Riad Farnatchi Marrakech

Le Farnatchi has long been regarded as the finest place for a private house party in Marrakech’s medina. Having had considerable experience in the planning of parties at the very highest level.

James Wix originally trained in hotel management with Four Seasons in London and then moved on to The Admirable Crichton, one of Europe’s top party planners. If the building (and Marrakech) is physically capable of meeting your wildest dreams, he will do his best to ensure that they become a reality at Le Farnatchi.

With only 10 suites, many people have already found that it is the perfect place for a wonderful private house party, and we have special rates for anyone taking the whole Riad. Tell us what you have in mind and we will move heaven and earth to make it happen!

LUXURY SUITES
Le Farnatchi has 10 luxury suites of varying styles. All suites have hand made beds, Egyptian cotton sheets, air conditioning, central heating, satellite tv, Bose iPod docks, on-demand movies, stereo cd players, direct dial phones, WiFi and stunning interiors. Click on a picture to see more details about any of our superb suites.

SUITE 1
A mini riad in its own right with exquisite hand carved plasterwork, a bedhead made from an antique Moroccan door frame and a vast glazed lantern over what had once been its courtyard. No views (it really was a small riad) but arguably our most beautiful interior.

SUITE 2
A cosy and attractive duplex junior suite. There is a dressing room and large bathroom with separate walk in shower on the first floor and a super king size bed and sitting area on the second floor. This room has no view but is flooded with light from a huge traditional roof light.

SUITE 10
Suite 10 is the latest addition to Le Farnatchi and can be made into a twin or a double room. Suite 10 is beautiful, modern and light. With its own private roof terrace and direct access to the Spa it is the prefect suite for anyone who just wants to relax.

LUXURY RESTAURANT IN MARRAKECH
Open for lunch and dinner, Le Trou au Mur is a restaurant in Marrakech that brings a breath of fresh air to the city’s fine dining scene. Le Trou au Mur is chic, laid-back, and intimate, making it one of the best restaurants in Marrakech. Above all, we are totally serious about Moroccan food.

Set in a small riad in the oldest part of the medina, Le Trou au Mur’s décor is a unique blend of superb local craftsmanship with the best of modern European style. Enjoy an early supper on the roof, or dine at any time in the gorgeous air-conditioned restaurant (with a log fire in the cooler months).

With its own traditional clay mechoui oven on view, melt-in-the-mouth mechuoi roasts has tourists and locals visiting over and over again. We feature a variety of carefully researched family recipes, rarely seen outside private homes, that are still Moroccan cuisine favourites.

For those who need yet another Tagine fix, we are proud to display our “Tagine of the Day”. For those who don’t, gourmet burgers and homestyle classics will be on hand too.

Le Trou au Mur offers the very best of Moroccan cuisine and home cooking. To top it off, we offer these comfort dishes that lovers of Moroccan food just can’t live without!

LIVING AREA & TERRACE
Le Farnatchi has 2 beautiful candlelit dining rooms with comfortable seating for 24 people, two sitting rooms, two sitting B’hous, and a roof garden, complete with sun loungers, dinning tables for 16 people, and a barbeque.

LUXURY SPA MARRAKECH
Farnatchi Spa is a beautifully designed day spa in the historic heart of the Marrakech Medina. Stunning private marble hammams with vaulted ceilings, restful treatment rooms with their own shower facilities, and a menu of light, healthy lunches ensure that the pampering doesn’t stop with our world-class therapists.

Our spa in Marrakech now offers the best facilities and the best facilities need the best products. We have teamed up with an internationally acclaimed luxury spa brand and Morocco’s finest specialist in traditional products to offer our clients the very best selection possible.

ILA is a luxury organic skincare brand that has taken the very top of the luxury spa market by storm. Meaning ‘Earth’ in Sanskrit, ILA reflects faith in the power of nature as the source of real wellness.

As such, all of their products are hand made from carefully sourced organic products from around the world including Argan oil, only found in Morocco.

Our local partner, Nectarome, has its own gardens outside Marrakech where they produce the ingredients for their exceptionally high-quality aromatherapy and phytotherapy natural products.

