403 rue de la Kasbah, Marrakech, and Morocco
Neighborhood: Medina
Tucked away in the heart of the Kasbah is luxury riad La Sultana. The boutique spa hotel, offering first-class accommodation and impeccable service.
Driving through the hustle and bustle of the dimly lit streets of the medina it was hard to believe the luxury riad we had been invited to visit would be nearby. But once we made our way through the narrow alley way and through the large wooden doors to the reception the beauty we had been promised became apparent. I was completely overwhelmed by how stunning it was.
La Sultana has 18 rooms and suites, you would typically expect these to be of a fairly small size, since this tends to be typical of most riads in Marrakech, however this isn’t the case with La Sultana. La Sultana originally started off as five separate riads, since then each one has been impeccably restored and connected, creating one stylish boutique hotel complete with the ambience of a traditional Moroccan riad.
The attention to detail is second to none; firstly the architecture is amazing, the beautiful traditional brickwork and delicate carved wood ceilings can be found at every turn. It is stunningly decorated and ornately detailed with Moroccan furnishings in every nook and cranny of the hotel. We were given a tour of the rooms and suites before being shown to our own accommodation for our 3 night stay. We were treated to a deluxe suite, decorated in orange and gold hues, which featured a beautiful marble sunken Jacuzzi bath, two balconies and its own miniature library in the separate office, perfect for writing this review! La Sultana is situated only 10 minutes away from the famous Jemma el Fna. This place is bustling by day, but once the sun goes down is when it really comes to life, you will find snake charmers, storytellers and even tooth vendors. As well as a variety of stalls serving delicious, freshly cooked local food, in contrast is the new town where you will find sophisticated restaurants and nightclubs. It’s clear to see that Marrakech offers the best of both worlds.
After we were done picking up local bargains in the souks we made our way back through the flurry of tourist and locals with our Moroccan treasures back to our sanctuary in the La Sultana. Over the course of our trip we feasted on moorish Moroccan dishes, from lamb tagine to traditional Moroccan salads. Our breakfasts were spent on the roof terrace where we sipped mint tea and grazed on pastries while we admired the views of the Atlas mountains and planned the day’s adventures.
La Sultana is perfect for those looking for a romantic break or a few days of indulgent pampering. After the long days of sunbathing and trekking the colorful souks of the medina for Moroccan treasures to take home we made a visit to the exquisite Romanesque spa, which offers a range of relaxing treatments. My travel buddy and I treated ourselves to a facial and full body massage which was the perfect way to end our stay. La Sultana has another resort in Oualidia, Morocco, which is definitely on our list of places to visit for 2015!
*There is a 3-night minimum stay requirement for all high-season dates at La Sultana Marrakech
Tel: (00 212) 5 24 38 80 08
reservation@lasultanahotels.com
www.lasultana.com
