THE HOTEL There couldn’t have been a more perfect backdrop for

the March Travel issue fashion story than the Beldi Country Club in Marrakech. After a very short transfer from the airport, you are immersed in a lush hideaway of ancient olive trees, singing birds, stylish swimming pools and restaurants with views across the rose gardens to the Atlas Mountains. The hotel itself sits in the vast and magnificent 15 hectares of the Beldi Country Club estate, where you will find a charming blend of Moroccan tradition and French chic.

With a total staff of 250 people contributing each day to preserve the spirit and beauty of the place, it’s a unique environment and very different from the hustle and bustle of the medina.

Beldi is an Arabic expression meaning ‘the one who is from here’, and its style is based on the expertise of craftsmen and designers. Maintaining the harmony between the natural environment and human activity is an essential element of the Beldi experience. Solar energy heats the water for the hotel and the spa, and there are no television or fridges in any of the rooms. Nature is at the heart of every moment spent here, whether inside the adobe buildings, on the terraces, by the four pools or at the spa overlooking the gardens.

Each of the 38 suites is individually furnished in the Beldi style and have been built to resemble a Moroccan village, with its narrow alleyways, shaded courtyards and riads. The attention

to detail in each room is exquisite, allowing a modern yet traditional feel, with crackling log fires, outdoor bath tubs, rain showers and views for miles.

The Beldi has four tranquil swimming pools, clay tennis courts, golf (situated at the Golf Royal of Marrakesh and Assoufid Golf Club), horse riding (located at their sister hotel Kasbah Beldi), pottery courses, cooking lessons, a spa, quad biking... the list goes on. It also has its very own on-site souk, selling hand-crafted items

Roses plucked straight from the garden

The Beldi Country Club in Marrakech is a paradisiacal oasis

Moroccan chic in the bedrooms

ON LOCATIONThe C&TH fashion team shunned Blighty’s wintry shores for warmer climes to shoot Arabian Nights at the Beldi Country Club in Marrakech

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including carpets, cushions, bags and bread that is homemade using Beldi olive oil. Another thing to look out for is the Beldi glass, which is blown on site by their own team of glassblowers – the plant here is the last one in Morocco that actually blows and produces its own glass.

During the day, tuck into Moroccan or Mediterranean food, determined by what’s in season, by the picturesque pool at El Badia. In the evening, plump for à la carte at Le Palmier Fou, located in the gardens. Several private salons are also available for dinner where the chef can create a special menu just for you. Finish off your evening in the Blue Salon with jazz and a cocktail or two.

The hotel also hosts the most wonderfully unique events, including Poppy Delevingne’s wedding in 2014. The Beldi party planners have a special knack for transforming each space into a magical environment.

THE SPA Set apart from the main hotel, the spa is a small, intimate

village that radiates calmness and serenity, with its indoor and outdoor massage rooms, two traditional hammams, beautiful rest room, terrace and solarium. It’s dedicated to helping all its guests relax and unwind.

Treatments range from scrubs, massages and facials to manicures and pedicures, however, we would suggest you try a traditional hammam. It’s essentially a steam room similar to a Turkish bath, where Moroccans habitually go each week to cleanse themselves. Don’t worry though, this one is just for you and your therapist, who will give you the most invigorating body scrub followed by a relaxing aromatherapy massage, leaving your skin smelling delicious and super soft.

The staff are trained in traditional oriental methods and products used are made from argan oil and aromatic herbs from the gardens at the Beldi. Purchasing a few products from the shop on your way out is a must (we love the rose water, perfect for skin rehydration and 100 per cent natural).

Doubles from €185 per room. beldicountryclub.com

WARDROBE ESSENTIALS

1. ELINA LINARDAKI Penny Lane leather sandals, £145. selfridges.com

2. JOYIS Darcy hat, £175. joyislondon.bigcartel.com

3. ACQUA DI PARMA Peone Nobile Purse Spray, £90. acquadiparma.com

4. ZAEEM JAMAL Ombre tip maxi skirt, £525. zaeemjamal.com

5. KREWE Iris sunglasses, £264. modaoperandi.com

6. ZIMMERMANN Caravan ruffl ed striped bikini, £240. net-a-porter.com

7. HEIDI KLEIN Savannah Bay Bamboo Duffl e mini bag, £220. heidiklein.com

8. DODO BAR OR Cotton crossover Joseff dress, £350. avenue32.com

SHOPPINGVisit the world-famous Medina Djemaa el Fna and its surrounding souks. Get your elbows and bargaining skills at the ready and prepare to shop for everything, from handbags and carpets to silverware and leather goods. Take cash, no cards accepted.

GARDENSEscape the hustle and bustle of the medina and enjoy 12 acres of gloriously landscaped gardens at Jardin Majorelle, created by artist Jacques Majorelle and subsequently rescued and owned by Yves Saint Laurent. jardinmajorelle.com

NIGHT LIFEStill the best for a high jinx night out, Comptoir Darna offers pimped up traditional dining in rich red surrounds on the ground fl oor, plus a lounge upstairs where revellers gather at weekends to party. Don’t miss the belly dancers. uk.comptoirmarrakech.com

DAY TRIPHead on the newly built fast road to Unesco World Heritage Site, Essaouira on the Atlantic coast and walk the fortress wall. marrakechtours.co.uk

GET OUT AND ABOUT

The spa is a village in itself

March 2017 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 57