Tony heaves from the behind the villa an ancient looking pot he had bought from a local Moroccan market earlier that day. “What do you think? It’s a traditional olive oil pot”, he says, inspecting its years. His new purchase was one of the latest to take its place in Villa Warda’s new and larger sister villa or ‘palace’, quickly being built by a handful of restless Moroccan builders.
Originally built from scratch 10 years ago, Villa Warda is finished with an arrangement of individual and carefully placed and chosen antiques, hand crafted wire sculptures and a bricolage of furnishings (many we are told originate from La Mamounia hotel). In the centre of the property the living room hosts grandeur of African, handmade furniture from a local carpenter Tony fell upon up in the overlooking Atlas Mountains. This sets the serene tone, and within 2.5 acres, this villa is as spacious as it is generous and offers a level of privacy that no other boutique hotel possibly could.
Towards the sound of a tumbling fountain, we step through an arched garden door and into a rose garden that would satisfy the Queen of Hearts. A highly scented courtyard is adorned with a choir of old fashioned, paper white roses and an invaluable view of the snowy Atlas peaks beyond. This privately owned Moroccan villa literally lives up to its name: ‘warda’ rose in Arabic. An olive grove lined retreat with a generous pool marking centre stage, fully catered with gardeners, housekeepers and the villa manager who also happens to be a trained chef; this creative and lustrous property worked its magic and enabled us to leave behind the outside world beyond the garden walls.
“Sugar, we always drink our Moroccan tea with sugar”, Allal the villa manager told us as we stirred in the granules and sipped cautiously. This was Moroccan hospitality at its best and our stay was made up of a myriad of authentic culinary offerings: a collection of lentils, Moroccan salads, aubergine, fresh orange juice and homemade crisps made on request are just a few that come to mind. This hospitality doesn’t stop with the menu; down a few steps in an unsuspecting corner of the courtyard of roses is their spa and private hammam, another and much more intimate Moroccan experience. Allal outlined to us as we stood at the entrance what we had in store. Escaping from the city earlier that day, the hammam with its deep exfoliation, traditional black soap and oil massage was a sublime start and threw us in at the deep end on our first day.
Lazy evenings were spent with golden sunsets disappearing under sandy sunsets with English owners Tony and Rachel. The intimacy and privacy of this villa painted an impression that we were staying with old friends – a Moroccan home from home with a familiar English touch. Just like any home, Villa Warda boasts fruit and vegetables from its own garden, and with these humble touches we almost expected to uncover old family photos amongst the striking antiques. From the tangible features throughout creativity transcends into Villa Warda’s creative retreats. These include their yoga retreat, hosted on the rooftop terrace where we would watch the sunsets. They offer restorative and challenging experiences for both mind and body with tailored, daily classes with intuitive day trips alongside a menu of vegetarian dishes. Another retreat Tony and Rachel expanded on was their painting and drawing retreat. A keen sketcher myself and doing the vague sketch whist staying at the villa, I could see why this property and its subjects would be so well suited to this type of retreat. Professional artist and dear friend of Tony and Rachel, Neil Drury, hosts these specific retreats at Villa Warda and guides and encourages guests toward their full creative potential.
Located 17km outside the city of Marrakech, Villa Warda is away from the commercial resorts and over populated hotels; in a vastly un built area and towards the beauty of the Atlas Mountains. It is now a decade since Tony discovered this uncharted plot and bought some of the surrounding land in order to expand his Moroccan oasis. A stay at Villa Warda is exclusive to those who look for ultimate privacy and Allal, Tony’s villa manager, will arrange a stay around exact requirements. “A camel, I can certainly get you a camel,” he states on our first day as we arrive; thirsty for Moroccan culture. Horse riding tours into the mountains can also be arranged and a personalized tour of the souks, which proved extremely handy.
Despite only spending two nights and three days at Villa Warda, it really is a Moroccan home from home. Do not ask me if it’s the welcoming English hospitality or the creative aura – but this villa offers that level of luxury and most importantly the privacy that you would not gain in any other resort locally. Sleeping up to 12 (excluding their new palatial extension), my guest and I are adamant to return and fill the villa with friends; determined to keep Allal on his toes.
Villa Warda: marrakech-villa.co.uk, +44 (0)7884 232459
