote deserts of Erg Chebbi: the tented suites of White Camel Acacia Camp are comfortable retreats surrounded by dramatic dunes, while not far away, the Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp ( both: merzougaluxurydesertcamps.com), a sister property, has just had a complete makeover, replacing tents with lodge-style cabins. In the Atlas Mountains, the nine elegant pavilions at adults-only Olinto (olinto.net) are the perfect antidotes to Morocco’s sometimes frenetic cities. Set in serene private gardens, you could easily spend all day lounging by the pool breathing in the fragrant flower-scented air, but the peaks of the surrounding Toubkal National Park are also a draw. –NC 45 DEPARTURES
