Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay — Fnideq, Morocco

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Exterior of the Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay hotel with large white stone archway and green shrubs and trees
(Image credit: TBC)

The opening of the Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay boasts at least a couple of firsts: the first all-pool villa resort in Morocco, and the first outpost of the Singaporean brand in Africa and along the Mediterranean. 

Set along Morroco’s north-eastern coastline within sightline of the Rif Mountains and the Martil Valley, the resort ticks all the boxes of an idyllic beach retreat – though more adventurous types might prefer day trips to the nearby UNESCO towns of Chefchaouen and Tetouan, or the haul of antiquities at the Museo Municipal in Ceuta.

For the rest, a sedentary mood beckons. All the more because, in many ways, Banyan Tree’s in-house design team, Architrave, did not stray too far from Middle-Eastern tropes, specifically Andalusian Moorish themes of arabesque and Mashrabiya patterns, long corridors of arched doorways, hand-cut mosaic tiles and wrought ironwork. Meanwhile, the 92 villas and public spaces are clad in a warm mix of travertine, cedar, and brass.

The spa, styled after an Andalusian courtyard, is stuffed with hydrothermal thermal therapies, hammam and body scrubs on hot marble slabs. Meanwhile, the dining options are happily schizophrenic. At Tingitana, chef Georges Roche serves up a seafood paella, while his counterpart Sukkasem at Saffron turns out a mean red curry with tofu, basil and aubergine. 

Tiled walkway of the Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay hotel with gold lanterns, leading to double doorway

(Image credit: TBC)

Exterior walkway of the Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay with large white stone archways

(Image credit: TBC)

White stone building at the Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay hotel next to a large tree

(Image credit: TBC)

Bathroom in the Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay hotel with large stone bathtub, wiled walls and glass doors leading to a shower

(Image credit: TBC)

Bedroom in the Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay hotel with a large bed and wooden floors

(Image credit: TBC)

ADDRESS

Route Nationale 13
POB 526.
93100 Fnideq
Morocco

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Daven Wu

Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.