Nowadays Marrakech is synonym with its bustling medina, but you can stay in Marrakech and give up the world. Les Cinq Djellabas is a boutique hotel composed of 5 Suites and 5 Deluxe Suites dotted around 3 acres of olive trees, banana trees and palms. Relax, read books, stare at the Atlas mountains, take leisurely swims, embrace the passage of time. Change your mind ? Jump in the shuttle and visit the medina. Alexandra and her team couldn’t be more accommodating, most of them fluent in English. The hotel is 20 minutes drive from downtown, but the on- site restaurant is so good that you won’t feel like eating out. Monkfish tagine or the leg of lamb are among the signature dishes. The rooms are circular huts with conical thatched roofs. The four-poster beds are huge and very comfortable. There is an open fireplace, satellite TV and sofa, and the rooms are tastefully decorated with North African artefacts and photographs of Saharan scenes. A tadelakt wall separates the bathroom where there is a monsoon shower with a stone bench; luxury suites include claw-foot baths. Each lodge has its own area of land out front, with a wrought iron table and chairs. It means sundowner cocktails can be enjoyed each evening and also makes the perfect spot for breakfast. Alcohol is served on site. However, for reasons of safety and tranquility of the guests, children have no place. On the ground floor, the property can accommodate people with mobility problems. Best visited between March and October.
