Amanjena means ‘peaceful paradise’ and architect Ed Tuttle’s pared down Arabian fantasy certainly conjures an atmosphere of almost zen-like calm with its grand proportions, pleasing symmetry and luxurious finishes. The pale, peach stone palace with its double-height lounges, library and fountain-focused internal patios reflect Marrakech’s Moorish and Arabian heritage in every graceful keyhole arch, chiselled pillar and ziggurat-style frieze. The subtle, simple colour palette of pink, honey and sage green ensures the rich decorative detailing – écaille de poisson zellige, intricate moucharabieh screens and plâtre ciselé walls – doesn’t overwhelm, making for surprisingly contemporary interiors where the focus remains firmly on the awesome architecture and seductive views of the Atlas mountains.
Service & facilities
Round-the-clock, smiling service fit for a pasha, or at least demanding Aman clientele. Spa treatments, a gym, two flood-lit tennis courts and an adjacent golf course are also available to those who aren’t content to lie by the pool all day.
Rooms
Like Byzantine temples the 32 rotund Pavilions have up-lit Venetian stuc domes beneath which king-sized beds sit centrally surrounded by acres of space and sleek furnishings finished in rosy cherry wood. Cedar doors slide silently onto large bathrooms where sunken, pillared baths await wannabe Cleopatra’s. Twin vanities, twin dressing areas, twin sunhats and two pairs of Amanjena Havaianas coddle romancing couples who want to lie out on twin sunbeds holding hands. Six larger, two-storey Maisons cater to those with even greater space demands, while the Al Hamra Maison is usually booked out by visiting celebrities and dignitaries.
