Marrakech is one of the most visited cities in Morocco. It has been on my list for many years, but I could never find the right time to go. This wasn’t a place I was going to try to do solo and I knew i wanted to go with someone who has been there before. Finally this year a friend of mine was going back home to Marrakech for the summer and asked if I wanted to visit him while he’s there so he could take me around. I booked my tickets immediately and started planning my list of places to visit.

Below you will have a list places I visited during my trip to Marrakesh. I personally look for architecture, design and cultural experiences when I travel. I hope you enjoy this list as much as I did.

Ben Youssef Madrasa

This was the largest Islamic College in Morrocco and now a beautiful historic site with stunning architecture and design. Unfortunately, this was closed for construction when I was in Marrakesh so I didn’t get to visit.

Jardin Majorelle/Musee Yves Saint Laurent

I am combining these two places together because they are adjacent to each other on the same street, and I believe you can get a discount if you buy tickets to both places together. Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé bought the Jardin Majorelle in 1980 and saved it from falling victim to a real estate project and becoming a hotel complex. It served as an inspiration for many of his creations.

I suggest going to visit Jardin Majorelle as it get very crowded fairly quickly. If you’re looking to get a clean shot of the house, you’ll have to go right when they open. The YSL Museum has a steady flow throughout the museum and the main photo moment is the one by the entrance.

Marrakech Souks

Souks are the traditional marketplaces and are often divided into sections for the various trades. You'll see herbalists, spice sellers, metal workers, tanners, and food markets congregated on trade-specific streets. Jemaa el-Fnaa is the main town center and entrance to all the shops and alley ways. I would highly suggest going with a local that knows the area well to help you navigate the souks in Marrakech. I’ve heard very mixed experiences from my friends about their experience being at the souk, but ultimate if you stand out like a tourist, you become a target for many things, just keep that in mind.

Royal Mansour

You’ve seen this place everywhere on instagram and it is truly a stunning hotel that is worthy of a visit. Designed by King Mohammed VI with the idea of a “Médina within a Médina”. For the experience of living like a King, this is a must in Marrakech. The photo here you see is actually the spa of the hotel. It has been posted tirelessly by everyone on instagram, but it is truly stunning and other worldly in person.

La Mamounia

La Mamounia, another one of the most iconic hotels in Marrakech. They had this section of the hotel closed off for hotel guests only, so if you plan to get a shot here, you’ll need to be a guest of the hotel. I’m sure it’s due to the popularity of it being a photo spot, so plan accordingly. I had food inside the hotel and I wasn’t that impressed by the food. The inside of the hotel is actually really dark with jewel tones, completely different than this photo I took, which can be a bit misleading. However, it is one of the most iconic hotels in Marrakesh. I would say if you have to pick a place to visit between this and Royal Mansour, I would go to Royal Mansour.

Kasbah Tamadot

Tucked in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Richard Branson's Kasbah Tamadot Resort is about 27 miles outside of Marrakech. For those looking to be surrounded by nature away from the city. This is your spot. One of the most impressive resorts I’ve been to. If you're planning for a first trip to Morocco, I would say don't stay here, just visit, because it is close to an hour out side of Marrakech, so unless you have a driver that will drive you up and down the Atlas Mountains, this is more for a visit where you want to stay on property for your entire stay.

Four Seasons Marrakesh

An urban oasis in the heart of Marrakesh. The location of the resort is perfect and close to all the major attractions of the Red City. The resort has two large pools, one of them is adults only, which is always a definite must for me when traveling to popular destinations. You can expect the same type of service and hospitality you get from Four Seasons, but do take time to explore the majestic grounds and have one of your dinners at the main restaurant here. The food is incredible. I stayed at a patio suite with a private pool, which I definitely took advantage of throughout my entire stay. The staff is incredibly attentive as you would expect and the spa is beautifully designed as well.

I would definitely stay here again and I highly recommend booking here if this is your first time visiting or coming back for a special occasion. I couldn’t stop talking about my stay for weeks after I left. Staying here really made my trip extra special.

London has a special place in my heart for many reasons. The culture, the history, the people, and even the weather are all part of what makes this city unique.

W London Hotel is situated at the geographical and cultural intersection of London’s most vibrant districts: Soho, Leicester Square and Chinatown...the epicenter of the entertainment and nightlife scene. The hotel, like the city itself, is a bold contrast of themes, colors, textures and characters. Taking inspiration from its surroundings, the duality of British culture forms the basis for W London’s design concept - Savile Row meets Soho. Within the hotel, an attitude of formal day turns quickly into informal night aided by classic design with a contemporary twist and nightlife accents.

The building is veiled in translucent glass that will change color according to the time of day, the ambience of the area or happenings within the hotel and city.

With easy access to Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, China Town and the West End theatre district, you will have everything the city has to offer all within walking distance.

The location

I stayed at 4 different hotels and 2 Airbnbs during this trip in London and I have to tell you, W London is by bar the most convenient location of all. Whether you’re a tourist or a frequent visitor of the city, the location of the hotel is close to everything you’ll need. I was having meetings throughout the city during the day and at night, I was able to catch up with friends at all the bars in Soho.

You have the best shopping/dining on Regent St/Oxford Circus, Carnaby St, and Piccadilly Circus all within 5-10 mins of walking. At night, you have the best nightlife in Soho right outside the hotel, not to mention the incredible lounge/bar the hotel has.

