News
Trends
Celebrities
Interviews
Jet Set Pet
Suite Dreams
Top 5
Weekend Away
Specials
Family Vacation Packages
Romantic & Honeymoon Packages
Spa & Wellness Packages
Destination Weddings
Girls Getaways
Spring Specials
Summer Specials
Fall Travel Packages
Winter Specials
Destinations
Articles
Hotels
Hot Hotel Openings
Beach & Island Resorts
5-Star City Hotels
Adventure & Eco Lodges
Boutique City Hotels
Country House Hotels
Family Resorts
Romantic Retreats
Guest Ranches
Safari Camps & Lodges
Golf Resorts & Lodges
Spa Resorts & Wellness Retreats
Ski Resorts & Lodges
Wine Country Getaways
Villas
Beach Villas
Country Villas
Golf Villas
Ski Villas
Villas
Residences
Trips/Cruises
Cruises & Yachting
Rail Journeys
Ultimate Adventures
Private Jet Travel
Safaris
Family Travel
Travel Tips
Business Travel
Airline News
Arts/Culture
Events
Food/Wine
Restaurants
Bars & Nightclubs
Afternoon Tea
Coffee & Desserts
Culinary Travel
Wine Travel
Spa/Sport
Spa & Wellness Retreats
Yoga & Hiking
Golf Getaways
Ski Vacations
Shop/Style
Gift Guide
Beach and Resortwear
Beauty and Fragrance
Books
Fashion
Home Style
Luggage and Handbags
Luxury Autos
Men's Style
Travel Essentials
Watches & Jewelry
Wine and Spirits
World's Most Expensive
Home Page
News
A Visit to Mövenpick Hotel Mansour Eddahbi Marrakech
November 6, 2017
Mark Nicholls
It is these characteristics that Mövenpick’s refurbished Hotel Mansour Eddahbi in Marrakech is styled upon.
Drawing on the artistic influences, the ambient colors, architecture and furnishings of the Sultan’s lifestyle and taste, the design of the Mövenpick Hotel Mansour Eddahbi takes guests on a mesmerizing journey through cloistered gardens and galleries, past fountains and decorative Moroccan arts.
Themes of desert, oasis, vegetation and wildlife run through the hotel, reflected in the various dominant shades – blue for water, beige for sand, and red for the pallor of Marrakech - while gold is omnipresent.
Water flows all around – splashing in fountains, dashing through ornate gullies and within the three swimming pools of the complex, offering a cooling aura of freshness and refreshment. Yet it also conveys movement, and the nomadic existence of the Sultan and his entourage.
The five-star Mövenpick hotel re-opened a year ago after undergoing a $100m refurbishment and building programme.
On arrival, guests are submerged into an imaginary oasis, passing through a promenade lined with gardens, various lounges, fountains, and water features.
Look out for giant birdcages in the reception, follow a water-path to the lobby and check-in, and then be mesmerized by a giant nine-metre chandelier in the form of an enormous water droplet hanging from the cupola.
That theme of golden droplets is repeated throughout the hotel and its spa.
Born in 1549, Ahmed Al Mansour Eddahbi was a Sultan of the Saadian dynasty, remembered as a ruler who took Marrakech to new cultural heights, including the construction of the El Badi Palace.
He reigned from 1578 to his death in 1603 and as a contemporary and ally of Elizabeth I of England, became an important figure in both Europe and Africa in the 16th century.
The hotel, originally constructed in 1989, sits on an eight-hectare site with 503 rooms and suites in six blocks named after the Sultan’s sons. A seventh, newly-built during the refurbishment, is named after his wife Messouda.
Food is an important aspect of the Hotel Mansour Eddahbi, which has six restaurants.
Traditional Moroccan cuisine is showcased at its premier Dahbi restaurant where you can enjoy salads and breads, couscous, pastilla, and delicious tagines where the flavors of dates, prunes and apricots rise through the meat and fish dishes.
The buffet and breakfast restaurant of Saray, with walls adorned with Moroccan ceramics, has indoor and outdoor seating with some tables set amid olive trees. Astronomy is the theme in the Manso Bar and lounge with a terrace offering impressive views over the hotel complex and while Jamra is for more casual dining, Medi Terra endeavors to recreate Spanish and Italian cuisine.
The nearby Nozha coffee shop is a little gem and, of course, as this is a Mövenpick hotel ‘chocolate hour’ takes place in the late afternoon every day for guests to sample some special confectionary.
At the Mansour Eddahbi you can easily spend your days relaxing by the long main pool with comfortable sunbeds and a backdrop of palms and olive trees, and shades of pink that befit the aura of Marrakech. There is a children’s pool and play area nearby and a further pool by the Ô de Rose spa with an ambience of seclusion and peace. We slipped into the spa and wellbeing centre, which has eight treatment rooms, for a hammam and a full body massage.
