Travel Leisure - USA (February 2020)

You could visit the souk every day of the year and have
a different adventure. The market is Dickensian in feel,
with specific areas, a bit like medieval guilds, for different
objects. There’s the shoe area (knockoffs of Hermès sandals
were the big sellers when we were in town); the belt area;
the door-knocker area; the area
where artisans carve bowls from juniper and olive wood.
We visited antiques shops selling vintage Berber carved
doors painted red and blue and furniture stores where
extraordinary Moroccan craftsmanship is scaled up for
statement interiors: oversize filigree lamps, giant
candlesticks, and gargantuan strings of beads. And then,
of course, there are the carpets. At Palais Saadien, in the
outer ring of the medina, we were treated to the full, time-
honored rug-buying ritual. After being ushered upstairs to
a loft and plied with ice-cold water, we settled into a
beautiful presentation by the owner, Abdelali Mossaddaq.
“I’m going to show you art,” Mossaddaq said, as his team
unfurled carpets from different tribal regions in the Sahara
and the Middle and High Atlas. Some were dyed with saffron
Clockwise from above:
Teatime at Shtatto’s and henna, others were in the natural black and white wool
rooftop café; the Jardin of the sheep they came from; some intricate and made on
Majorelle gift shop; vertical looms, others double-knotted and triple-woven.
Jimmy Boukhris, right,
owner of vintage store Each one handmade and bearing the individuality of its
Funky Cool Medina, maker. How to choose? The experience of hearing about
and a friend; glassware the intricacies of each region, tribe, technique, and creative
at Verre Beldi; a lavish decision was so lyrical, I defy anyone to leave empty-
guest room at the Royal
Mansour hotel. handed; I certainly didn’t.

VISUALLY, MARRAKESH IS a place of controlled explosions.
Colors, scents, flavors, and textures burst like miracles from
the austere landscape, emphasized by a culture of modesty
and interiority. In the medina, the front doors of houses
such as shimmering Christian Louboutin slippers open onto a facing wall with passageways left and right,
for Saharan Cinderellas. (A Galliano cape, I’m told, so as not to disclose a beautiful courtyard garden, for
is coming soon.) But the medina was calling, and example, with any display of ostentation. Loose clothes
we started in the conventional way, escorted by cloak bodies. Succulents are coaxed from dry earth. “The
a wonderfully erudite guide provided by the hotel, more you explore, the more you discover,” explained
who, like others we met, defines himself by his Madeline Weinrib, who has been visiting for 20 years, first
most famous past clients. Mustapha Chouquir’s as the owner of a New York–based design business selling
are Hillary and Chelsea Clinton, whom he vintage and contemporary rugs and textiles, and now as a
accompanied when they came on a state visit business partner at the hotel El Fenn. “It’s true of all of
20 years ago, and this brush with political royalty Morocco, for Marrakesh, and for the medina,” she said.
has given him quite an edge. “I love to hunt, and it’s extraordinary how it unfolds.”
As he helped us dodge mopeds and trotting Since joining El Fenn, which was launched in 2004 by
donkeys pulling wooden carts, Chouquir Vanessa Branson (sister of Richard) and a partner, Weinrib
expounded the region’s history and the clear has also become involved with the hotel’s in-house
distinction between the Berber culture of Morocco boutique, which she stocks with her own caftan designs,
and the Arab traditions that dominate farther east. as well as collaborations with other manufacturers and
Many of the Berbers, an indigenous group dating stylish accessories and home wares found on her
back 4,000 years, were originally Jewish, which explorations in and around town.
explains why hammered silver menorahs popped My mother and I decamped to El Fenn for the second
up in so many of the shops Chouquir took us to. part of our stay, stepping through (Continued on page 100)





T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M 99

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for their children. “The women evolved his international sensibilities into friendly locations. There is also
from being ‘tolerated’ to earning the mix, turning the cloth into pants, a carpet store and a wonderful
regular wages and being independent jackets, shirts, and jumpsuits that shop, Verre Beldi, that sells glasses,
and proud of their expertise,” said feel gloriously soft to the touch. vases, and lamps in clear and jewel
Kahane, who is about to add a weaving tones. Leymarie bought up the last
department to the facility. The store THERE ARE OTHER must-sees in Moroccan handblown-glass factory,
sells heavenly linens, shirts, pajamas, Marrakesh, of course, like the in Casablanca, when it was going out
and children’s clothes. When I got crowded but botanically marvelous of business, and gave it a home to
home I kicked myself for not having Jardin Majorelle, which adjoins the continue production here. I took away
bought more of the hand-smocked house renovated by Yves Saint Laurent a set of stacking glasses, each with the
baby dresses to give to every little girl and his partner Pierre Bergé, site of so characteristic small irregularities of
who will enter my life in the future. many decadent fashion dreams. Inside the artisan’s hand.
We also visited Weinrib’s favorite the park is an ultra-colorful boutique For our final foray before flying
carpet emporium, Soufiane Zarib, and, next to that, the museum home, my mother and I booked a car
where the wares are grouped by dedicated to the late designer that to take us into the Atlas Mountains.
color, which helps shoppers avoid Bergé completed before his own On the road out of town, we stopped
falling into a sea of indecision. Then death in 2017. When I visited, it was at Popham Design, a factory run
we headed to an insider’s secret, hung with an immaculate show of by a pair of Americans, Caitlin and
Galerie Tindouf. I knew we were in drawings by Brice Marden, rendered Samuel Dowe-Sandes, who use
the right place when we spotted the in the colors of Marrakesh, where the Moroccan techniques to create their
French minister of culture leaving, artist also has a house. own wonderful geometric cement
just as we arrived. Tindouf has art We were running out of time, but tiles. Moving on, we passed saffron
galleries front and back—on show managed to squeeze in a few more plantations and spice gardens
was an exhibition of photographer treats—including a trip to Herboristerie as we looked for Nectarome, an
Lalla Essaydi’s glittering portraits Bab Agnaou, an unassuming spice apothecary and nursery in the
of women. The shop itself is a trove shop near the king’s palace where I Ourika Valley, a couple hours’ drive
of outstanding treasures, including bought containers filled with saffron, outside Marrakesh. It was founded
antique Berber jewelry, a passion rose petals, star anise, and orange- by a pair of Moroccan brothers and
of Weinrib’s, and an impeccable flower water. (We’d been advised their friend—one a professor, one a
selection of vintage textiles, against buying from the open-air stalls pharmacist, and the other a cosmetic
furniture, and ceramics. in the souk, since they’re exposed to formulator—with the aim of reviving
To witness the edgier side so much dust and pollution.) traditional beauty recipes.
of the design and retail scene in Afterward, we dropped in at As we headed higher and higher
Marrakesh, Weinrib and I headed to a popular lunch spot and hotel into the mountains, with their hillside
the Industrial Zone, a district on the 20 minutes out of town, the Beldi villages and breathtaking views, it
outskirts of town. Here, the streets Country Club, for some R&R. Built in became very hard to think about
have a SoHo feel—let’s say SoHo 2005 by Frenchman Jean-Dominique turning back. Never mind that we
in the 1990s—with contemporary Leymarie, it includes a greenhouse- had a plane to catch; we wanted to
art galleries, furniture stores, like restaurant set in a garden filled continue, discover more, see what was
perfumeries, and small factories. with birdsong, as well as a cluster of around the coming bend and beyond
From one of these, American expat boutiques that offer a reprieve from the next rise. It felt like a beginning,
and former fashion photographer the hassle and haggle of the souk. not an ending.
Randall Bachner runs Marrakshi Some are the usual suspects, like It was consolation, however, when
Life, where workers weave cotton on Chabi Chic and Corinne Bensimon— we found Nectarome, to walk among
looms in the back of the airy, high- the sorts of clever, European-owned its fragrant beds of aromatic plants and
ceilinged space. Bachner then brings brands that tend to pop up in tourist- browse the selection of soaps, oils,
and scents in its small shop, where I
stocked up on argan oil. Like learning
Content in this issue was produced with assistance from Cobblers Cove; Destination about the origins of the carpets we
Wairarapa; ECO Luxury + Lodge; Eden Rock–St. Barths; El Fenn; GoldenEye; Half Moon; step on, the experience connected us
Inn at the Presidio; Jekyll Club Resort; Jekyll Ocean Club; Parilio; Royal Mansour; to nature and production in ways we
Silversea Cruises; Star Castle; Visit Barbados; Visit Isles of Scilly; and Visit Ruapehu. had long forgotten, and offered a little
treasure to take home.





