Morocco’s newest hotel will open in its Red City later this month.
Nobu Hotel Marrakech is gearing up to welcome its first overnight guests on January 23.
Located a stone's throw from the heart of the 1,000-year-old city, the sleek hotel is the first in Africa from the ultra-luxury hotel brand that's headed by actor Robert De Niro, film producer Meir Teper and chef Nobu Matsuhisa.
Moroccan craftsmanship fused with contemporary Japanese touches awaits in each of the hotel’s 71 spacious suites.
The crowning Nobu Suite offers a retreat for six guests to enjoy luxury penthouse living, and comes with a private in-suite bar and wrap-around veranda that has dramatic views over the Atlas Mountains.
There are three swimming pools throughout the hotel and the luxury Pearl spa, one of the biggest in Marrakech, spanning about 2,000 square metres with 14 private treatment rooms.
Naturally, the hotel offers some upscale dining options including Nobu Restaurant, as well as the Nobu Bar and Lounge named after and headed by the celebrity Japanese chef.
The Rooftop Garden serves Mediterranean and Moroccan cuisine, as well as Nobu sushi at lunchtime. It also has a circular all-seasons pool, cabanas and a panoramic terrace offering amazing 360-degree views over Marrakech’s kaleidoscope of rooftops, souqs and riads.
Travellers looking to get out and experience the city can opt for a number of unique activities. These include sunset camel rides, quad biking sessions, Moroccan cooking classes inside and open-air dining experiences under the stars.
There's also the option to venture further afield with organised day trips to Essaouira for those wanting to explore the country’s coastline, plus trekking in the Atlas Mountains.
Room rates at Morocco's newest hotel start from €340 ($365) per night in a junior suite, including breakfast.
Nobu Marrakech is the first of five new hotels debuting for the brand this year as Nobu Hotels celebrates its 10th anniversary. Other destinations on the radar for this year are Atlantic City, Rome, San Sebastian and Toronto.
The hotel group recently announced plans to launch Nobu Abu Dhabi. Opening on Saadiyat Island in 2026, it will have an eight-kilometre pristine beachfront and private Nobu-branded residences.
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
TRAP
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
