Following the reopening of Morocco’s borders for international travellers, Amanjena welcomes guests back into its warm embrace, adapted in practice and taking all appropriate steps in line with current guidelines, but unchanged in spirit. With just 40 standalone guest pavilions and maisons, the resort is a verdant oasis of palm and olive trees and lies just outside the fabled red city of Marrakech. Its rose-hued architecture is inspired by ancient Moorish heritage with pisé-de-terre walls, vaulted ceilings and decorative arches that echo the style of a sultan’s palace.
Designed by renowned architect Ed Tuttle, who travelled to southern Spain to see the Alhambra palace, and across Morocco to numerous mosques and the 12th century Menara Gardens for inspiration, Amanjena sits around an emerald reflective bassin that immediately conjures up sentiments of zen-like calm. The resort provides the space, peace and discretion of a private haven.
Amanjena’s Pavilions and Maisons are cool and elegant dwellings, featuring Berber carpets and zellij-tiled floors, with high-ceilings for an opulent feel. Several include their own individual swimming pools. A favourite for families, the Al-Hamra Maison offers the perfect set-up for a private escape with a 36 sq-m outdoor swimming pool, as well an expansive garden, two ground-floor bedrooms, and indoor and outdoor dining and living areas. A private butler service further enables a seamless and undisturbed stay from start to finish.
Away from the energetic bustle of the nearby city, the sound of running water in the resort’s numerous fountains soothes, while chaise lounges and candle lanterns lend classic Moroccan ambience. Verdant gardens add to the tranquil atmosphere, while the Aman Spa further provides an oasis of calm with two marble-clad hammams and four private treatment rooms.
Amanjena’s dining venues utilise locally sourced ingredients and explore cuisines from across the globe, including traditional Moroccan fare, as well as Italian, Mediterranean and Japanese. Nature and local wildlife provide the soundtrack to dining in The Moroccan Restaurant’s serene courtyard on Mondays and Tuesdays, while Nama, overlooking Amanjena’s tranquil swimming pool, celebrates Japan’s Unesco-protected washoku cuisine with artfully plated sushi and sashimi on its menu.
A meal from any of the resort’s dining venues can be served in the pavilions and maisons, or, for those desiring a unique gastronomic experience, guests can also enjoy a private meal within Amanjena’s ancient olive grove.
For those wishing to journey to Marrakech together in peace and privacy, the Aman Private Jet is now offering a new four-night package for group bookings of six, eight or ten passengers with return flights from several major European cities including London, Dusseldorf, Paris and Zurich.
Seating just twelve, the aircraft enables guests to travel to Amanjena at their own leisure and in utmost comfort. With flexible departure times, seamless check-in and customs clearance overseen by a team of Aman experts, a flight onboard the Aman Private Jet, a Bombardier Global 5000, ensures a hassle-free trip. Each four-night package includes accommodation, daily breakfast, private airport transfers and a fast track service through Marrakech airport.
Extreme Desert and Mountain Sports Retreat
(15-31 October 2021)
Also new this year, from 15-31 October, Amanjena will offer a four-night Extreme Desert and Mountain Sports Retreat, introducing guests to the resort’s serene surroundings; the starkly beautiful Agafay Desert and the striking peaks of the Atlas Mountains. Curated for very active and adventurous guests to test their endurance and strength, each day of the retreat presents a new challenge; a long-distance desert run, a 60-mile mountain biking excursion and an uphill mountain trail run.
Every activity is led by an expert guide, and guests will be provided with all the necessary equipment, such as hydration packs, first aid kits, water and energy bars. On return to the resort every afternoon, guests will be offered a complimentary spa treatment to soothe tired muscles. Throughout the retreat, guests will enjoy a bespoke meal plan with plenty of balanced carbohydrates and nutrients to reenergise and provide strength.
Group Driving Journey Through Marrakech
(7-11 November 2021)
With unique and diverse terrain on its doorstep, Amanjena is perfectly situated for an Aman Drive 4×4 experience designed for dedicated drivers and thrill-seekers alike. With access to some of the finest routes stretching towards the verdant valleys of the Atlas Mountains, this three-day driving journey allows guests the opportunity to see and experience some of the most unique locations in the region, from rolling hills and cedar forests to vast tracts of desert sand and dune.
