Le Jardin des Douars

Style

Kasbah à la française

Setting

Riverside hilltop oasis

In the argan-tree hills of Essaouria, terraced boutique hotel Jardin des Douars feels like an undiscovered secret. Shrouded by palms and bougainvillea, domed villas nestle in bountiful walled gardens; French chic and North African exuberance abound in the nooks and alcoves of this laid-back palace. Two jade-green pools, tantalising seasonal menus and a sensuous hammam complete this bohemian hang-out in the heart of the Maghreb.

Facilities

Rooms

25, including six suites, plus six villas.

Checkout

12 noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 3pm.

More Details

Rates include a Continental breakfast of flaky Moroccan pancakes, breads, home-made jams, cooked eggs, fruit salad and fresh orange juice, as well as tea, coffee and hot chocolate.

Hotel Closed

The hotel closes for two or three weeks between January and February.

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Spa

At the Hotel

Spa, botanical gardens with access to surrounding countryside and riverbed, boutique, terrace, lounge with fireplace, library, pétanque pitch, padel courts, yoga, pilates, free WiFi. In rooms: Les Sens de Marrakech toiletries. For villas, there's a TV too, plus a dedicated housekeeper, present daily, who can prepare breakfast as well as other meals upon request.

Our Favourite Rooms

The hotel is a celebration of Maghrebin colour and craft, with zelige tiling, smooth tadelakt plasterwork, pierced metalwork and tactile Berber rugs. Rooms have a shabby-chic feel with original wooden doors, and objets trouvés and African masks on the walls; in the bathrooms, you’ll find a mini hammam kit and luxurious Balzatex linens. At the back of the main house, Choukran Room 6 is cosy and cute, with lots of sun in the morning and a shower room; Choukran Room 8 has stunning valley views. Set in two-storey houses in the lush grounds, Pacha Rooms have a private feel, with king-size beds, private outside terraces, seductive sunken baths and a corner fireplace. If you’re travelling en famille, the Mogador Suite is a two-level extravaganza with a double bedroom, another bedroom with three single beds, a living area and two rooftop terraces from which to admire the grove-dotted hills and riverbed below.

Poolside

The adults-only infinity pool is a chic rectangular affair, tiled in blood-red and peacock-green zelige, surrounded by wrought iron day-bed and straw parasols. It’s heated from October to May and the perfect setting for some quiet sun-worshipping or purposeful laps. On the other side of the main house, the family-friendly pool is protected by a grove of olive and argan trees, with a shallow circular area perfect for babies, and some changing rooms nearby.

Spa

The region is famed for its precious argan oil, harvested by local women’s co-operatives and used in the marble-lined spa. Argan-tree bark is used to heat the eucalyptus-scented hammam, the pulp for scrubs; perfumed black-soap exfoliation, hot-stone massages and algae wraps leave skin prepped for the North African sun.

Packing Tips

Staying at Jardin des Douars is very much about getting off the grid: there’s no internet, TV or phones in the room. In the common areas, WiFi can be slow and patchy – load a tablet with must-see boxsets before you go. You can leave bulky headgear at home – you’ll find baskets of attractive straw hats on the sunny terraces for guests to use.

Also

In the bathrooms, you'll find a mini hamman kit stocked with local argan-oil products.

Children

Welcome. Free cots can be added to all but Choukran, Gazelle and Pacha Rooms; a children’s lunch menu is available. Babysitting is available with one day’s notice, for a fee.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

In the main restaurant, choose a window-side seat for the perfect valley view. Sweet-nothing-whispering couples should reserve a candlelit table in La Table des Douars.

Dress Code

Kaftans and tunics, linen and sequins.

Hotel Restaurant

There are two restaurants serving North African cuisine with French influences. Casual Le Ksar is a spacious room in sultry reds and deep orange, with full-length windows down to the river valley and a cushioned sunken lounge area. The terrace in front of the main house is where breakfast and lunch (including a magnificent Sunday barbecue buffet) are served. The menu changes daily: check the blackboard for light fare such as salads, grilled gambas or salmon tartare. Chalk your name on the board if you want to dine in that night; the à la carte menu changes every couple of weeks. Adults-only La Table des Douars – an intimate dining room of mirrors, cosy nooks and romantic lamps – is ideal for a tête à tête. The open kitchen is a bustling walk-in affair, where guests can watch the fragrant Morrocan cuisine being prepared: there’s roast beef fillet with a herb crust, crushed potatoes with Sidi Yassine argan oil, or tender salmon maki with preserved lemons and date pesto.

Hotel Bar

Set to a jazz soundtrack, cocktail hour is on the terrace: the drinks menu features classic negroni, caipirinhas and mojitos, as well as local and French wines. There’s also a pool bar, and a bar area in the main restaurant.

Last Orders

Le Ksar serves breakfast from 7.30am to 10.30am, and lunch from 12.30pm to 3pm. Both dining rooms are open from 7.30pm to 10.30pm.

Room Service

None.

Planes

Essaouira Mogador Airport, a 15-minute drive away, has connections to Paris Orly, Marseille, Brussels, Madrid, Barcelona, London and Marrakech (www.onda.ma). Most visitors arrive to Marrakech’s Menara Airport two hours away, which can be reached from various hubs across Europe with British Airways (www.ba.com), EasyJet (www.easyjet.com) and Ryanair (www.ryanair.com).

Automobiles

You may never feel the need to leave Jardin des Douars’ walls, but if you want to venture into the surrounding countryside, it’s best to hire a car to explore the area or make the most of the coast’s surf-friendly beaches. The hotel rents cars (€40 a day) and operates a shuttle to the medina, the golf course, or the beaches (€12 a room for single trips).

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

A few minutes’ drive from the bustle of Essaouira’s Medina, hotel Jardin des Douars sits on a hill off the road from Agadir. Sheltered from the winds of nearby beaches, the house enjoys vistas to the valley of argan trees and the river Ksob below. The temperatures here are warmer than in Essaouira: enjoy a few rounds on Mogador’s attractive golf course, ride quads, camels or horses to the voluptuous dunes, or ask the hotel to organise a picnic by the sea, where improbable desert waterfalls flow into the ocean.

Hike, or quad your way to the waterfalls springing from the desert rock near the village of Sidi M’Barek, then explore the stretch of unspoilt beach, Berber mule paths and traditional villages. Designed by Gary Player, Golf de Mogador is a five-minute drive away and has two 18-hole courses nestled against the Atlantic coast and its magnificent dunes. The hotel can book courses, caddies and buggies for you. In the city (a 20-minute drive away) you can haggle for ceramics, hippie wearables and homewares, browse the colourful contemporary works at Art Gallery Center d’art Le Real Mogador on Rue Mehdi Ben Toumert and stop by the fishing port to take snaps of the bobbing blue boats – a surefire Insta win.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .