If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (including tax) available in the next 60 days.
Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (EUR172.73), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.
At the edge of the Majorelle Gardens, a little north of Marrakech’s Medina, eight-room retreat Maison Brummell Majorelle is putting a modern spin on Moorish traditions. In each of the refined rooms, lime-washed walls are made with an authentic tadelakt plaster, alcoves are a reinvention of latticed mashrabiya screens, and balconies are elongated with flipped arches that pay homage to the Medina’s riads. And when it comes to communal spaces, architects Bergendy Cooke and Amine Abouraoui have impressively fashioned the space to feel more home than hotel, without compromising on the calmer spots (a set-in-stone spa mimics Morocco’s hammams) for those seeking some seclusion.
Noon; check-in is at 3pm. Both are flexible, subject to availability (late check-outs will also be charged €20 an hour, or the nightly rate if you’re checking-out after 3pm).
Prices
Double rooms from £163.00 (€190), including tax at 10 per cent. Please note the hotel charges an additional local city tax of €2.10 per person per night on check-out.
More details
Rates include a buffet breakfast.
Also
Unfortunately, Maison Brummell isn’t accessible for guests with limited mobility.
At the hotel
Concierge, boutique, and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: air-conditioning, minibar, tea- and coffee-making kit, free bottled water, yoga mat, and Botanika Marrakech bath products.
Our favourite rooms
All eight of Maison Brummell’s rooms are refined with terracotta-toned walls, palazzo tiling and brass accents. Balconies are common features throughout, but for a little extra space we’d suggest the Garden Deluxe, which each have their own private cacti-lined gardens and outdoor bath tubs.
Poolside
Lulling under climbing bignonias and cacti, the outdoor pool (open between 9am and 9pm) is flanked with daybeds and relaxation areas. There’s also a smaller, second indoor pool at the spa.
Spa
On the ground floor, the hotel’s stone-cast spa has been designed to mimic a traditional Moroccan hammam with a massage room, steam bath, and heated stone seat for authentic savonnage and gommage treatments – just be sure to book at least 24 hours in advance.
Packing tips
Vintage Yves Saint Laurent pieces – you are within sight of his eponymous museum, after all.
Children
Leave the littlest Smiths at home, this stay is for over-11s only.
Secure an alfresco spot in the terracotta gardens.
Dress Code
As you would with friends and family.
Hotel restaurant
The hotel’s eatery is technically more dining room than restaurant, where chefs set up a classic Moroccan clay-cooked buffet for breakfast (harcha flatbreads with orange zest, baghrir pancakes, and mint-infused tea). During the day, a light menu of salads and pastillas are dished where you please, and though dinner isn’t served daily, staff will be more than happy to organise a traditional evening meal for you – just be sure to let them know in the morning.
Hotel bar
There’s no formal bar, but you’re welcome to help yourself to drinks and light bites from the fully stocked honesty bar, open round-the-clock.
Last orders
Breakfast is served daily between 8.30am and 11am.
Maison Brummell Majorelle is located along Rue al Madina, opposite the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, in Morocco’s Marrakech.
Planes
Most international hubs have direct flights into Marrakech Menara Airport, which is a 20-minute drive from the hotel. Private transfers can be arranged on request (and with at least 24 hours’ notice), from DHS150 each way.
Automobiles
Driving in Marrakech is best left to the locals, but if you’re up for the challenge, there are plenty of rental booths at the airport and street parking near the hotel.
Worth getting out of bed for
If you’re ready to explore after a restorative stint in the hammam, we’d suggest starting with Maison Brummell’s neighbouring botanical Majorelle Gardens, which were lovingly restored by French artist Jacques Majorelle after he bought the plot of land in 1923. In its two-acre grounds, you’ll find the Berber Museum – built by architect Pierre Bergé – and the newer Yves Saint Laurent Museum. Stick with the creative crowd and head to nearby Gueliz, where Galerie Siniya 28, Galerie 127 and Comptoir des Mines are showcasing the city’s emerging young artists with ever-changing exhibitions. Otherwise, Maison de la Photographie offers a look at Morocco’s history through the eyes of its native photographers; and just down the road, the Islamic Medersa Ben Youssef – built in the 14th century and one of Marrakech’s oldest monuments – is well worth a visit.
Wander around the winding Medina and its many markets (the Jewish quarter’s Mellah Market, Jemaa el-Fna and Souk Semmarine are a few favourites). For those looking to learn more about the region’s fare, head to Souk Cuisine, where local women host traditional cooking classes. Staff can also arrange camel riding through the Agafay Desert and day trips to the Atlas Mountains if you’re looking to escape the city.
Local restaurants
At Sahbi Sahbi, traditional Moroccan dishes are cooked exclusively by dadas (female cooks, who base their meals on recipes handed down between generations) and served at hand-crafted tables, dimly lit by rattan pendants. Le Tire Bouchon serves suppers with a French spin along Rue al Madina, and Plus 61 dishes up award-winning Australian fare (braised lamb shanks, freshly caught fish marinated in seasonal sauces, and steak sandwiches are a few features) for lunch and dinner.
Local bars
In the Medina’s Gueliz neighbourhood, Baromètre Marrakech pours creative concoctions (bitters are homemade and infusions are brewed with natural herbs) in its signature speakeasy setting. Oenophiles may prefer Le 68 Bar à Vin, where sommeliers pair vintage wines with French bar bites.
Every hotel featured is visited personally by members of our team, given the Smith seal of approval, and then anonymously reviewed. As soon as our reviewers have returned from this design-forward hotel in Morocco and unpacked their babouches and tagines, a full account of their botanical break will be with you. In the meantime, to whet your wanderlust, here's a quick peek inside Maison Brummell Majorelle in Marrakech…
You might think building alongside Yves Saint Laurent’s Marrakech museum is a bold move, what with its voguish designs and imposing stature, but Maison Brummell Majorelle owner Christian Schallert – and his esteemed architects – have delivered with an eight-room bolthole that’s turning heads. It may not be your traditional riad, but every corner puts a play on classic Moroccan design: terracotta-toned exteriors that lend themselves to the Medina’s hues are accented with brass linings, Moorish arched walkways are (literally) turned upside down, ancient mashrabiya screens inspire the rooms’ deep alcoves, and furnishings are handcrafted by local artisans. Each of the cavernous communal spaces have been designed to feel like a family home, and a hammam-stye spa is primed for those craving downtime after days strolling labyrinth-like souks and the neighbouring Majorelle Gardens – where Yves and Pierre Bergé’s loving legacy remains.
