MenuBack

Royal Mansour Marrakesh: world’s most luxurious hotel! 5-star Morocco riad, Michelin restaurant.

royal mansour morocco top hotel

Come aboard my magic carpet, and fly with me through a Moroccan fantasy hotel: Royal Mansour Marrakesh

My film team and I have been invited to stay at many wonderful places, but Royal Mansour was unlike anything we’d experienced. If you’re a dreamer like I am, inspired by the art and culture of Morocco, then you’ll understand why this five-star riad is so special.

(PS: don’t miss out on my current Japan travels, which you can see on my social media @lacarmina and linked in the top right sidebar.)

royal mansour marrakesh courtyard fountain

It sounds like a tale from 1001 Nights: Royal Mansour was the vision of King Mohammed VI, who employed over a thousand craftsmen and spared no expense to make this dream a reality. (Book a stay at this hotel & learn more here.)

most expensive hotel in world, morocco

My friends and I felt like Scheherazade, wandering the king’s palace in a daze. In a single picture, you’ll find a million details: the tiles, marble, gold, and carved arches.

phantom of opera fashion, dress

You can imagine the fun we had, exploring the riads and hidden lounges, and taking photos along the way. Each area was lit to perfection — such as this reception area with a glowing chandelier. 

The space made me feel like Alice in Wonderland, so I wore a romantic white dress by Liz Lisa (I’m currently selling it on my Depop, in case you would like it!). I played around with some color edits, to emphasize details of the architecture.

entrance luxury hotel riad morocco

Let’s start from the entrance. Marrakesh’s Royal Mansour is only minutes from the bustling Square of the Dead, but the atmosphere couldn’t have been a bigger contrast. We drove through peaceful, opulent gardens and arches until we reached the grand entrance.

An adorable “lobby girl” greeted us, wearing a red cap, military-style outfit and white gloves.

royal mansour rooms, riads

At Royal Mansour, guests don’t stay in rooms. They get their very own three-storey riad, or Moroccan house with an open courtyard.

My jaw dropped when I realized I had one of the 53 private riads all to myself. I stepped past a blue-tiled foutain, into a living room furnished with the finest furniture.

luxury modern design chandelier

The riad was fit for a Moroccan princess: a kitchen, rooftop terrace with a swimming pool, and my own elevator. Every detail, from the antique star lamps to the cushions with glass beads, was exquisite.

most luxurious hotel rooms morocco

My bedroom looked like an illustration from a centuries-old storybook — yet it had all the latest amenities including free movies. I spent an hour soaking in the giant marble tub that lies behind these curved wooden doors.

marrakesh royal mansour palace

Outside, the gardens were blooming with palms, purple bougainvillea and pomegranate trees. The landscape artist – Spain’s Luis Vallejo – also designed the gardens at the Alhambra palace in Granada (which we visited).

royal mansour architect, design

My long white dress added to the dreamlike feeling of the space. My platform sandals are these ones by YRU.

(I’m currently selling both of these items, plus more from my closet at discounted rates. Come take a look at all my sale listings, and email me if you’d like to get anything!)

royal mansour marrakesh reviews

The heart of the hotel is its main courtyard, a palatial arrangement around a cross-shaped fountain.

Mohammed VI began building Royal Mansour in the 2000s, and brought in the “crème de la crème” including architecture firm OBM and the French interior designers 3BIS. He spared no expense. The total budget of the project has never been revealed.

morocco beautiful riad, art hotel

He wanted Royal Mansour to be a tribute to traditional Moroccan craftsmanship — so he hired over a thousand of the country’s best artisans. Each tile was handcut and placed, and every screen was painstakingly carved.

Imagine the effort that went into the zellige alone (the starburst-shaped mosaic wall) in the photo above…

moroccan interior design, art

Around the courtyard, there were intimate curtained rooms filled with cushions and paintings. I ducked into this hidden space and closed my eyes, taking in the scent of jasmine and orange blossom.

I listened to birds singing from the room next door, water trickling through the courtyard, and the light strains of Berber music.

moroccan blue tiles, water fountain

Every corner of the hotel delighted our senses, particularly the open-air courtyards. We walked up the stairwell and found libraries, cigar and cocktail lounges.

Royal Mansour is opulence in its subtlest form. The hotel never feels over-the-top, and yet each detail is pure luxury.

moroccan windows, female travel instagram

The King brought together the highest achievements of Moroccan culture in a single place: interior design, paintings, sculpture, gardens, food.

royal mansour hotel luxe

The cigar room was a perfect example of the hotel’s understated luxury. At first glance, it seems like an old-fashioned gentleman’s lounge.