However, Marrakech is also a city to be explored. You can venture out of the hotel and wander the broad boulevards and through gardens to the historic medina in the central L'Hivernage district to get lost in its network of shops and alleys.
Experiencing the medina – a 30-minute walk or short taxi hop from the hotel - is one of the highlights of a stay in Marrakech. The approach is dominated by the landmark Koutoubia mosque, dating from the late 10
th
century with four golden orbs at the top of the square 69-metre minaret.
From there you can cross into the medina’s maze of alleys of pale red sandstone to discover stalls selling lanterns and ironware, potteries, spices, leather goods, textiles, souvenirs and traditional Moroccan foods. Walk deeper into the network and you come across a 16
th
century medrese.
There are a number of exits but we headed back to the main square of Djemaa el F’na – the assembly of the dead – and the rows of food stalls, musicians, dancers, acrobats and snake charmers, and then climbed up to the terrace of a nearby café to drink mint tea and peruse the activity from above before returning to the hotel.
Elsewhere, visit the Arset El-Mamoun gardens or the Majorelle Gardens and the Saadian Tombs, where Ahmed El-Mansour is buried, museums such as the Dar Si Said Museum or the Marrakech Museum of Photography and Visual Arts, or see the remains of the El Badi Palace.
The regeneration of the Mövenpick Hotel Mansour Eddahbi hotel was undertaken by Parisian interior designer Studio MHNA, which saw it reconfigured as a modern reinterpretation of the traditional architectural hallmarks found in noble Moroccan mansions of the 16th century.
As the hotel adjoins the city’s main convention centre, the Palais des Congrès, the entry to the hotel was designed to simultaneously accommodate leisure and business clientele via two distinct guest journeys with separate paths to a dedicated lobby. The group lobby is designed to smoothly manage large flows of people, whilst the individual guest lobby offers a more private service.
Set in an suburb of Marrakech, yet within walking distance of the medina and a 15-minute drive from Marrakech Menara airport, the Mövenpick Hotel Mansour Eddahbi is an idyllic bolthole to head south to as temperatures fall in Europe and North America to discover the relaxation and winter sunshine of North Africa.
For further information, visit
www.movenpick.com/marrakech
Like Us
Facebook
Follow Us
Twitter
Follow us
Instagram
Sign-up for Our Email Newsletter
FIND A LUXURY HOTEL & BOOK WITH EXCLUSIVE PERKS!
Andorra
Anguilla
Antigua & Barbuda
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Barbados
Belgium
Belize
Bermuda
Bhutan
Botswana
Brazil
British Virgin Islands
Brunei Darussalam
Cambodia
Canada
Cayman Islands
Chile
China
Colombia
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia
Curacao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
England
Estonia
Ethiopia
Fiji Islands
Finland
France
French Polynesia
Galapagos
Germany
Greece
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guatemala
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kenya
Kuwait
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Martinique
Mauritius
Mexico
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Norway
Oman
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Russia
Scotland
Seychelles
Singapore
Slovakia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
St Vincent & the Grenadines
St. Barthelemy
St. Kitts & Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Martin
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Turkey
Turks & Caicos
U.S. Virgin Islands
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Vanuatu
Vietnam
Wales
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Beach
City
Coastal
Countryside
Desert
Golf Course
Island
Jungle
Lakeside
Mountains
Remote
Waterfront
Wilderness
Adventure/Eco/Nature
Culture
Business Meeting
Casino/Gambling
Food & Wine
Family Vacation
Golf Getaway
Pet Friendly
Romantic Getaway
Safari
Scuba Diving
Shopping & Fashion
Ski Vacation
Spa & Wellness
Villas
Wedding
Wineries / Wine Tasting
Luxury Partners
Villa Lala — Romantic Boutique Hotel in Puerto Vallarta
Sofitel Paris - Experience the Sparkling City of Light Four Ways
Step Off the Plane and Right Into Comfort: An Exceptional Hotel Experience Connected to Tokyo Haneda Airport Terminal 3
10 Things To Do in Tochigi, Japan - Exploring the Central, Southern, and Eastern Regions
Acqualina Resort & Spa on the Beach - Sunny Isles, Miami, Florida
Atlantis Dubai - An iconic entertainment destination comprised of two world-class resorts that bring you extraordinary experiences.
Blue Waters Resort & Spa - Antigua - A hidden gem nestled in a private bay on Antigua's northwestern coast with sunset views
Cabo Platinum - Cabo San Lucas Luxury Villas, Yachts & Concierge Services
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa - Poipu, Kauai, Hawaii - Beachfront Resort
JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa
Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa - Rancho Santa Fe, California - One of the West’s most sought-after five star resorts
The St. Regis Deer Valley - Park City, Utah - Exhilarating activities in the summer and the winter
Tuscan Dream - Immerse Yourself in the Tuscan Villa Vacation Experience
Villa Firenze - Costa Rica Luxury Villa Rental