[MARRAKESH, MOROCCO] — The sun had set. The sky dimming a deep purple. Reflections on a giant dark pool shimmered back the endless repetitive patterns of grand columns across the water — embracing my pattern-OCD like a bear hug.

A handful of people relaxed on pillows strewn about a manicured lawn, sipping cocktails amidst the growing light of the dozens of lanterns lit just so.

Silently, five men in long robes and headscarves sat down in low chairs at the water’s edge. And then it started. A gentle bass drum, lithe strings join in, picking up the pace as a percussion resonated against all the giant stone walls surrounding the lagoon. Not loud, on the contrary, it sounded like being in a recording studio, with a growing crescendo of rhythms that seemed woven into the silence of the evening. Almost eerie.  With the rhythms floating across the gentle breeze on what had to be the most perfect temperature of the year. Uni-Temp, neither hot, nor cold.

The moon came up, adding its face to the hundreds of lights flickering in the huge lagoon…what seemed like an acre of flat, navy blue blue water. A mirror to the magic that was happening.  This is the Amanjena in Marrakesh. And the peaceful groove is ever present throughout the whole resort.

Whether it be the entrancing music, the endless repetition of columns, the vast reflecting pools or the understated calm of the service style that made Aman-Style famous around the world. But here, in the giant Palmeraie outside Marrakesh, it was even more suiting…and all worked together like a finely-tailored suit, every depth of detail noticed the closer you looked.

There are many fine hotels in Marrakesh — one killer hotel I’ve detailed in posts here — and certainly others even more over-the-top, but this one adds the Aman Touch to the already impeccable Berber hospitably of all of Morocco.  

Set outside of the Medina in the Palmeraie and situated around vast catch basins from long ago, the Aman is its own ecosystem. You almost don’t want to leave. Which is why I chose it as my soothing respite after hiking several days hiking the High Atlas mountains, a chance to recharge the batteries and just chill for a couple of days before heading south to the Sahara. I never left the property.

I brought an article I tore out of a design magazine in the 90s, with this exact view above splashed across the whole page. I remember how the look of the place hit me over the head way back then and vowed one day to visit this splendid oasis.

At the time, the design was world-leading and still holds up reasonably well. In fact the movie-star glamorous General Manager (equally zen, in flowing linens) said they were about to close to do some more updating. From what I was told by others, at the time it opened, the Medina was a different place than it is today, not as nice and safe as it is now, where dozens of fine hotels opened within its meandering streets and paths. Back then, this was a retreat from an inhospitable place and it shows. But the Aman style makes this place worthy as a destination alone, let alone being so close to one of the coolest cities in the world.

Muted pink and green are the dominant colors, in fact almost the only colors in the palette of the hotel except the hand-honed wood touches. That and the pale green shimmer of the endless reflecting, a shock in this desert dominant country. At night, the pools are like those LCD windows in fancy conference rooms that go dark at the touch of a button, the pools turn ink-black at night, then reflect the purple tones of the starlit sky.

The hotel has its own golf course if you’re into that sort of thing. Many people from the continent shoot over for a warm weekend during the cold winters.

The Rooms at Amanjena

There are only 40 or so rooms, like most Amans, so even though the place is huge, you really don’t see many other guests. Probably because everyone is holed up in their own private room retreats. Each room, categorized as either Pavilions or Maisons, is not only a suite, but all have large outdoor areas, with zen-sound fountains and pavilions loaded with enough couchage to fit a full motorcoach.

— Last Visited April 2015, Post Updated July 2024 —

Other Information on Amanjena

Here’s a blurb from Condé Nast Traveler. And the hotels own website on Aman’s website. A review in The Telegraph. And here’s the Michelin guide review. And The English Standard. A great article on Amanjena on the Aman website. A review on Forbes travel guide. And a great review on The Telegraph’s great travel site.