Kasbah Tamadot

Close to the chaos of Marrakech, yet another world away, is Richard Branson's Kasbah Tamadot. Perched on a small hilltop overlooking a nearby village, the property appears as many small structures, but in reality its one larger one. Albeit with multiple entrances and shortcuts between sections. We traveled from another hotel in Marrakech, and Kasbah Tamdot sent a car to our hotel to collect us. The driver was professional (hotel employee, not a third party driver) and gave us some history of the areas we passed on the way to the property. Upon arrival, you enter through a small gate and into the courtyard of the hotel. A long woven berber tribal run greets you and taken you into the main section of the building. We were invited to take a seat outside on the patio while Check in was being completed. Kasbah Tamdot, is one large strucutre (or many connected small buildings) but its on multi-levels, so beware, its not wheelchair friendly. Lots of ramps, stairs, steps around the property. We were taken to our room, a "Superior Suite". It wasn't exactly what I would describe as a suite, since it did not feature a separate room that could be closed off (my wife and I have different sleeping habits and this is an important detail for us). It had a upper level with a desk, changing area, and the bath, and a lower area (down three steps) where the bed was located. Outside, was a large terrace with lounges and a table where we were offered a glass of wine, or champagne, or a soft drink. After a simple check in process, one of the staff escorted us to our room and gave us a short tour of the property. There is a restaurant, as well as a poolside restaurant, spa, bar, and many areas to sit in or out and relax. (Library, tented bar, etc). The suite is beautifully decorated, with traditional styling. The bath has both a large tub, as well as a stand up shower. Eco-friendly bulk toiletries are provided. They offer a free mini-bar, including wine and beer. I mentioned I don't drink sugary soda, and a short time later they came and replaced all the sugared drinks with non-sugar versions. It was quite warm during our stay and the rooms all feature modern airconditioning. The bed is very comfortable and during colder months, there is an electric blanket provided. The property is very beautiful with native flowers and landscaping throughout. While there are plenty of poolside lounges, there are also many covered cabanas and other hillside areas to sit out. There is also table games like ping pong and pool, as well as two tennis courts. You are isolated, so unless you leave the property there isn't any other things to do nearby. The most common activities would include hiking/trekking in the nearby hills, visiting a nearby village to understand berber life, or on-site yoga, exercise. The restaurant is excellent, with both a la carte menus, as well as themed buffets, several times a week. One night was a "mediterranean buffet", although we prefer a la carte (we don't like buffets, but it was done very nicely, I admit). You can pay menu prices, or the property suggests either a half board or full board option, which allows you to order whatever you want from the menus. Kasbah Tamadot is a beautiful location for a short break if you're traveling the region. It's not the sort of place, I would personally stay at for more than 2-3 days...there isn't a great deal to do. But to try to understand the lifestyle of the berber population and appreciate a slower pace than the large Moroccan cities, it's an excellent choice.

We stayed here for 2 days in February on our way from the Sahara to Marrakech. It was nice to relax at a first class, full service resort after driving though the mountains for several days. Pros: Great Service: Check-in was easy, food and drink was always available in restaurants, bars, pool. Heated Pools!!! The main pool and hot tub were heated to very comfortable levels; many other resorts did not heat the outdoor pools in the Winter Solid Food: The restaurant bent over backwards to accommodate food requests. Rooms: Very comfortable with Moroccan decor and modern baths - good water pressure and amenities. Bread Bakery: Stopped by for a tour of the bread kitchen and had tea - do it. The Garden: Loved walking through the garden in back - lots of veggies and plants Tennis Courts: I think synthetic surface so I didn't play. Ambience: Relaxed with beautiful surroundings and excellent service. Neutral: The spa is nice, however, the masseuse was good at Swedish but not really Deep Tissue (getting back kinks out). Also, not much modesty involved... I mean almost intimate in terms of touch, but not inappropriate. I did see a sort of panic button by the massage table for the client - never seen that before. Also, an after massage shower is not available in all the rooms - I had to return to my own room rather oily. Cons: No TVs in the room - do you really need one? There is a separate lounge /bar with TV and free alcohol... and another lounge with TV.