Hospitality Design - March 2012 - 56

perspectives

places: marrakech

A rendering of a villa at the Park Hyatt Marrakech, set to open in 2013.
bar where a modern version of the Arabic screen—wenge-ﬁnished latticework—is the backdrop to richly colored rugs and 21st century depictions of Moroccan lanterns. The dark oak, 3D-effect bar backlit by LED and crowned with Absolute black granite is ﬁnished with strips of white glazing to give the impression that the countertop is ﬂoating. For Spagnulo, though, one of the most impressive places is the presidential suite that boasts a double-height living room distinguished by a sculptural black stone ﬁreplace offset with gold inserts. One of the two bathrooms, meanwhile, beneﬁts from a deep Jacuzzi bath enclosed by a handcrafted, bespoke patterned stone surround. the Atlas Mountains to the earthy hues of the local landscape. Cedar, leather, raw cotton, and embroidered fabrics are worked into bespoke furniture and lighting employing local craftsmanship as often as possible. SM Design’s scheme expresses richness through detailing, layers, and surprises: a tea lounge features sculpted columns made from gypsum, the reception is laid out as a seating area under a sizeable pavilion, and each room has its own landing complete with a bespoke lighting ﬁxture on which signage is installed. New-York based Perkins Eastman is the design architect for the project. Principal-in-charge Shawn Basler says the largest challenge, a limited site area, has forced the team to think creatively about the relationship between internal and external spaces, as well as public versus private concerns. “We identiﬁed a similarity to the pattern of language found in Marrakech’s Medina,” he notes. “So sightlines and axes, secret areas, and an underlying sense of discovery within the resort’s geometry have resulted in a multilayered destination that unfolds at every turn. Park Hyatt Marrakech takes its cue from the city with narrow corridors that lead into a series of medinas and courtyards, plus interiors that open up to exteriors, thereby blurring the boundaries between indoors and outdoors, and allowing guests to experience the architecture as a sequence of events.” For Basler, as with so many designers who have spent time working on the destination’s newest crop of luxury resorts, it seems the ultimate goal is to embody the character of Marrakech itself.

The spa at Selman, a GLA hotel.

Palatial Properties
Other developments guaranteed to offer their fair share of palatial spaces include Sir Rocco Forte’s Assouﬁd, an all-suite golf and spa resort situated in a 30-acre olive grove. Olga Polizzi, director of design for Rocco Forte Hotels, is working with architect Paul Udris on this elegant 98-suite property slated for a 2013 opening. The same year should also see the launch of Domaine Royal Palm, a vast 570-acre estate south of Marrakech’s historical center that represents the home of Mauritian hospitality group Beachcomber’s ﬁrst resort outside the Indian Ocean. The Royal Palm Hotel, made up of villas and suites, takes its aesthetic inﬂuence from Berber culture, drawing on the talents of Mauritian architect Jean-François Adam, among others. Another work-in-progress is Monte-Carlo SBM’s ﬁrst international property outside Monaco. Positioned in the Menara district, the exclusive 34-acre resort called Jawhar features architecture by HKS Hill Glazier Studio and a 93-suite hotel with interiors by Sybille de Margerie. De Margerie’s Paris-based ﬁrm, SM Design, is also responsible for the interiors of the Park Hyatt Marrakech, due to open in 2013 as part of the high-end Al Maaden Golf Resort, developed by Alliances. The 131-room property’s subdued color palette borrows from the ice blue of

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