Covering 482 kilometres with two longer days and one shorter day, to allow plenty of time to relax and retreat, and using Amanjena as a palatial base, the itinerary affords the opportunity to discover the rich culture of the region, including a visit to the Unesco-heritage site of Ait Ben Haddou – a fortified village and great example of Moroccan earthen clay architecture in the Atlas Mountains.
Guests will experience this journey in off-road vehicles with the expert guidance and assistance from the Aman Driving Team. For up to 10 cars, these social events are ideal for like-minded guests with an interest in experiencing the Aman lifestyle on the road. A welcome tea ceremony awaits guests upon arrival ahead of an afternoon spent as they wish, be that relaxing by the pool or at the Aman Spa enjoying a massage or Signature Treatment.
Daily lunches are served amongst the area’s most majestic landscapes, high up in the Atlas Mountains at Timichi Settifatma, at Refuge Ali in Toulkine, and at Amanjena’s Desert Camp, where guest can also enjoy experiences such as camel riding and driving dune buggies or quad bikes across the Agafay Desert.
The four-night stay includes daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, three days of exclusive guided driving, route planning and expert road support by the Aman Driving Team, as well as private group lunch experiences and car hire assistance.
The Amanjena Family Escape
(Until 31 March 2022)
Ideal for families, Amanjena offers a multitude of activities designed for all ages, from toddlers to teenagers. With unbounded access to dramatic scenery, numerous outdoor activities can enrich the Aman experience, including quad-biking in the Agafay desert, hot air balloon rides, mountain treks, e-biking and golf lessons in one of two courses that are located within minutes of the resort.
Further adventure awaits within the boundaries of the resort, with its 33m outdoor swimming pool and separate children’s pool, and two clay tennis courts that are floodlit in the evening and offering complimentary racquets and tennis balls.
To further entertain the entire family, the resort has launched a new experience, the Amanjena Family Escape. The new three-night stay includes accommodation, roundtrip airport transfers and daily breakfast. Complimentary activities include an organic garden harvest and a Moroccan cooking class for the family, as well as a camel ride around Amanjena. In addition, all children under 12 will enjoy complimentary meals from the Kid’s Menu throughout their stay and will be treated to a special departure gift on check-out.
Alternatively, for parents looking to immerse the whole family in a Moroccan oasis while remaining connected to the office, Amanjena offers a peaceful setting for those who wish to enjoy remote working, where blue skies and warmer climes inspire productive days.
Amanjena’s Pavilions and Maisons are ideal for satellite offices giving the space and privacy that is normally found within a family home. The Amanjena team will also create extra-curricular experiences for everyone, whether a visit to the desert, cooking classes or fitness activities with personal trainers. The At Home with Amanjena new offer is available for a seven-night stay.
Holistic Immune Support Retreat
(Until March 2022)
Set in a serene landscape where the calm of the desert and the forces of nature free the soul, clear the mind and create time and space for deep purification, Amanjena is an ideal destination in which to build immune response, restore balance and increase wellbeing. The Holistic Immune Support Retreat invites guests to walk through nature and experience the benefits of local healing herbs and wellness practices and renew your body’s natural resistance to infection and disease.
The three-night programme, combining nutrition, fitness activities and massage to holistically bolster the immune system, boosts guest’s immunity with purifying, strengthening and revitalising local practices and treatments.
Guests will start each day with a healthy breakfast, followed by either a fitness or yoga session surrounded by nature, and a 60-minute body massage spa at the resort’s Aman Spa, which offers marble-clad hammam suites each with its own dressing area, shower and glassed-in whirlpool opening onto a courtyard with a bubbling fountain.
Throughout the retreat guests will be offered daily Immune Support herbal teas to further their holistic journey and will have the choice of experiencing a 60-minute lymphatic drainage massage or a 60-minute Chi Nei Tsang stomach massage, as well as a foot reflexology treatment. Accommodation and daily breakfast are included, with complimentary return airport transfers from Marrakech airport.
Website: www.amanjena.com