T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M 101

(one with a soaking tub), an outdoor the natural beauty of the setting. Rock
bath, and a wraparound terrace with encourages unconventional thinking.
beach views. The master bedroom had Chic is all about the stylishness of the
high, sloped ceilings and a bed frame design, while glamour ensures a steady
made of curved wooden panels. The stream of A-list celebrities.
floors were a luxurious, cream-colored Over black-truffle pizza, mahi-mahi
marble, the closets copious and bathed in coconut milk and lime juice,
enormous, the lighting superb. and fresh spinach bucatini, Moizan
Strewn throughout were details went on to outline his vision of Eden
that felt considered and un-hotel-like: Rock as a brand that lives outside the
(St. Bart’s, continued from page 91)
dried flowers arranged artfully in walls of the hotel itself. The boutique,
ceramic vases, a leather tray to empty Eden Being, carries exclusive
of a spacious lounge area called Rémy my pockets into, big yellow coffee collaborations that range from
Bar. Tinged in green and gold, with a mugs by the Nespresso machine. In Diptyque candles and Alexandra
touch of 1970s glam, it has an open the bathroom I found a leather-bound Llewellyn backgammon sets to a
fourth wall overlooking the Sand Bar. manicure kit and a red rubber ducky. $21,000 Hublot watch. There’s even an
The menus are overseen, as before, Other touches of cheeky humor app that streams the Sand Bar’s playlist
by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten included an electric bug swatter to iPhones anywhere in the world.
(several dishes have migrated south labeled paradise protector and a Hotels as lifestyle brands are
from his ABCV in New York City). sticker on the phone that read nothing new, but it’s an unusually
Its L-shaped tiers of seating take use sparingly. It was, in short, a space ambitious program for a family-owned
advantage of the beach views and with personality. “We spent enormous property of just 37 rooms. It helps
create something of a stage set for sums on books, placing different that operating duties are shared with
people-watching. Along with the volumes in each room,” David the Oetker Collection, managing
adjacent boutique, the bar and Matthews told me. “And not just partners of the property. Like Eden
restaurant combine to form a buzzing standard-issue art books, but those Rock, Oetker’s other hotels—which
all-day social hub, and the hotel’s classic novels you’ve always meant to include Le Bristol in Paris, the
de facto living room. reread.” (In mine: Treasure Island and Lanesborough in London, and the
The London-based interior Ann Beattie’s collected New Yorker Hôtel du Cap Eden-Roc in France—
designer Martin Brudnizki did a superb stories.) Artworks were selected as are quintessential to their locales.
job with these public areas. Brudnizki, expressions of creativity rather than Few people know how to cater to
who is known for his work at New items of décor. A mandala-like the tastes of the international leisure
York’s Beekman Hotel, Miami’s Soho painting of fruits and vegetables by class better than Vongerichten. At the
Beach House, and Annabel’s, an Chilean artist Alonsa Guevara hung helm of the Sand Bar since 2011, he is
exclusive members’ club in London, above my bed; monochromatic as much a fixture at Eden Rock as the
struck a careful balance between acrylics by Spencer Matthews (no Matthews family or any of the hotel’s
colonial-tinged elegance and relation) brightened the sitting room. regulars. Enthusiastic, open, and
beachside informality. The natural That night, I had dinner at the Sand utterly without pretense, he chatted
materials include bamboo, rattan, Bar with the hotel’s general manager, with me at Rémy Bar, lamenting the
linen, and limestone, and the colors— Fabrice Moizan, who resembles loss of his five-ton oven in the storm
most prominently Eden Rock’s Richard Gere, only suaver, and French. (submarine-style steel doors made
signature red—are tropical and vibrant. Surveying the room to confirm his of six-inch-thick steel now protect
There is no lobby or reception desk; high standards were being met, he the kitchen from future storm surges);
check-in formalities are completed explained the secret sauce behind the discussing his revamp of the menu
after settling in. The overall effect is hotel’s enviable 50 percent return to focus on freshness and wellness;
lively, tasteful, and intimate—much rate. “We identified a few words and extolling the bounty of St. Bart’s
closer to a vacation home than a that capture what the hotel is all clear, clean water.
corporate-driven luxury resort. about: Eden, Rock, chic, and glamour. Using locally caught seafood and
My duplex villa, called Orchid, Everything that we do—every service produce imported from neighboring
had ample space for spreading out element, dish in the restaurant, item islands, the Sand Bar serves a sort of
and relaxing—a large front porch, a for sale in the store—must be greatest hits of resort dining and
downstairs sitting room with a queen- associated with one or more of these global flavors—all executed with
size daybed, two enormous bathrooms words.” Eden focuses on the sea and classic Jean-Georges polish. For lunch,






