Kasbah Tamadot
Marrakech, Morocco
Situated in the spectacular Atlas Mountains in Morocco, the award-winning Kasbah Tamadot was bought by Sir Richard Branson during one of his famous ballooning expeditions. Each of the 28 rooms and suites has been individually decorated to reflect the beautiful architecture of the building and features antiques from all over the world.
Kasbah Tamadot has 28 bedrooms and suites including ten luxury Berber Tents, some of which have private plunge pools. All are individually decorated using traditional Moroccan furnishings and antiques, as well as items from the vast collection of Luciano Tempo, Kasbah Tamadot’s former owner. As a renowned antiques dealer and interior designer, Luciano brought together artefacts from all over the world, many of which feature in the bedrooms. Each room has a uniquely descriptive Berber name which tells you something about it. Categories of rooms: Superior Room, Deluxe Room, Superior Suits, Deluxe Suits, Berber Tents and Master Suit.
Scattered around various levels and buildings, the unique bedrooms and suites are all spacious, warm and filled with stunning pieces from around the world. Terracotta floor-tiles, patterned rugs and ochre hues keep the ambiance cosy, while carved wooden chests and fantastic mosaic ceilings lend some swagger. The chunky wooden kingsize and four-poster beds were made especially for the hotel — most Moroccan frames come too narrow. Superior and Deluxe Rooms are spacious, but opt for a Superior or Deluxe Suite if you want a separate sitting room and guaranteed outside space. You get either a ‘Moroccan’ or a ‘contemporary’ bathroom. The former has an arched entrance into a polished-plaster sunken bath area, the latter features a freestanding bathtub with overhead shower. At the bottom of the garden, beyond the pool and tennis courts, a path leads to the Master Suite. This mini-kasbah has 3 bedrooms which can be taken as a whole — perfect for a family group — or booked individually. Just beyond the gardens are a collection of large, private and uber-opulent Berber Tented Suites; some also come with private Jacuzzis overlooking sensational views of Mount Toubkal.
Kasbah Tamadot has been named Best Resort Hotel, North Africa and the Middle East in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2017 readers’ survey!
Kasbah Tamadot is located in Asni, a little village and marketplace in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, an area inhabited by the friendly Berbers.From Marrakech airport the drive to Kasbah Tamadot takes about 45 minutes through the spectacular rolling hills as you approach the Atlas Mountains.
Tamadot’s facilities and services are second to none. Aside from the indoor and outdoor pools, there’s a five-star spa, a fully equipped gym, two tennis courts, a billiard room, library and a kids club in the school holidays. Beyond the ramparts, High Atlas trekking, camel riding, quad biking and paragliding await.
With an intimate fireside bar for pre-dinner cocktails, and the option of terrace dining with breath-taking views, Kanoun restaurant is a match for the magnificent setting.
The cuisine is based on local produce — spices and dried fruit from Marrakech, fish from the Atlantic coast, vegetables from Asni — with a few international dishes thrown in for good measure. All the classics are there at dinner: spiced lamb tagine, vegetable couscous, traditional pigeon pastilla with roasted artichoke and spinach. The more unusual options like confit of wild Norwegian salmon and cheese plates with walnut bread might be a welcome sight for those who have had one tagine too many. Desserts include roasted pears with mascarpone or perhaps peanut mousse with raspberries. For a special evening, do as we did and indulge in the
If you’re feeling lazy, order a light lunch by the pool. Perhaps a feta and chorizo tartlet or parma ham with figs and green beans? There’s no shortage of sorbets and ice creams to cool you down either.