Malta, Croatia and Morocco for a SUNNY GETAWAY
A magical combination of a luxury fortress with 100 staff for just 14 suites and a menu crafted by France’s finest chefs, against the backdrop of the Atlas Mountains… MOROCCO’s Dar Ahlam might just be the escape you’ve been dreaming of
Is an escape really an escape if your journey doesn’t take you through winding mountain roads past Berber villages awash with the sands of the Sahara, before finally reaching a destination that looks akin to a North African fairy-tale castle? Travelling, of course, in your chauffeur-driven 4x4.
When you arrive at this 19th-century fortress, set in a palm grove oasis with the Atlas Mountains as a backdrop, you are looked after by a staff of 100, serving just 14 rooms. Suites, allocated on arrival, all include a fireplace, private terrace, spacious bathroom and decor that blends Moroccan tradition with the contemporary stylish touches that you’d expect from a renovation undertaken by Parisians.
A key footnote on all suites is that there’s no television; this is a place to unwind, rejuvenate, bask in the beauty of your surroundings – the palm-shaded heated outdoor pool is a good starting point – and indulge in a truly immersive culinary experience. There’s no reception, no bar and no restaurant. Instead, you are simply escorted to a different location to drink and dine. So what might start with a cocktail in the lounge or on the rooftop could end with a lavish candle-lit feast for two in a hidden part of the kasbah – and when we say candles we’re talking 100 of them as nothing is anything less than spectacular here. You’ll never eat in the same place or have the same dish twice, as they’ve curated some 450 recipes from a Michelin-glitterati of chefs including Philippe Conticini and Frédéric Eyrier, with a dessert menu crafted by none other than Pierre Hermé. And any combination of these plates, utilising the very best of their kitchen garden produce and spices from only the most revered souks, could be enjoyed while you’re reclining on Berber cushions under canvas or beneath the endlessly starry sky of the Sahara in a tented camp.
Should you tire of your setting, which itself has a thousand stories to tell, having once been a medieval sultan’s hunting ground, you can embark on more guided adventures. You might explore deeper into the Sahara and Atlas Mountains, hike into the Valley of Roses or take a short excursion to a 12th-century hilltop Berber village for tea at dusk. Exhausted by the culture and beauty of it all, you can then get back to enjoying the benefits of the hammam or perhaps a candle-lit massage. Now that is an escape. AM. Suites from £1,190.
00 212 524 85 22 39, darahlam.com