102 T R AV E L + L E I S U R E | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

I ordered a watermelon salad studded built in 1855, with its louvered it appeared to those early settlers:
with cloudlike chèvre. The Sand windows and pink limestone walls. roughly gorgeous, splendidly isolated,
Bar is on heavy rotation for most I could pick up a pain au chocolat a blank slate upon which to project
St. Bart’s visitors, no matter where at La Petite Colombe in Lorient and dreams and ambitions.
they are staying—a tradition I expect eat it on the white sandy beach at On my last afternoon, I walked to
will continue. Gouverneur—to my eyes the most the island’s most mythologized beach,
Indeed, although my visit coincided picturesque strand on the island, its Colombier, a secluded cove that was
with the very beginning of the season, azure water perfectly framed by once part of the Rockefeller estate.
Eden Rock seems destined to reclaim green-carpeted hills. (Les Salines was It can be reached only by boat or on
its status as the island’s social a close second.) I could chug foot—either a steep descent via stairs
epicenter. The beach has a frosé trolley overpriced rosé at Nikki Beach or eat leading down from Route de
and a floating dive platform, but the cheap burgers at Le Select. There’s Colombier, or a gentler hike that
primary activity seems to be watching plenty of bling on St. Bart’s, but begins just beyond Flamands Beach,
people as they parade up and down dressing up is not required. where the Cheval Blanc hotel has also
the sand. Rooms are cleverly shielded One morning I took a step even just reopened.
to ensure privacy, but once you step further from civilization, going for a I took the latter route, which hugs
outside, you’re in the mix. You come hike on the so-called Côte Sauvage, the coves and outcrops of the rocky
here to be both ogler and oglee. the wild southeastern coast. My guide coastline, stopping frequently to take
Socializing is the whole point. was Aminata Clason-Diop, whose in the vistas of waves crashing beneath
Of course, my experience was not namesake wellness company also offers me, and the towering islets dotting
limited to Eden Rock. Moizan yoga and meditation classes, nutritional the horizon. Finally, after crossing a
encouraged me to think of St. Bart’s as guidance, and homeopathic flower meadow grazed by baby goats, I
a single resort, his property being only remedies. Starting just beyond the reached Colombier.
one element. Guests bounce around, entrance of the Hôtel Le Toiny, we This wide arc of sand is set
visiting other hotels for lunch or descended first to the nearby beach, dramatically at the base of a green
drinks, sampling the 22 beaches, and Toiny, then clambered up and down the gully and embraced by two headlands.
going out for dinner. Because of the rocky slope. One summit looked toward The only visible human encroachment
island’s small size, everything felt at my the rugged Grands Fonds, another on the landscape was the Modernist
fingertips, the roads vertiginous but afforded a view of nothing but ocean. roof of the now-abandoned
well paved, the beaches open to all, the Rocky, windy, and altogether beautiful, Rockefeller villa peeking through
villages studded with colorful houses, the walk provided a welcome moment the treetops. A few clusters of
boulangeries, and a very French sense of absolute quiet and recovery. sunbathers sat on blankets; two yachts
of order. Remarkably, Irma’s scars were Of Swedish-Malian parentage, bobbed in the bay. I took a dip in
barely noticeable—a boarded-up villa Clason-Diop was raised in Stockholm the water—clear, barely touched with
here, a bare patch of garden there. and educated in New York City. salt, colored the gentlest blue—and
It was easy for me to hop in my She started spending summers in watched a regatta in the far distance,
rental car and drive five minutes over St. Bart’s at the age of 16. Easily as the sailboats silhouetted against the
the mountain to the capital of Gustavia worldly as any of the visitors she distant backdrop of St. Martin. No
for a bite of tuna tartare at Fish Corner, guides, she knows that for many of champagne buckets. No speakers
followed by a beer at the Mykonos- them, wellness and engagement blasting house music. No looks from
style beach bar Shellona. I could with the natural landscape of a place the 2020 Resort season. Just peace,
window-shop the Hermès and Prada have become as critical as food or quiet, nature, and the lightest, most
boutiques on Rue de la République, furnishings. Even as we eyed the rarefied footprints of civilization.
then duck in to the humble extravagant villas dotting the cliffs, Then I headed back to the hotel
Bartholomew’s Anglican Church, it was easy to imagine St. Bart’s as for a glass of rosé.




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YOUR BEST SHOT







Sarah Bolak was
“MY FIANCÉ AND I were walking along the beach at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar
an entrant in our Photo
(hyatt.com; doubles from $270) in the Bahamas when, from out of nowhere, a flock of of the Day contest.
flamingos sprinted by. I knew the resort had a flamingo habitat, but I didn’t realize Submit your best shots
that the twice-daily ‘parade’—when staff members walk the birds around the Baha Mar at travelandleisure.
com/photos/photo-of-
complex—looked more like a mad dash. Luckily, I had my iPhone in hand to capture
the-day for the chance
the scene. The flock moved so quickly that I’m kind of amazed I got the shot.” to be featured on this
— READER SARAH BOLAK ON HER PHOTOGRAPH, SHOT WITH AN IPHONE 8, MAY 2019 page in a future issue.






104 T R AV E L + L E I S U R E | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

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