Grab your weekend bag, we’re off to Morocco’s Pink City for a sweet mint tea! A mere 3.5 hours from London, Morocco’s most famous city is the perfect antidote to a rainy UK weekday, says spa and wellbeing writer Stefanie Adams as she relives the best bits of her spa trip to the Royal Palm Marrakech.
The Rose Trail to Marrakech: Clarins Spa at the ROYAL PALM MARRAKECH
Visitors to Marrakech always seem to remark upon its special kind of magic: equal parts chaos, pushy (but good-humoured) salesmen, hidden gardens and addictive mint tea. Just outside the city, the backdrop flutters from desolate lunar landscapes to verdant olive groves on the same short stretch of highway. In the winter months the weather can be wild and unpredictable, the nights quite chilly but the days often warm -high teens or early 20’s – and sunny, the only constant being the quiet majesty of the Atlas mountains hemming everything in.
A short 20 minute journey outside the intoxicating (yet very tiring!) bustle of Marrakech’s souks is the breathtaking Royal Palm Marrakech. My taxi whisked me down a never-ending driveway and moments later I was sipping a fresh citrus juice at the spa.
The Clarins Spa at Royal Palm Marrakech is a minimalist mecca of wellbeing and tranquility, all open white spaces, vast ceilings and subtle hints of Moroccan design. It felt a bit like what I’d imagine Aladdin’s palace to be like (and I was Princess Jasmine for a day).
It felt a bit like what I’d imagine Aladdin’s palace to be like
and I was Princess Jasmine for a day…
The Lobby
Golfers can work on improving their handicap against Marrakech’s mesmering snow-capped backdrop
I was invited to enjoy the Supreme Rose Signature Massage – and yes, it does live up to its name! This stress-busting 90 minute treatment employs authentic Moroccan massage techniques, nourishing oils and stones made from thuya wood to create a truly healing experience.
The Supreme Rose Signature Massage, a true “homage to rose” is just one of the Clarins treatments at the Royal Palm Marrakech
It begins with a thorough massage of legs and feet, using a locally made, warmed rose oil. The focus then moves to the arms, stomach and finally the back. The combination of blissful soundtrack, skilled therapist and the cocooning scent of rose is nothing short of heavenly. If you’re a rose fan, this might just be the holy grail of spa treatments. My therapist Odile deserves special mention for her skillful deep tissue massage, which managed to be both strong and nurturing.
If you find yourself in the enchanting land that is Morocco and need some respite from the chaos of the capital, be sure to visit the Clarins Spa at Royal Palm Marrakech. Leave your stress at the door and dive into this sprawling oasis in the desert.
You know it’s wine o’clock when the winter sun starts to set (hours after the UK sun has already gone down!)
Hit the pillow(s) for a good night’s sleep before a freshly squeezed orange juice and another sunny day
Discover the delights of Marrakech during a stay at The Royal Palm Marrakech, with Beachcomber Hotels