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STAY – DAR AHLAM

Tradition may run deep in Skoura, the Berber village where the historic fortress stands, but Dar Ahlam is untraditional in hospitality. Unlike other hotels, the experience is unique to each guest; just ask for anything to enhance your stay and it’s yours. This twist on luxury hospitality—without defined common spaces or even expectations—makes it feel more like home. The 100-person staff is trained to anticipate our wishes and puts them first, which means we do exactly what we want when we want. A monochromatic oasis drenched in champagne hues, this place is paradise, from rooms doused in understated luxury to a picture-perfect landscape. In the villa, billowing curtains show us the way to a patio where a green-tiled plunge pool is ready to recalibrate our senses with long dips under the Moroccan sun. “House of Dreams” indeed. 

WELLNESS – THE RIAD

It would be unthinkable to miss the traditional hammam experience in the Well-Being Riad. This is a unique opportunity to enjoy a storied ritual sometimes thought of as the cornerstone of wellbeing. We especially love that the resort uses ingredients sourced from the land, like desert sand to scrub our feet or Jasmin butter and argan oil to soothe our skin. This creates an experience that weaves itself into our memory. The scent of aromatic, hand-cut Moroccan soaps lilts in the air, making it possible to travel even further into relaxation in the candlelit massage room. Yes, the magic is really in the details.

DINE – ALWAYS A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE

The ritual does not end with the Well-Being Riad. The team at Dar Ahlam has designed each moment with our senses in mind, especially the dining experience. Wrapped in total privacy, the culinary experience is inaugurated with a pre-dinner mocktail in the lounge. Our senses are heightened as we are led through the darkness of the 19th century fortress to our secret dining location. Whether it is one hundred lit-candles, or dozens of magical lanterns, the tablescape is as tantalizing as the food.

Frédérick Grasser-Hermé, whose culinary expression set gastronomy on a new path, directs the resort’s dining experience with 450 gourmet recipes, each an artistic embodiment of traditional Moroccan cuisine with modern twists. The renowned Pâtissier Pierre Hermé edits the dessert menu.

SLEEP UNDER THE STARS  – THE DUNE’S CAMP|

For a trip back to our most carefree, childhood summer nights, we don’t have to look further than Dune’s Camp. Dar Ahlam steals us away to a glamorous camp in the desert with white glamping tents, where we are quickly swept up in the embroidered night sky overhead. It’s home away from home for one night, with vintage camp inspired décor, reed mats, lush Berber cushions and an en-suite bathroom; nothing like the camping from our youth. The surroundings take center stage here.

When this dream night has gracefully given way to the glorious morning, we wake to sand awash in warm oranges and coral pink hues. The ancient salt lake, known as Iriki, has dried up and left us with merely a mirage.

EXPLORE – LA ROUTE DU SUD

A journey to Dar Ahlam is hardly complete without an exploration beyond the walls. Their 4×4, equipped with a private butler, lets us embark on an exclusive experience, thoughtfully tailored for up to six modern-day explorers. It leads us to La Route du Sud: a provocative 1,200-kilometer, four-night excursion across the ever-shifting North African terrain.

We travel across valleys lush with argan bushes, along the sculptural contours of the Atlas Mountains and through sun-scorched Saharan Flatlands. This is where everything Dar Ahlam embodies, is found. We live in the moment, absorb the changing light, the rippling sand, the stucco textures and take in the almond scents transmitting across this exotic region and become one with them all.