Elite Traveler Summer 2023

Royal Mansour MARRAKECH, MOROCCO

After cooking up a storm, unwind with Royal Mansour’s signature hammam treatment in the Grand Riad’s private rooftop hammam or at the resort’s beloved spa. Grand Riad from $35,000 per night. Contact Mohamed Attaf, reservations manager, mattaf@royalmansour.ma, +212 529 808 080, royalmansour.com

Epicurean adventure For culinary inspiration, head to Jemaa El-Fna square on a guided tour at sundown — when it really starts to come alive. Here, you will fi nd countless food stalls, many of which have their own Moroccan specialties. Suitably galvanized, the next day enjoy a private cooking lesson from the comfort of the Grand Riad’s kitchen; learn how to create delicious traditional dishes.

There’s nowhere in the world quite like Marrakech. A mesmerizing swirl of colors, aromas and sounds ranging from spluttering mopeds and haggling vendors to the captivating call to prayer from the nearly 900-year-old Koutoubia mosque. All come together against the historic ochre backdrop of the buzzing Unesco-certi fi ed medina. Within touching distance of the city’s beating heart of Jemaa El-Fna Square lies one of Morocco’s grandest hotels: Royal Mansour. Itself a medina within a medina, its pinkish-orange clay walls surround a lush hidden paradise. Owned by the King of Morocco, this 53-strong riad (a traditional Moroccan courtyard house) resort was crafted by over 1,000 artisans employing centuries-old techniques. And the mosaic clad opulence is utterly breathtaking. Each riad acts as its own private luxury residence but the palatial Grand Riad is Royal Mansour’s most iconic — and a regular inclusion in Elite Traveler ’sTop 100 Suites. Standing at an enormous 19,375 sq ft, it is sumptuously decorated: Silks and marble glimmer in the Moroccan sunlight, while traditional cedar and stucco carvings contrast with modern artworks. Opening onto a manicured garden and pool, the Grand Riad features a professional kitchen complete with the services of a private chef as a standard amenity. The chef will work with guests to create a personalized menu and also prepare dishes from any of Royal Mansour’s four restaurants, including Sesamo by Italian chef Massimiliano Alajmo (Alajmo’s Le Calandre restaurant near Venice has three Michelin stars), and La Table and La Grande Table Marocaine — which have both recently come under the magical touch of French chef Hélène Darroze, whose European restaurants have amassed six Michelin stars.