By Hershey Pascual
Marrakesh is one of those places which beautifully combines luxury ascetics, raw natural simplicities, and artistic and cultural vibes. It is a city that attracts a medley of people from all walks of life: travellers, bohemians, wanderlust lovers and artisans. In fact, there is so much to take from just one visit; but the key is to be open to explore, integrate with locals and seek adventure. Behind rustic doors, there are hidden gems in souk markets. The dusky, pink-walled Medina (the ‘old city’) boasts a greater density of chic boutique lodgings. There are also fabulous nightclubs, new-wave riads and radical new Moroccan food in chic cafés. You’ll find art galleries, shops selling a plethora of rich tapestries, homeware, interior furnishings, clothing, gold and silver jewellery. Amongst the trendy, cultural and historic discoveries, there are cool-chic restaurants, stylish bars and luxury hotels.
One hotel in particular is Villa des Orangers. This charming, elegant and absolutely dreamy boutique hotel and spa is just three hours from Paris. The hotel was originally built in the 1930s as a traditional residence for a prominent family from Marrakech, who lived there until 1998. Since, Pascal and Véronique Beherec discovered the building and fell under its spell, understandably. Already owners of two hotels in Paris, they decided to convert it into a huge and luxurious riad. And they have done well for it. When you enter you are greeted by a luscious courtyard garden with wooden handcrafted arches, beautiful, colourful intricate mosaic tiled ceilings and floors, gushing water fountains with pretty citrus orange trees.
It has 27 bedrooms and suites, a private riad is located next to a large garden. There’s a stunning swimming pool and three patios with greenery, each accessed through galleries with exquisite carved archways. Suites have private decking areas that look out over the Medina on the first floor. The rooftops feature gardens, solariums and a swimming pool. All of which allow you to savour the dazzling view of the Moroccan city and the Atlas Mountain.
Walking into the Nuxe spa at Villa des Orangers is like immersing yourself in enveloping exotic fragrances of rose petals and orange blossom. You are instantly hit by the delicious enticing concoction of floral and citrus aromas. It’s a dream setting with five massage rooms and a majestic traditional hammam. And if there is a must-try treatment it’s undoubtedly experiencing a hammam treatment.
Try the Oriental Escape (one hour is AED 550 per person or AED 1000 for two). It begins with 30 minutes in the hammam where you are enveloped in humid heat so your body unwinds. Skin prepares to receive all the purifying benefits of the traditional exfoliation using black soap and a kessa glove. Following this, there is a 30 minute jet lag Nuxe massage with Huile Prodigieuse, a signature brand product and luxurious multi-purpose oil. This expert massage targets areas of tension and stress. The movements are linked in a flowing sequence to boost circulation and release tension in the body. It’s ideal to soothe fatigue and replenish energy levels, particularly after a long journey or general tension and stress from work.
Inspired by oriental traditions, most of the spa treatments feature the iconic Huile Prodigieuse, infusing its benefits of naturalness, effectiveness and sensuality in the “Jet Lag”, “Kashmir” and “Relaxing” Nuxe body massages. Each treatment such as Nuxellence Jeunesse, Nirvanesque and Rêve de Miel, to name a few, are bespoke to reflect your mood. So you receive only the best tailor-made massages for body, mind and soul.
The history of the products all began with CEO and Founder Aliza Jabès. After graduating from Sciences Politiques University in Paris and completing an MBA in Marketing & Finance (NewYork University), she was inspired by her passionate belief in the power of plants. She was convinced from a very early age by her father (a pharmacy researcher) that the plant world is the source of significant therapeutic discoveries. As a result, Jabès decided to create a brand expert in natural cosmetology. In the early 1990s, during this initial start-up period, she came across Nuxe. At the time it was a small formulation laboratory based in Paris. She decided to make this the starting point for her company, an ultra-feminine natural cosmetology brand supported by a rigorous pharmaceutical approach.
In a little over twenty years, Nuxe has become a major International brand expert in natural origin cosmetology. In France, it’s the number one selling brand for oil and body care, fragrance and anti-aging. There are also 28 Nuxe spas in France and around the world. The luxurious, plant-based products can be bought at the Nuxe spa in the Villa des Orangers, which is a member of the Relais & Châteaux hotel chain, located at the foot of the Koutoubia mosque, halfway between the Royal Palace and the Jemaâ El Fna square.