Consistently voted the best Moroccan specialist producer, they are now exporting to markets all over the world. Farnatchi Spa is on Souk de Fassi, two doors away from Le Foundouk restaurant.

HAMMAM
The exfoliating glove and the Moroccan black soap are a must for this traditional ritual. The plant pulp contains black olives rich in vitamin E and makes the skin ready to scrub. The exfoliating glove (“kessa” in Arabic) removes dead skin.

Generally, the benefits of a traditional hammam in Marrakech include the evacuation of toxins, physical and spiritual relaxation, blood flow and lymphatic improvement, deep cleaning, and purification of the skin.

A hammam in Marrakech offers a pleasant time of relaxation and wellness where the skin can return to its natural brightness. Here at Farnatchi Spa, we combine traditional rituals with modern massage techniques, making it one of the best hammams in Marrakech.

Simple Hammam
A traditional scrub with an exfoliating glove and black soap or black soap with essential oil of eucalyptus.

Hammam Beldi and Body Wrap
A traditional scrub with an exfoliating glove and black soap or black soap with essential oil of eucalyptus and a body wrap of aromatized ghassoul with seven plants that stimulates the absorption of the active natural ingredients to your body and gives your skin a wonderful natural brightness.

Royal Hammam
Full body traditional scrub using an exfoliating glove and black soap with essential oil of eucalyptus, it is followed by a mask of aromatic seven plant ghassoul. The hammam ends with a gentle beldi massage based on stretching and rinsing with rosewater.

Relaxing Massage – Nectarome
This massage is a great source of ensured relaxation, it helps to ease stress. The treatment begins with a compressive sequence that allows your body to relax, soothes muscles and helps joints restore their flexibility. You can choose either Verbena oil or Rose oil.

Tonic Massage – Nectarome
This toning massage focuses on muscles relaxation, aids the restoration of energy and restores your bodies natural balance. The massage is performed using kneading, rubbing and percussion movements with the power of hands, elbows and forearms using ginger oil.

Massage with Herbs and Warm Oils – Nectarome
This massage with warm oils uses alternating fluid motions and deep pressure on the most tense muscles. During the treatment the therapist will apply a mixture of aromatic herbs and spices on a warm cotton cloth.

The pouch of plants is then applied to the skin with tapping motions on pressure points. Under the influence of the heat, the muscles relax and tensions disappear, allowing your body to rebalance its energy circulation.

Special Back Massage – Nectarome
This massage using Neroli oil relieves tension localized on the spine and clears energetic blockages. The massage will end with hot stones placed on the spine that will stimulate the body by warming the muscles. Under the effect of heat, the vessels dilate and improve help to improve circulation.

ILA TREATMENTS
Ila is a luxury organic skin care brand that has taken the very top of the luxury spa market by storm. Meaning ‘Earth’ in Sanskrit, Ila reflects faith in the power of nature as the source of real wellness.

As such, all of their products are hand made from carefully sourced organic products from around the world including Argan oil, only found in Morocco.

EXPERIENCES
We love Marrakech and love even more the opportunities it affords us to offer a range of experiences that are a world apart from the normal tourist haunts.

If you are only planning on coming for a day or two, then there are certain “must see” places that will take priority and we will fix you up with the best guides in town. You will get a taste of Marrakech which will almost certainly result in your returning for more sooner than you think.

Alternatively, you could save yourselves two lots of airfares by staying longer in the first place! We can arrange trips and activities that are quite different to those on offer by the average hotel concierge and which will leave you with a lifetime of memories.

Listed in the menu under Adventure, Culture, Something different, Kids and Day trips are just a few ideas to whet your appetite, but if there is anything that you fancy that isn’t mentioned here, please don’t hesitate to ask.

If it can be done in Marrakech, we will not only be able to organise it for you but we will know exactly where to go in order to ensure that you get the very best experience possible.

Farnatchi was proud to be a finalist in a world wide award for hotels that go “Above and Beyond” for their guests. We believe it is what we are here for, but it was nice to find out that others agree!

