And there I was, back in Marrakech at the end of November 2018, less than 2 years after my first trip to the Moroccan city (and exactly 2 years after my first trip to Morocco), but this time without my favorite photographer. So, you’ll have to forgive the quality of the photos, which are obviously not up to the standard of the articles I shared last time… I loved Marrakech, just as I appreciate Morocco as a whole (remember my stay at Mazagan), so I was delighted to have an excuse to go back, and this time it was to discover the Es Saadi Marrakech Resort.
The journey there with the airline Royal Air Maroc was a bit unusual and chaotic, so it’s worth telling you about it… To start, my flight left with almost a 3-hour delay (due to a technical issue), but the funny detail is that it was filled with French film stars, since that very evening was the opening of the Marrakech Film Festival (which I will tell you more about later in the article). So, I traveled with, among others, Laurent Lafitte, Gilles Lellouche, Sara Forestier, Vincent Perez, Chiara Mastroianni, and Tahar Rahim… In short, a star-studded crowd—thank goodness the plane landed safely at Marrakech airport!
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Table of Contents
The Es Saadi Marrakech Resort
Since my stay at Mazagan (which is also in Morocco, by the way), I hadn’t been back to a resort. The Es Saadi Marrakech Resort is located in a sublime park in the heart of the Hivernage district, a 10-minute walk from Jemaa el-Fna Square to give you a rough idea.
This Es Saadi Resort (which means “the blessed one” in Moroccan) is above all the incredible story of a family that settled in Marrakech in the 50s, originally to open a casino, and then in the 60s, this same family opened a hotel, which still exists today and was the beginning of the resort as it is today. In fact, Élisabeth Bauchet-Bouhlal, the founder’s daughter, is still at the head of the establishment. Today, the Es Saadi Marrakech Resort covers 9 hectares in total, including the Palace (where I stayed), a magnificent garden, the 5-star hotel, the Villas for those who want more privacy, the Ksars, as well as a Casino, boutiques, a spa, a night club called Theatro, and restaurants…
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The Palace
For my part, I was accommodated in the very latest part of the resort recently built, the Palace. The Palace offers only suites with balconies, all of a high standard, and mine looked out over the Atlas Mountains, which allowed me on Sunday morning to enjoy a magnificent view of the peaks. Not to mention the rooms, this luxurious building, which honors Moroccan craftsmanship by multiplying references and beautiful objects, immediately transports us to a unique and refined atmosphere.
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My Executive Suite no. 2208
This 80 m2 suite offered a very beautiful view of the hotel pool and the city from its small terrace. Another very positive point (beyond its size, of course), the sublime bathroom with, in addition to the shower, a large bathtub and everything necessary to give yourself a little black soap scrub in your suite (heavenly!).
Price: from €310 for Executive Suites and from €260 for Junior Suites
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Breakfast
The breakfast buffet at the Palace is quite classic, but I strongly suggest you try the freshly pressed juices from the juice bar and the Moroccan pancakes (it is always more interesting to try local specialties rather than eating what you could enjoy in Paris, right?). Obviously, regarding drinks, mint tea is mandatory; that goes without saying! And then, what a pleasure to be able to have your breakfast outside, in the sun and by the pool while it is winter…
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The Palace Spa
This enchanting place, set over 3 floors around a centennial tree, is one of the most Instagrammed spas in the world with its circular marble pool that you have surely already seen on the social network! So, I couldn’t resist taking the famous photo of this pool from above myself (yes, I’m weak… so what!). I also had the chance to test the very relaxing signature Spa massage, the “Total Relaxation” (80 min – 1,600 MAD), and I must say it was a pure moment of happiness and that I was very (too) relaxed after this zen break.
Top tip: access to the Oriental Thermae (heated pool and its hydrotherapy circuit) is free for residents of the Palace and the Villas.
The Es Saadi Palace Spa is open every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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The resort’s restaurants
The very principle of a resort is that you find everything on-site, including several restaurants, which can be very practical. The Es Saadi Marrakech Resort is no exception to this rule and offers no less than 5 different restaurants (unfortunately, I couldn’t test them all, so I will only tell you about the ones where I ate).
My little tip: during your stay, don’t hesitate to test one of the Moroccan wines offered by the establishment; it is always very interesting (well, in any case, that’s my point of view).
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The Island Bar
Located in the center of the Palace’s lagoon pool, the Island Bar is an ideal place to enjoy the sun between two swims.
To taste: fresh fruit juice cocktails, iced teas, and light cuisine including salads (the gravlax salmon one is very nice) and club sandwiches.
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La Cour des Lions
This gourmet restaurant, whose menu was created with chef Fatéma Hal, offers, to our great delight, to bring back forgotten traditional dishes of Moroccan cuisine. If I had to advise you to try only one restaurant in the resort, I would obviously tell you to let yourself be carried away by this culinary journey, which is well worth the detour.
