THE SPA AT THE MADARIN ORIENTAL MARRAKECH

Exotic charm comes easy to Marrakech: colored souks, spice shops, snake charmers, a mysterious Medina and a verdant palmeraie with the dramatic backdrop on the pink Atlas mountains make it a picture perfect destination. And a beauty and wellness one too, thanks to the luxury spa resorts that have chosen this alluring corner of Morocco as their enticing base. See the just inaugurated Mandarin Oriental (mandarinoriental.com). Ensconced in the shade of the palmeraie, only 10 min from the famous Jemaa El-Fna square but far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the magnificent resort – 54 villas with private garden and pool, and 9 suites with rooftop pool – is immersed in 200 hectares of verdant and fragrant gardens, adorned with more than 100.000 roses. The Spa is defined by an air of luxury and grandeur: there are vast Spa rooms with private terraces, pool suites with private steam rooms, 2 sumptuous hammams, an indoor heated pool, a fitness center, a yoga school, a beauty salon and a hairdresser.  Treatments and rituals, inspired by both Oriental and local Berber and Moroccan traditions, are completed by dietary and fitness advice from in-house nutritionists and trainers. Some of the products used in the Spa are formulated with ingredients cultivated in the Spa garden. Amongst the signature treatments, unmissable the Oriental Harmony (2 hours, price 3600 MAD, Moroccan Dirhams), a celestial journey including a warm scrub, a body massage, and a head and foot massage, executed by 2 therapists at the same time. The Hammam Discovery (1,30 hours, 1200 MAD) is a luxury version of the traditional hammam experience, including cleansing with the typical “savoin noir”, exfoliation with a kessa glove, and a wrap using mineral rich clay of the Atlas mountains mixed with local rose water. Pure exotic bliss.