ADVENTURE
Paragliding
Paraglide off the top of the Kick Plateau with one of the most experienced father and son teams around. You will have stunning views of the Atlas Mountains, the stony desert and Lake Lalla Takerkoust.

Whether you have done 100s of jumps or this is your first experience you couldn’t fail to be wowed by the views. If doing something different is what you are after then we can also arrange for you to jump from other places, the top of Mount Toubkal (North Africa’s highest mountain) seems like a world class challenge!

Horse riding
There are a number of different options when it comes to horse riding in and around Marrakech. We can arrange for you to have horses taken to the Atlas Mountains so that you can take a private ride up into the high Atlas where you will have super views and a get a real feel for Berber life.

Alternatively we have a couple of slightly less challenging half-day options just outside Marrakech and in the Atlas foothills.

Zip wire and Treetop ropes course
If adventure is what you are looking for then how about a day out in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains (30 Min from Marrakech) where you can get the adrenalin pumping zip-wiring over a gorge or swinging from the treetops.

There are other activities that could be arranged here as well if you would like to make a full day of it. This is the perfect place to truly exhaust kids and adults alike.

Learn to drive a 4×4
Go out into the Stony desert and get behind the wheel of a 4×4 and learn how to drive over some of the most challenging terrain. The Stony desert provides everything from near vertical inclines to dried up river beds and deep ditches. We can arrange to challenge even the most experienced drivers.

Quad biking
There are an enormous number of Quad biking operations around Marrakech, although very few have anything of quality. We have hunted out the best one that will give you both a lot of fun and an exciting route with lots to see whilst offering the experience and safety of qualified guides.

Predator X-18 Dune Buggies
We have access to the most amazing Predator X-18 buggies, these buggies will be sure to impress even the most serious adrenalin junkies.

With speeds up to 80mph off-road, these buggies are a lot of fun, you will be taken out into the Stoney desert where you will have an introduction to the machines and a safety briefing before being let loose on all the different terrains, sandy wadis, steep slopes, rutted tracks and stony dunes.

We can, of course, also source good quality buggies that are a little less manic.

Rock Climbing
There are a number of different sites outside Marrakech offering routes for all levels of ability. Whether you are looking to try climbing for the first time or are an experienced climber there is plenty on offer.

Climbing in the High Atlas is beautiful however if you would like to go further afield then we can of course organise for you to do a two or three-day trip down to the rift valley where there is yet more variety.

White Water Rafting
The richly fertile Ourika valley is at the foot of the Atlas Mountains and just a one hour transfer from the centre of Marrakech. This river is fantastic fun and a great place for beginners and experienced rafters alike.

It is a half day rafting trip that can be taken either in the morning or afternoon and so can be tailored to suit the rest of your itinerary with ease.

The stunning backdrop of the often snow-covered Atlas mountains along with the steep-sided gorge with the Ourika river running its length makes this a great destination for those in Marrakech who want to get out of the hustle and the heat.

Rafting trips here are a bit of a spectator sport and it is not uncommon to have all the local children and villagers clapping and cheering you as you pass down the river. Naturally, this is totally dependent on the amount of rainfall in the preceding winter season as to whether it is fast, very fast or not running at all.

Canyoning
Canyoning involves descending deep mountain gorges from top to bottom. In Morocco sometimes these gorges will be dry and sometimes wet depending on the time of year and the weather conditions.

A good head for heights is a necessity as you will be abseiling over some spectacular waterfalls, scrambling over rocks and wading through pools of water. Great fun if you like that sort of thing, a complete nightmare if you don’t!

Mountaineering
The Atlas mountains offers some stunning and challenging routes most of which can be climbed in both summer and winter conditions.

The Winter in the Atlas mountains can present some challenging conditions on some of the routes and under those circumstances, will only be suitable for the more experienced climber.

Once up in the high Atlas you will get to see some of the more remote communities that are often only accessible by foot or mule and our guides will explain about their way of life, customs and history.

