Sunshine and souks: a stay at the Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech

The souks of Marrakech are a sprawling, labyrinthine, seemingly unnavigable maze of alleyways and shop sellers peddling everything from spices and shoes, football shirts, leather goods, gigantic rugs, argan oil, and sacks of green henna and kohl.

In the main square of Jemaa el-Fna, snake charmers chat to one another, as a few of their slithery captives bravely make a doomed bid for freedom; barbary monkeys with huge chains around their necks pose for photos, and fortune tellers, acrobats, and musicians ply their trade.

As the sun lowers and the stars faintly appear in the mauve sky, the crowds gather, the music gets louder, and the smoke rises off the barbeques into the night sky. Marrakech is still a bustling meeting place, full of merchants, spices and stories.

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Seemingly a world away from this frenetic nightlife is the Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech, just eight miles away in Tameslouht, about a half hour drive from the airport. It’s an imposing, modern hotel, with sharp rectangular angles in soft pale pink hues. Grand windows in the beautiful reception area reveal four beautiful statuesque palm trees reflected into the 2,000sqm lake-like pool below, which sweeps around the front of the hotel. It’s an impressive 231-hectare estate, with 124 suits and ten hotel villas. There’s also an 18-hole, Cabell B. Robinson designed 72-par golf course spanning 75 hectares, a country club, an expansive gym and a children’s area. Earlier this year the Fairmont group launched a collection of 39 Fairmont branded and fully serviced freehold villas, which are absolutely beautiful.

It’s quiet when I arrive, possibly because it’s January, and yet a stark contrast to the rush of the medina. The air is cold, but the sunshine is deceptively warm. It makes me think of that beautiful, rarely used word; apricity, meaning to bask in the sun on a winter’s day.

As I slip into the pool (freezing), a member of staff surveys me with a cheerful, quizzical expression. He later explains that lots of his colleagues are getting sick in the cold weather, and is amazed that I’m swimming outdoors. To me a bracing swim under the sunshine, with the Atlas mountains in the distance, feels pretty heavenly.

The hotel’s suites are extravagantly huge – the type where you confidently walk into the wardrobe expecting it to be the bathroom, before realising that the exquisitely marbled bathroom is a small kingdom of its own, complete with capacious tub, drench shower, two sinks, walk-in-wardrobe and dressing table. The decor combines natural Moroccan materials and delicate craftsmanship. My room also had an outdoor space, but it wasn’t terribly private and felt slightly exposed.

The hotel offers a free buggy service to whisk you from your room back to the hotel (which is very useful at the end of the evening once you step out into the cold night air) but it’s also pleasant to wander around the hotel grounds admiring the palm trees, lavender, rosemary, olive groves, and small birds chirping.

There are plenty of options for dining at the hotel. L'Olivier, the al fresco poolside restaurant, offers light Medi-Moroccan meal, with its laid-back vibe and beautiful views over the pool and mountains, while La Caravane serves more international cuisine in a chic setting. For a wonderfully authentic Moroccan dinner (complete with live music and enthusiastic belly dancing by the wonderful staff, which, after a few drinks, you might just feel the need to join in) head to Al Aïn.

They serve incredible mezze, mains such as chicken and lentils in a puff pastry, suckling lamb, and plenty of couscous. The bar, with its fireplace and British touches, certainly isn’t Moroccan, but is very good, as are the signature cocktails and wine list. I was particularly impressed with the breakfast – I ignored the plentiful international options on offer and dived straight into a startling spread of hummus, baba ganoush, vegetables, salads, juices and all manner of pickles and olives and traditional Moroccan breads.

The spa here is excellent, with attentive and experienced staff and a range of relaxing treatments. Designed like a Riad, the hammam area includes 10 cabins, a sauna and a body scrub zone.The building is light and airy, and reminded me strangely of the greenhouses at Kew Gardens in London – all cream and glass with hanging plants and rising cacti, surrounding a turquoise pool. The light pouring in makes the whole place feel uplifting and relaxing, unlike some spas which can feel dark and dingy in comparison.

I’m excited by the hotel’s farm, with its screeching turkeys and chickens, its rows of chilis, herbs, aubergines and bright lemon and orange trees all happily growing under the sun, and a sleepy tortoiseshell cat basking in the sunshine, not to mention an impressive selection of gigantic gourds (I think). The farm still appears to be in its nascent stages but is a lovely addition all the same.

Back in Marrakech, and the famed Jardin Majorelle, belonging to the French painter Jacques Majorelle, was high on my to-do list, although it was very busy, even for January. Yet the intense blues and greens, the twinkling flashes of the goldfish in the pools, felt a bit like stepping into a Matisse painting. Next door, the YSL museum is an interesting insight into the life and work of the famous Algerian-born designer, who bought a house in Marrakech in the 1960s. It’s a well-organised and informative exhibition; a whirl of haute couture and catwalks. His forward-thinking designs, such as tailored tuxedos for women, and African influences, are fascinating.

Earlier this year the Fairmont group launched a collection of 39 Fairmont branded and fully serviced freehold villas set within the resort, which are absolutely beautiful. For guests who fall in love with Marrakech and the Fairmont hotel (and who have a fair bit of money to spend) the opportunity to be a homeowner will be enormously appealing. The new collection of residences will include a range of three to five-bedroom homes, some with options to add more bedrooms, and will sit in the most private and secluded part of the resort. Quiet, spacious, and designed in a contemporary Berber style, each home will be surrounded by private gardens with shaded terraces and swimming pools.The luxury homes also come complete with discreet Fairmont services, ranging from 24-hour concierge and butler service to housekeeping and childcare, and access to all the hotel’s amenities, including the spa and golf course.

Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech strikes me as a hotel offering the best of both worlds place – it would suit more nervous, less experienced travellers looking for a supremely comfortable stay, with the option of stepping into the bustling world of the souks as and when they feel like it, but I imagine it wouldn’t suit those looking to be fully immersed into a traditional Morrocan experience. The hotel’s unrivalled luxury, friendly staff and relaxing atmosphere would also undoubtedly make it a superb option for a special occasion or romantic getaway.

For further information on Fairmont Residences Royal Palm Marrakech please contact Sphere Estates: sphereestates.com/rpm / +44 (0)20 3617 1360