Dar Giardino, near Marrakech

Within easy reach of vibrant Marrakech and the magnificent scenery of the Atlas Mountains and the Ourika Valley, this remarkable luxury villa south of Marrakech offers a very private, quiet retreat in a location that allows guests to combines a sophisticated city break with exploring the great outdoors.  Beautifully designed, property has a traditional Moroccan design and is furnished in a blend of classic and contemporary styles, with neutral colours, crisp whites, with splashes of colour and local rugs. The accommodation develops around an impressive classical central patio with water feature. The charming drawing room is furnished with understated elegance with contemporary comforts and intriguing artefacts and opens to an extensive terrace for soft seating and a dining overlooking the gardens. Guest rooms are in two settings. On the ground floor of the main villa there are three spacious and elegant double bedroom suites, all individually styled with bathroom en suite with separate walk-in showers opening to the gardens.  Accessed via a staircase in the red TV room, the very spacious master suite is romantically furnished with a four poster bed and opens to a terrace with far reaching views of the Atlas Mountains. The extensive panoramic roof terrace for sundowners can also be accessed from this level. There are three more slightly smaller, but also very comfortable guest rooms and sitting room in a Pavilion in the grounds.  

The magnificent gardens of three acres have been beautifully designed by a noted Italian garden designer who has twinned the history of the landscape with his own design interest in spatial arrangement. Ancient groves of olives are under-planted with a modern parterre of Penniseteum grasses and warmly-coloured Moroccan roses which wash the night air with perfume. True to his style, hedges and topiary but here plumbago is selected instead of Yew or Box. Around the house, an intimate courtyard of orange trees is planted. The gardens are magical in the warm red light of the sitting sun. Pathways lead to the striking pool with sunbeds, and dining pergola. The superb team of staff providing excellent inclusive cook service and housekeeping work extremely hard to make sure your stay is memorable and happy. Just 20km from Marrakech, this is a fabulous choice for an extended family or group of friends.