Trekking
We have some super guides who can take you for a 30min stroll or a full day trekking in the high Atlas mountains, they will explain along the way everything to do with Berber life in Morocco as well as being able to answer all your questions about the history of the country.

In the summer months, treks of longer duration can be planned, staying in Alpine refuges en route, or being met at the end of each day with a car and driver and taken on to more comfortable mountain lodgings before setting off the following day in different territory.

In theory, we can offer the same treks in the winter but you really do need to be experienced in that sort of trekking, as the conditions can be pretty harsh.

Cycle Tours
Marrakech offers opportunities for all abilities of cyclist. With the flat land surrounding the city, we can arrange tours of the city or, perhaps, the Palmeraie.

For those with a little more time – and fitness! – longer day trips in the Atlas Mountains can be organised both on and off road. With fun, experienced guides and the latest bikes for all abilities it is a great way to explore.

We can also help you plan longer trips around Morocco with one of our fantastic guides to show you the way and support cars just in case your legs get tired.

Skiing
The skiing in Morocco is not quite as well developed as, say, Zermatt or Whistler however it is a fun day out for the more experienced skier. We can arrange everything from serviceable kit, to a lift pass. Our driver will wait for you so that you can stay as long, or as briefly, as you like.

Heli-Skiing
You will be taken by car to the Heliport where you will meet your internationally qualified private mountain guide, who will kit you out with everything you need for a day’s skiing in the high Atlas Mountains.

From the Heliport you will be flown up into the mountains where the guide will identify the best virgin powder for you to ski.

CULTURE
Cycle Tours
Marrakech offers opportunities for all abilities of cyclist. With the flat land surrounding the city, we can arrange tours of the city or, perhaps, the Palmeraie. For those with a little more time – and fitness! – Longer day trips in the Atlas Mountains can be organised both on and off road.

With fun, experienced guides and the latest bikes for all abilities it is a great way to explore. We can also help you plan longer trips around Morocco with one of our fantastic guides to show you the way and support cars just in case your legs get tired.

Cookery Courses
There seem to be thousands of cooking classes in Marrakech. From those that appear to be designed to ensure that your general skills regress irredeemably, to one or two that can teach a skilled chef the finer details of Berber cuisine.

In between, there are enjoyable days to be had with enthusiastic cooks who will take you on a tour of the spice markets to buy all the ingredients that you will need for a couple of great dishes and then show you how to prepare what you have bought.

We can organise either for you. Since the better ones can get very booked up in the busier months, the more notice you can give us, the better. Having said that, we have a great relationship with the better ones and if anyone can persuade them to take a last minute booking, we can.

Trekking
We have some super guides who can take you for a 30min stroll or a full day trekking in the high Atlas Mountains, they will explain along the way everything to do with Berber life in Morocco as well as being able to answer all your questions about the history of the country.

In the summer months, treks of longer duration can be planned, staying in Alpine refuges en route, or being met at the end of each day with a car and driver and taken on to more comfortable mountain lodgings before setting off the following day in different territory.

In theory, we can offer the same treks in the winter but you really do need to be experienced in that sort of trekking, as the conditions can be pretty harsh.

City Guides
We have some wonderful guides to help you uncover the history of Marrakech, get your bearings in the souks or even take you off to find the perfect kaftan or carpet. We can arrange guides who speak most languages so if either English or French is not your first language please ask!

Whilst the tours of the medina are best done on foot we can arrange for guided tours of the whole of Marrakech with a car and driver at your disposal for the day, a horse and carriage to take you from A to B or even vespers for you to zip around on.

It should be noted that the guides are very inexpensive but a tip is anticipated and would be considered to be part of their remuneration.

Shopping
Marrakech has everything from the traders of the ancient covered markets (souks) to Louis Vuitton, both genuine and fake.

The souks offer everything from antique silk carpets (NB. Anything that was made prior to the day before yesterday is considered reasonable to describe as old, and anything that has been hanging around for more than a year can gain antique status.

Very few items in the souk that are described as antiques are genuinely over the normal 100 years of age) to the beautiful carved metal lanterns and intricately hand embroidered Kaftans.

