La Maison Arabe

Marrakech

Seductive and attractive Marrakech is a city whose history goes back a thousand years. Behind its ochre colored ramparts, the “red city” contains numerous architectural treasures bearing witness to its often tumultuous past.

As the capital of the kingdom on several occasions, the city acquired its cultural wealth over numerous centuries and under numerous sovereigns, especially the Almoravides dynasty which invested a large part of its fortune to embellish the city even more.

The El Badi Palace, the Saadian tombs, the Bahia Palace and the world famous Koutoubia are must visits for history lovers.

But visitors can also spend their time losing themselves in the colorful souks perfumed with spices, or admire the ongoing activity of the Place Jemaa el-Fna at any time of day or night. For a moment of serenity and a breath of fresh air, the Majorelle and the Menaragardens are veritable havens of peace.

Marrakech, surrounded by the High Atlas Mountains is a North African jewel is one of the world’s destinations whose name alone is enough to make one dream.

A legendary riad

In the heart of Marrakech, near the Bad Doukkala mosque, the Maison Arabe has been a veritable landmark since the 1940s. This renowned restaurant frequented by the world’s celebrities including Winston Churchill, Ernest Hemingway, Rita Hayworth and the Queen of Denmark, is now a majestic, elegant and refined hotel. Its owner, Prince Fabrizio Ruspoli has over the years, combined 8 small residences to create, from this formerly abandoned house, one of the first riad-hotels in the old city.

Built around already existent patios, the Maison Arabe now has 12 rooms and 14 suites, sheltered from curious onlookers, noises and the hyperactivity of the city. Visitors are struck by the peaceful atmosphere of the site as soon as they enter.

Restored with respect for Moroccan materials and craftsmanship, we find traditional tadelakt walls, finely worked plaster, cedar ceilings and domes which allow natural light to enter.

As a lover of beauty and an inveterate seeker of antiques, Fabrizio Ruspoli has distributed objects from all over the world and from all eras just about everywhere in the hotel. Chinese doors, wooden and wrought iron moucharabiehs, Berber woodwork, antique Rajasthan sabra fabrics and vegetal silk woven by craftsmen in the Medina all live together in perfect harmony. And to end this tour of the world, Fabrizio has transformed Indonesian fishing nets into conceptual lampshades to create original lighting effects.

The rooms, decorated with refinement, although different from each other, all have a private terrace,a marble, granite or mosaic bathroom and every possible modern comfort. Created during the renovation of the old part of the hotel, two new suites are totally individual houses.

These incredibly refined accommodations offer guests unequalled comfort. The terrace on the roof is surrounded by vegetation for total privacy, ideal for an outdoor breakfast, rocked by the muffled sounds of the city.

In the more recent part of the hotel, a large indoor patio contains the swimming pool, whose geometric mosaic recalls the same exact lines as a carpet woven in the High Atlas. We find ourselves in the delightful atmosphere of bouganvilleas, fig trees and rose laurel.

After an exhausting day running around the Medina, guests can return to the total serenity of the Maison Arabe, and before or after dinner, they can allow themselves to be pampered in the spa whichproposes traditional Moroccan treatments.

At night, after crossing the gardens with their aroma of jasmin, we come to the restaurant with its peaceful mandarin and blue colors, heated by a wood burning fireplace and the floor covered with carpets. The updated Moroccan cuisine is served under a ceiling inspired by a Persian mosque. Aftertwards, guests can attend a concert in the music room on the ground floor of the Kasbah.

With its corner doors and patio lights, the Maison Arabe restores the beauty, and the warm, discreet and comfortable atmosphere of a riad straight out of A Thousand and One Nights.

The Maison Arabe has another garden with a swimming pool outside of the Medina. Moroccan cooking classes are available to guests.