Hotel Review: La Maison Arabe – Marrakesh, Morocco

There are few places besides my home that I truly feel comfortable. And what I mean by that is a place where I can sleep soundly, feel safe, eat well, and enjoy my surroundings. Finding a hotel that encompasses all of those traits can be difficult, but when you finally do, you know you’re a loyal customer for life. La Maison Arabe in Marrakesh, Morocco, was one such hotel for me. Besides providing all the comforts of home, the exceptional service we received there cemented its position as the best hotel I’ve ever experienced. It truly lives up to its five star status.

I N T E R I O R S 

You will find this hotel in a small street winding away from the main street, hidden among the coral-colored walls, which are adorned with stunning doors. Even the walkway into the hotel had me all kinds of excited. Once we checked in to the hotel, they gave us complimentary drinks in the courtyard so that we could rest before heading to our room. We gladly took up the offer!

Sipping our drinks in the courtyard, we finally took a moment to rest and look around. Wow. Just wow. The brilliant hues of mustard and red mixed with iconic Moroccan blue and wood are enough to give any beauty or arts lover all the feels. The courtyard was my favorite space in the hotel. The fountain in the center was filled with fresh flowers, and the lack of ceiling took advantage of the sky as a natural roof. After our drinks, we were given a thorough tour of the absolutely stunning hotel. Our guide showed us around the three restaurants, the spa, the jazz bar, and the other seating areas in the hotel. The video of this tour is above.La Maison Arabe La Maison Arabe

O U R   R O O M

After our tour, we headed to our room. I was dying of anticipation. The rest of the hotel was flooded with such stunning colors, I could only imagine what our room would be like!

Oh. My. Goodness. I was not disappointed. The room was spacious with an incredibly comfortable king-sized bed. The interiors were consistent with the majesty of the courtyard. We had our own little balcony for “tea time.” The hotel staff told us they’d bring us tea anytime until 6:00 p.m, and we definitely took advantage of that. Funnily enough, the bathroom was my favorite space. The tile work, something Morocco is known for, was exceptional, with brilliant blue and mustard colors.

Also, I don’t know about you, but my husband and I are hotel shampoo/soap snobs. Seriously—we can tell if the formula they use is cheap or if the soaps/shampoos are as fancy as they smell. All the toiletries smelled fantastic and left our hair and skin feeling great. One night as I was getting ready to shower, I realized our hot water wasn’t working. I called the front desk to let them know and the next thing I knew, they sent us champagne too for the inconvenience. Talk about five-star service.

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R E S T A U R A N T S

During our stay, we enjoyed meals at all three restaurants in the hotel. And yes, we even had room service on my husband’s birthday. (They brought us a complimentary cake; how sweet is that!?) Anyways, back to the restaurant reviews.

Le Restaurant 

For starters, Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, and Jackie Kennedy all ate here. So we were expecting a lot. We ordered the three salads, a chicken tagine, and a veggie tagine, and we ended with ice cream. All the food at this restaurant is Moroccan, so if you’re looking for a 100% Moroccan experience, this is your place! The decor was out of this world stunning (the ceiling particularly, oh my!), and the consistent flavors and live music thrilled us. We ate here just once because the veggie options are minimal (I can’t eat couscous and veggies for every meal, guys), but if you eat meat, you have plenty of options to choose from!

La Maison Arabe

Piano-Jazz Bar 

If we didn’t want to head to dinner straight away or if we had some time to relax after an early dinner, we frequented the piano-jazz bar. The pianist plays every night from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and he has a range of music in his repertoire. You can enjoy dinner at the bar if you don’t want to go to the actual restaurant, which is nice given how comfy the sofas are. You can order a variety of drinks such as the moro-jito, a Moroccan mojito, and bar snacks as well.

La Maison Arabe

Les Trois Saveurs 

This romantic space has a lit-up pool in the center that is surrounded by pots, plants, and lit candles. Absolutely stunning. They had heaters running at night, which was great since it cooled down significantly after dark. The live musicians were fantastic and made me want to get up and dance, but I was too busy stuffing my face, I mean eating, like a lady of course. The food was divine. In the three nights we went there, we ordered veggie risotto, seafood risotto, yellow curry, tagine berbère aux légumes, lemon cheesecake, and ice cream. You can choose from French, Moroccan, or Asian dishes. We went with all three! Would we go back? Absolutely.

La Maison Arabe

A M E N I T I E S 

Hot Breakfast

Every morning, we headed down to the outdoor pool area for a delicious and fresh buffet. The staff placed heaters near the tables for the cooler mornings, which I loved. The staff was also incredibly attentive, filling up my glass when it was half empty (half full?) and bringing fresh coffee before my last sip. The Moroccan pancakes quickly became our favorite, and we indulged in those and the scrumptious omelets, pastries, bread, fresh juice, and coffee every morning.

La Maison Arabe

Country Club & Heated Pool

My husband and I believe that we could spend a week in that hotel without even stepping outside because there is so much to do! In the outdoor part of the hotel, there is a large heated pool that is perfect for relaxing after a long day. If you don’t fancy a heated pool, you can get on the hotel shuttle and head to the country club, a property on the outside of the city with a huge swimming pool and restaurant. This is reserved for hotel guests only, so you don’t have to worry about being overcrowded or having random people come up to you. Although we did have a random kitty come up to us, but she was adorable and shared my French fries with me. Our food was so tasty at the country club, and we especially loved the tangerine juice.

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Cooking Classes & Hotel Store

A thirty-second walk from the hotel brings you to the hotel store and the hotel’s cooking classes. If I had more space in my luggage, more of that store would have come home with me. After the store, we went to the cooking class we had signed up for ahead of time. What an amazing experience! Our host explained all the different spices and flavors we were to use. She then led us up to the class (not before serving tea, of course).

The class itself was small, with eight others, and we all had our own workstations. We each made two Moroccan salads and a main dish. The dada (chef) made the dessert. At the end of our cooking, we sat down at a beautifully set table on the terrace. Our view overlooked the city and the food we cooked was delicious. They gifted us little tagines at the end of the class. I loved this class so much!

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Luxury Hammam (Spa)

After a few days of exploring the city and an abundance of activity, we spent our last full day in Marrakesh at the luxury Hammam of La Maison Arabe. This is an experience I will never forget! In this beautiful and intimate space, we enjoyed massages, Hammam treatments, pedicures, facials, and foot massages.  We spoiled ourselves and have zero regrets about it. I wasn’t so sure about the Hammam treatment but man, am I glad I did it! I would definitely do it again. The staff were friendly and accommodating, which I deeply appreciate in a spa space. We have never experienced a spa like that, and we left glowing.

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If you are planning a trip to Marrakesh, you have got to stay at La Maison Arabe. This hotel made up at least fifty percent of our incredible Moroccan experience. I know with certainty we wouldn’t have had such a phenomenal time if we hadn’t stayed here. The colors, furniture, and designs offer so much for each of your senses. The staff is accommodating and kind. The location is prime. The history is unique, as it’s the first riad-hotel in Marrakesh. Have I sold you yet? You can book your La Maison Arabe room(s) with this link. If you haven’t yet, check out our Marrakesh Sights Guide and Marrakesh Food Guide.

Cheers,

 

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