The best way to shop in Marrakech is to get yourself slightly lost in the souks and see what you stumble upon however we can certainly point you in the right direction for whatever it may be, or book you a guide to take you to all the hidden boutiques.

The carpet shops are notoriously tricky to tie down on price but we do know the better ones, depending on the style and quality that you are looking for.

Caleche tour of Marrakech
One of the best ways to take in the sights and sounds of Marrakech is to take a horse and carriage, you can do this on your own or with a guide to point out the important sights and give you the inside track on what is happening in each of the areas that you pass through.

This is not as twee as it may sound and is still popular with locals as well as tourists.

Private gardens and Perfume making
Have a private guided tour of the Marjorelle gardens with one of their experts who will tell you all about the gardens, their history and how and why they came about. You will also be invited into the private gardens of Yves St Laurent, normally closed to the public.

From here you will be taken by car to the private gardens of M. Benchaabane at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Nature of the Palmeraie and this is where you will learn how to create your own perfumes.

Using some of the scents from the gardens you will be guided through the process of blending a scent to your own precise specification.

A Photographic tour of the medina
You will be guided around the old city by an expert photographer who will be able to help you brush up on your photographic skills. Your photographic guide will cover everything from Light, Setting and Framing to people and landscapes.

The whole aim of the day will be to improve your photographic skills whilst seeing the Medina from a different angle.

You will look at different aspects of photography throughout the day, experiment with a colour and creativity shoot in the fabric and dyers souk, a hand crafts shoot in the wrought iron and brass souk, architectural shots in the Madersa Ben Youssef and people at the Sidi Bel Abbes mosque.

After lunch you will go to the Marjorelle gardens for a nature shoot and your day will end with trying to capture the best sunset photos of the Jemma El Fna Square.

Learn one of the artisanal crafts
One of the true joys of Marrakech is still being able to find real artisans who have learned skills that have been passed down through generations.

Tuition, ranging from a half day introduction to a complete course, is available in Calligraphy, carpet weaving, embroidery, leather working, Jewellery making, Brass working, wood carving, wood turning , wood painting, zelige mosaic, architectural tadelact and pottery tadelact.

A Magical Night Under Canvas
Spend a night or two in a luxury tent set up especially for you in a choice of locations. You will get a real feel for rural Morocco but with a few home comforts!

We will have a chef on hand to cook you a delicious Berber dinner under the stars and you can then relax around the fire before retiring to your tent. This is a fantastic experience for a special occasion.

Marrakech by motorcycle and sidecar
With all the narrow winding side streets and exciting hidden areas, exploring Marrakech whilst riding in a side car is great fun and the perfect way to see the city.

The driver (normally an expat that has lived in Marrakech for sometime and knows lots of interesting places to visit) will pick you up from Le Farnatchi and take you out for an exciting ride around hidden Marrakech.

We can also arrange for you to be picked up from the airport in one if you are looking for a unique way to start your holiday in Morocco.

Tour in Classic Car
We have access to some great classic cars from around the world to take you off in style. We can arrange a number of different options, from airport transfers to an unforgettable trip into the foot hills of the Atlas Mountains or a tour of Morocco’s coast line.

The cars have all been lovingly restored to their former glory and are often used on the film sets of the many movies produced in morocco.

Hot air ballooning
Providing you don’t mind an early start (before sunrise) then this is a fantastic experience with views over the whole region including up to the Atlas Mountains. You will be picked up from the Riad and driven to the launch spot where you will be given a light breakfast while the balloon is filled and made ready for your flight.

Helicopters and Private Planes
We work with a local Helicopter and Aeroplane charter service who operate up-to-date aircraft and offer a good service. They can take you all over Morocco and are particularly good for a daytrip or transfer to the Sahara or transfers to other cities that would take too long by car.

Golf
Marrakech has now become the golfing capital of Africa, with 8 courses and more under construction, there is plenty to keep even the most enthusiastic golfers entertained.

We can book tee times, caddies, buggies and hire clubs for you prior to your arrival and will make sure that you arrive at the course with enough time to meet your caddy and get going.