Most people in London consider Leicester Square a nightmare they never want to be near because of the overwhelming amount of tourists and tacky street performers, but during my stay at the W, I didn’t walk through Leicester Square once. I found myself walking through China Town and Soho most of the time, so I was never bothered by the crowd in Leicester Square.

The Service

When I arrived for check in, I was greeted by W Insider, Jamie Rowsell right away. Jamie introduced himself and showed me to my suite. Upon entering the suite, Jamie had left a tray of personalized treats, a welcome gift, and a handwritten card on the bathroom counter for me. I’ve stayed at this W multiple times and every time I come back, the GM and the team had always arranged for something with a personal touch in my room. Personal touches like this are what makes a stay memorable and special.

The Room

I stayed at the Screening Suite during my stay this time. There are three Screening Suites at the hotel and what makes this particular suite stand out is that this suite is half secret cinema and half spa. You can relax in an enormous bathroom featuring a bathtub and a private steam room and then make your way to the bedroom, which offers the ultimate movie experience with a 3-metre wide cinema screen with ambient ceiling lighting, Dolby surround sound and in-bed movement system.

The mood lighting in the room can be manually changed into different colors and you can also have the colors change according to the audio layers of the film you're watching.

If you followed my insta story during my stay here, you would’ve seen W Insider Jamie giving the full rundown of the suite, including the Cinematic Experience. With a tab of a button, the blackout blinds come down, curtains wrap around the entire room, a 3-metre wide screen descends from the ceiling, and the ambient ceiling light transforms the entire room into a cinematic experience.

The iPad allows you to control the lighting, tv, curtains, blinds, and mood lighting in the room.

There is a bathrub, a standing shower, and a steam room in the "spa" section of the room.

I took advantage of having a steam room in the suite. Everytime I fly, I tend to get so extremely puffy from retaining water. Being able to take a bath and then jump into the steam room was the perfect solution to my puffiness. There’s also a standing shower outside of the steam room to rinse off after you steam. The bathroom is adorned with Bliss products as usual.

The view of the suite is overlooking the gym, which was a bit strange at first, but it didn’t really bother me since I had the blinds down most of the time.

In-Room Dining

They have an extensive Breakfast Menu, All Day Menu, All Night Menu and Kids Menu to ensure that everything you need is available to you 24/7. One night, my friend and I ordered off of the All Night Menu: the chicken caesar salad with a side of fries and the W Club Sandwich with a side of broccoli. We thoroughly enjoyed it. I especially liked the W Club Sandwich. Everything tasted fresh and clean.

On a separate occasion, I ordered off of the Breakfast Menu: pancakes with caramelized banana, mixed berries and tonka cream (it comes with a scoop of ice cream or sorbet of your choosing). It was the perfect portion for me. I wish I had tried some of the other items on the breakfast menu, because they have a pretty extensive breakfast menu with so many choices.

Mega Bar Experience

The Mega Bar offers a luxurious in-room bar service complete with an entertaining and knowledgeable personal mixologist, powerful sound system and fun disco ball.

Custom designed for W London, the Mega Bar’s exterior takes inspiration from a music freight case, which opens out to reveal an opulent bar, featuring luxurious design details including an onyx worktop, deluxe leather paneling and a handcrafted gold-hammered sink.

The Mega Bar experience comes with your personal mixologist. Here is Giulio making magic happen. Follow him on insta at @giuliovaldiserri

Every Cloud- Bourbon, Cointreau, orange juice and ginger beer served in a martini glass with a dash of honey, raspberries and candyfloss.

The disco ball spins and there's also a sound system built into the case that allows you to pick the playlist.

Here Comes The Sun- Ciroc Pineapple Vodka, Kings giner liqueur, topped with pineapple juice, egg white, and homemade pineapple , ginger and chili syrup. All served in a fresh pineapple cup alongside W Sunglasses.

Amenities

In the state-of-the-art fitness facility outfitted with Technogym equipment, the gym is open 24/7 adjacent to the Away Spa. There are treadmills, elliptical machines and stationary bikes mounted with LCD TVs, weight machines, free weights, yoga mats, balance balls, jump ropes and punching bags, and even personal trainers on call.

The gym was busy in the morning, but pretty slow throughout the afternoon and empty in the evenings most of the time. If you are an early riser, you will definitely see a lot of other guests in the gym with you.

They also have a spa, but i didn't use it, because I had a steam room in my suite.

There is a small business center. I've used the computers here to print out my boarding passes in the past. Free for all hotel guests. Access is granted by your room keycard.

Final Thoughts

W London is by far my favorite hotel in London. I've stayed here the past few years and each time is better than the last. Jamie, the W Insider, was such an amazing source of information that I went to him everyday during my stay to get recommendations on where I should go eat, drink , and see. All his recommendations were outstanding. If you are staying here, please make it a point to connect with Jamie!

The Mega Bar Experience was one not to forget. I still have people asking me about that whole experience. It is an exciting way to celebrate any special occasion or a fun way to kick off the night with a special someone or friends.

Last year, I had lost my passport in Mykonos, and went through a series of unfortunate events. When I returned to London, I was SO happy I stayed at the W London. After a stressful time in Greece, they upgraded me and made sure I had everything I needed. I always call this hotel my home away from home, because the staff here always took care of me as if I was part of the family, and that is what hospitality should be about.

I can't wait to be back!

book your book at - http://www.wlondon.co.uk/

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