THERE IS SO MUCH MORE to Marrakech than the European rock stars who have famously partied here and the iconic expats, like Yves Saint Laurent, who adopted it as their home. The past two decades have seen this North African city become accessible to more travelers as an armada of courtyard homes, or riads, within the ochre walls of the medina have been transformed into chic but affordable boutique hotels, providing options beyond the lavish hotels owned by Morocco’s king.
During the COVID pandemic, the city continued to evolve, leaning into its rich artisanal traditions in new ways. This past fall, Marrakech's high season, numerous long-delayed projects were set to have their grand debut, including a flurry of new hotels in the medina, like Izza, Riad AIena, and Maison Brummell Majorelle. On the outskirts of town, the four-bedroom former artist retreat Farasha Farmhouse planned to open with photographs and sculptures by the Moroccan artist Amine El Gotaibi and a 164-foot-long olive-tree-lined swimming pool. Then came the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck central Morocco last September 8, devastating hundreds of villages in the High Atlas Mountains. Marrakech itself was largely spared, but some of the openings were put on hold again.
Denne historien er fra January - February 2024-utgaven av Condé Nast Traveler US.
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Denne historien er fra January - February 2024-utgaven av Condé Nast Traveler US.
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The Brando
THE STORY GOES that actor Marlon Brando first arrived on the 18-isle atoll of Tetiaroa by water-as in, he swam ashore.
Jumeirah Burj AI Arab
IF EVER THERE WAS a hotel that could achieve landmark status, it is Dubai's Jumeirah Burj AI Arab, which stands alone on its own purpose-built island just off Jumeirah Beach.
Blackberry Farm
BLACKBERRY FARM LOOMS in the consciousness of many travelers as an almost mythical Southern sanctuary in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, a place whose storybook perfection has to be experienced to be believed.
Fogo Island Inn
THIS 29-ROOM MODERN CLASSIC in Newfoundland is a model for place-specific hospitality, dreamed up by founder Zita Cobb and built by Shorefast, a nonprofit that supports economic and cultural resilience on the hotel's namesake island and runs artist residencies in four isolated, incredibly photogenic studios.
ALAN CUMMING on CROSSING THE ATLANTIC
I went on Cunard's Queen Mary 2 for the first time in 2011.
high life
Italy's unfussy Dolomites are a place of cheerful communities, where simple chalets and good food can almost outshine the skiing
the possibility of an island
Cuba may be facing tough times, but the country's hoteliers, creators, and artists are forging a hopeful and beautiful way forward
in full bloom
Over the past three years, hotelier Fabrizio Ruspoli has turned an old olive farm south of Marrakech into the High Atlas's most intoxicating garden retreat
ALLIN
Fun has never been hard to come by in Las Vegas, but the arrival of pro sports, the Sphere, and lavish new hotels has upped the ante.
Forward March
Across Kenya, community initiatives are protecting the country's wildlife and environment. By Mary Holland