To taste: the pigeon pastilla, pronounced “bastella bel hmame” (the best I’ve had the opportunity to eat!!!); the Zaalouk, an eggplant puree with coriander and lemon; for dessert, also the milk pastilla with its rosewater cream, accompanied by a tea with sage from the garden.
Price: menu from 390 DH per person
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The Othello restaurant
This restaurant with Italian accents offers Venetian cuisine, mainly focused on seafood.
To taste: spaghetti with spider crab; for dessert, the house tiramisu, obviously (you know me!).
Note: almost all dishes are available in a “normal version” or a “reduced version” for smaller appetites, which I find very well thought out.
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The Lagon & Jardin restaurant with the Salad Bar
I really liked the concept of this restaurant, which allows you to compose your custom salad by selecting the ingredients you want to put inside from the buffet. Since the products are of high quality, the result is inevitably a success. You can then go and sit quietly with your salad by the pool in the shade of the umbrellas, a real treat!
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The Palace Lobby Bar
Located in the entrance hall of the Palace, it is the ideal place to meet up in the evening before eating, to sip a drink, and why not test one of the house cocktails.
Bar open from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.
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The Boutiques
In the Palace part of the resort, you will also find a whole series of very nice boutiques where you can buy real high-end products of Moroccan craftsmanship: tea, Moroccan pastries, chocolate, clothing, leather goods, ceramics… All 100% Made In Morocco, of course. This can be very practical for bringing back some local items if you didn’t have time to get lost in the medina of Marrakech.
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Es Saadi’s top tips
- Possibility to have the airport VIP service with fast-track and access to the private lounge for 750 MAD per person and per trip (which is super practical to avoid wasting too much time at the airport)
- If you reside at the Palace, in the Villas, or in the Ksars, the round-trip airport transfer is included in the price of your accommodation, as well as breakfast
- The library space in the Palace is freely accessible, with a nice selection of books, but also a pleasant space to work or to organize a small meeting
- The art exhibitions on the 1st floor of the Palace, which are accessible for free and highlight Moroccan creation (indeed, Élisabeth Bauchet-Bouhlal, CEO of the Es Saadi Marrakech Resort, has built up an important collection of contemporary Moroccan works and is a passionate and fascinating patron)
Es Saadi Marrakech Resort Rue Ibrahim El Mazini Quartier de l'Hivernage Marrakech Morocco
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Things to see and do in Marrakech
Since this stay was extremely short (3 days), I don’t have many suggestions for visits, outings, and good addresses to give you, but for more information, I advise you to take a look at my other articles on Marrakech right here, where I have detailed quite a few things to do and see.
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Attend the Marrakech International Film Festival
As I mentioned above, the day of my arrival at Es Saadi coincided with the opening night of the Marrakech Film Festival. We had invitations to attend this beautiful evening, and you know my love for this type of film festival since I talk to you every year about Cannes, a festival I have already had the chance to attend twice.
An obligatory stop on the red carpet, of course, followed by the inauguration evening with a host of actors and the premiere screening of the film At Eternity’s Gate by Julian Schnabel, starring Willem Dafoe, about the life of Vincent Van Gogh (I believe the film still hasn’t been released in French theaters).
Marrakech International Film Festival from Friday, November 30 to December 8, 2018
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The Yves Saint Laurent Museum Marrakech
This short stay was still an opportunity to discover the brand-new Yves Saint Laurent Museum, opened in October 2017, right next to the sublime Majorelle Garden. The venue also has a very beautiful program, for example, a film club every Thursday at 7 p.m. which offers a series of Yves Saint Laurent’s favorite films (free access, subject to availability).
Top tip: until the beginning of February 2019, the museum offers a free temporary exhibition of certain portraits of Moroccans by the Franco-Moroccan photographer Leila Alaoui (who died in a terrorist attack in 2016 in Burkina Faso), which I highly advise you to go see; it is striking!
Yves Saint Laurent Museum Marrakech Rue Yves St Laurent, Marrakech 40000, Morocco 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. except Wednesday, last admission at 5:30 p.m.
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Many thanks to the Es Saadi Marrakech Resort and to Xavier for this beautiful invitation.
I hope that with all this I have made you want to discover Marrakech, and if you also have your good addresses and your tips for this destination, do not hesitate to share them in the comments!
Find all my articles on my trips to Morocco (2015, 2016, and 2018) below:
⇒ All my articles on Morocco
⇒ All my articles on Marrakech
MY ARTICLES ON MOROCCO
⇒ Stay at the Es Saadi Marrakech Resort (2018)
⇒ Food Tour in Marrakech (2016)
⇒ Selection of accommodations in Marrakech (2016)
⇒ Stay at the Mazagan Beach Resort south of Casablanca (2015)
Photo credits: Melle Bon Plan Photos are not royalty-free; photographer's permission required before any use