But then you notice the film-quality lighting from handmade lamps, and the shelves of rare cognacs and cigars. (All photos by Borderless Media.)

royal mansour moroccan restaurant

We had the dinner of dreams at one of Royal Mansour’s restaurants, La Grande Table Marocaine. It’s overseen by Yannick Alléno, a chef with three Michelin stars. 

top restaurant marrakesh morocco

Seamless service, by servers in white gloves. They poured water over our hands as a washing ritual, and served us fine Moroccan wines — above was one of the best glasses I’ve ever had.

moroccan appetizers, molecular gastronomy

We started with our new favorite appetizer, a spread of Moroccan salads with honey and spices.

In the center, we had a selection of pastillas, or savory pies wrapped in crisp pastry. I’m still dreaming of the spinach and cheese one.

morocco clay pot tagine cooking

It was hard to choose our main courses, which were based on Moroccan tradition. Tagines, couscous, Moroccan gnocchi, fish served in clay pots. As expected, everything was 5-stars. If only we could have ordered the whole menu…

We loved the desserts with a molecular twist, including an orange blossom concoction with citrus caviar that burst in your mouth.

royal mansour desserts, pastries

It was around my birthday… and the staff surprised me with these Grand Budapest-worthy cakes.

The hotel has a clever underground tunnel system that lets staff enter and exit the riad without disturbing your peace. One of them delivered these delights at the exact right moment, and then scurried back into the tunnel like a genie. Amazing.

marrakech hotels 5 star lavish

I hope the doors to your imagination are open, after this peek inside Royal Mansour Marrakesh — which deserves its title as one of the leading hotels of the world. The riad just re-opened after a summer renovation, and the gardens have become more enchanting than ever. Learn more and book this hotel here.

marrakech palace bahia

I leave you with a few shots by Joey Wong of Bahia Palace in Marrakesh, built in the late 19th century by a former slave who rose to become the Sultan’s Grand Vizier.

morocco courtyard harem bahia

Bahia has a 2 acre garden and harem, decorated with these intricate Islamic reliefs.

ancient moroccan palace bahia

The detailing live up to the palace’s name, which means “brilliance.” Isn’t Moroccan architecture magnificent? I’d jump at the chance to come back and see more of the country.

If you’re planning a trip to Fez, Marrakesh and surrounding cities, check out all my travel tips and articles here. And watch me explore more of Royal Mansour in our Morocco travel video. To book a stay at my riad and see prices, click here.

PS: You’re welcome to Share and Pin these photos, if you felt inspired!

SHARE & COMMENT

28 Comments

  1. Sivar
    Posted October 8, 2016 at 4:50 am | Permalink

    Absolutely Inspiring

  2. Abby
    Posted October 8, 2016 at 4:50 am | Permalink

    Sweet! Thanks for the photos.

  3. Slaymen
    Posted October 8, 2016 at 4:50 am | Permalink

    slays me

  4. Parker W
    Posted October 8, 2016 at 4:50 am | Permalink

    My favourite country.

  5. Linas
    Posted October 8, 2016 at 4:51 am | Permalink

    looks interesting Marrakesh.

    • lacarmina
      Posted October 9, 2016 at 2:41 am | Permalink

      Did you see our video about the medina? What a place.

  6. aereias
    Posted October 8, 2016 at 4:51 am | Permalink

    this is wonderous.

  7. Queen Vanity
    Posted October 8, 2016 at 2:38 pm | Permalink

    I love Marrakech. I lived there for 8 months before moving to Bangkok. Beautiful pics, I want to stay in that hotel!

  8. Sean
    Posted October 8, 2016 at 3:49 pm | Permalink

    <3

  9. Johnh
    Posted October 9, 2016 at 3:01 pm | Permalink

    Wonderful dress and cool sandals. Great photography here also. Hyped!

  10. Cavar.
    Posted October 9, 2016 at 3:01 pm | Permalink

    The pictures is soo amazing and enchanting. I love everything about it

  11. MM
    Posted October 9, 2016 at 3:01 pm | Permalink

    love this

  12. abel
    Posted October 9, 2016 at 3:29 pm | Permalink

    fantasmagoria <3

  13. Saturday Fever
    Posted October 12, 2016 at 5:28 pm | Permalink

    Beauty.
    *_*

  14. Sabrina
    Posted October 12, 2016 at 5:29 pm | Permalink

    Gorgeous journey.

  15. lacarmina
    Posted October 13, 2016 at 10:29 pm | Permalink

    thank you for the fabulous stay!

  16. lacarmina
    Posted October 20, 2016 at 1:45 am | Permalink

    Thanks all

Post a Comment

Your email is never published nor shared. Required fields are marked with *

*
*