A boutique riad with 20 rooms, 3 pools, hammam & spa
ABOUT: El Fenn is as much a contemporary art gallery as beautiful boutique hotel. Modern works from the collection of co-owner Vanessa Branson—the tycoon’s sister, and Marrakech Biennale’s founder—are ubiquitous. Guests can dine below a Francis Upritchard chandelier, for instance, or bed up beside ink studies by Antony Gormley. Set across three courtyards, El Fenn is a feast of marble pools, bougainvillea and metre-thick walls which block out the medina’s racket. Jemaa-el-Fna, Marrakech’s incredible centrepiece, is only three minutes away.
ROOMS: Twenty luxurious quarters offer space, slippers and free Wi-Fi. Showers are powerful, pillows plentiful, beds huge and ceilings high. Courtyard Rooms all include a bathtub (plus terraces in some cases), Imperial Suites throw in a lounge area and Private Pool Suites pair roof terraces with plunge pools - an unusually glass-bottomed one, in the case of No.19. And then there’s Riad Vanessa: a super-indulgent four-bed bolthole with kitchen, courtyard, roof terrace and plunge pool.
FACILITIES: All three pools are heated. One’s found on the vast roof terrace, in the company of hanging gardens, shady daybeds, loungers and even a putting green. You can enjoy the restaurant’s fine Moroccan and European dishes up there, too, as delicate wisps of food-stall smoke float by. Down below, a spa uses Le Sens de Marrakech products and cushioned crannies offer an array of secretive spots.
EXTRA INFO:El Fenn’s very eco-minded: solar energy is used, and a countryside organic farm helps with the cuisine. Talking of which, cookery classes are available.
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Note that the online map offers both a satellite view (click satellite in the top right) and, for some locations, a street level view (Drag the person in the top left onto the map). These let you explore the country; and when you wish to explore in person, or if you have any questions about the places you see, give our staff a call, or request a quote. Our staff regularly visit the places and accommodation that we feature.
When you book a holiday with us we will provide full driving instructions for reaching your accommodation, where necessary; these can be used by yourself, or you could enjoy the luxury of a driver. Alternatively we will arrange private (car rather than coach) transfers for you; helicopter transfers are also possible for some destinations.
We really know Morocco and have had the pleasure of making many people's dream trips become reality over the years. It has been our privilege to be asked to manage holidays, weddings and productions for so many fantastic and discerning clients. We remain small and dedicated to providing excellent honest advice to enable you to sit back, relax and enjoy the fun bits without having to manage the unpredictability of this fascinating country.
If you want it done right, look no further!