Scavenger hunt
We have done this for whole house parties, competitive families and couples looking to have some fun whilst exploring the souks. You might need to find anything from a camel (the wooden variety will do nicely) to a tea pot.

Given a bit of warning we can tailor this to most age groups and interests. It is such a fun way to get to know the souks and really sharpen your haggling skills!

Something for younger kids
Astronomy workshop – discover what is in the sky above Marrakech. With little light pollution outside the main city, Marrakech is a great place to discover space. These workshops take place in the afternoons and evenings at an observatory and are suitable for those aged 7-10.

Activities day – Dance, music and art a day packed with fun activities for ages 3 -14 years

Music lessons and workshops – Piano, guitar drums, baking, dance, art and capoeira are just some of the classes on offer

Ten pin bowling – great as a treat for the kids on a rare rainy day.

Have a ride on a donkey at a new sanctuary for retired donkeys, this sanctuary has been set up to look after retired or sick donkeys and relies on the support of visitors. It is in a beautiful location in the foot hills of the Atlas Mountains and can work very well for a visit on the way to or from a day in the mountains.

Day Trips by Car
All of our daytrips are planned specifically around your interests, level of fitness and how much travelling you want to do. Two of our most popular trips are:

A day in the Atlas Mountains
After driving out of Marrakech and through some truly stunning scenery in the Atlas foothills, you will visit the village of Imlil which sits in the shadow of Mt Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa.

This tiny village is almost at the end of the road and it is a great starting point for some beautiful walks to local Berber villages where you can get a taste for Moroccan mountain life and have some stunning views of the Mountains.

Your guide will explain to you about the local culture as well as point out historic points of interest and answer any questions you might have. Lunch is also included at a lovely little house in a tiny village just above Imlil.

A Day in the Agafy Desert
Known locally as the stony desert, this is another magnificent setting for an unforgettable experience. Where the atlas impresses with towering landscapes that vary from harsh to lush, the Agafy is mostly made up of rolling dunes of what one might assume to be totally unproductive terrain.

Incredibly, this has been tamed in parts and, if the weather has been kind to them, local farmers can take useful crops from this most inhospitable of lands.

Again we will organise a driver and a guide for this trip and you will be taken out into the foothills of the atlas where you have some incredible views over the Lake Lalla Takerkoust before driving into the desert for lunch in a beautiful Oasis.

There is the opportunity to walk through a dried up river bed to a Berber village where the guide can explain to you all about the local culture and possibly stop for a mint tea with a local family.

A whole additional dimension can be added to this trip by arriving or leaving the lunch stop by camel. Forget about the usual tourist trips around a car park in order to have your photo taken, this is the real deal and not necessarily for the faint of heart.

A Full Day Trip to Essaouira
You will be collected from the riad by your driver who will take you to Essouria where you will be met by a local guide who will be able to show you around this beautiful old fishing town, take you to the best of the seafront restaurants for some delicious fresh fish for lunch and guide you through the medina.

On the way back you can stop at the Women’s Argan Oil Co-Operative to see how this increasingly popular oil is produced and learn about some of the health benefits associated with it.

Essaouira, is quite different to Marrakech, calmer and more of a fishing port. It is three hours by car, so you may want to consider an overnight stop, in which case we can book a variety of places for you.

Essaouira and Val d’Argan
The Val d’Argan is a beautiful area planted with rose bushes, pomegranate trees, olive-trees and Argan trees located just a few kilometres from Essaouira. Backing into the desert the Val d’Argan estate is the first and only Moroccan vineyard exclusively dedicated to grape varieties from the Rhone valley.

After visiting the vineyards and the olive and Argan groves whose fruit is grown for the production of organic oils you will be invited to taste the produce whilst overlooking the estate and having a delicious lunch.

After lunch you will visit the women’s cooperative where you can see how the Argan oil is produced before your final stop at the best point to view the whole of Essaouira. Please also see our comments above with regard to Essaouira.

Website: www.lefarnatchi.com

Rooms: 10

Price: from 235 EUR per night