A 19th century Kasbah that lies on the fringes of the Moroccan desert in Ouarzazate, Morocco. The ‘Dar Ahlam’ translates to ‘House of Dreams’ and it was built in 1920. Once the Sultan’s hunting ground, after a complete renovation in 2002, it is now one of Morocco’s most exclusive hotels. The hotel features just 14 rooms, all with views of the Atlas Mountains. Each suite, individually designed with décor that changes with the seasons, has luxurious en-suite bathrooms, fireplaces for those cooler evenings and some have outdoor terraces or private swimming pools. Dar Ahlam epitomises the concept of experiential travel with its unique offerings such as the ‘Memory Road’ experience which takes guests on a nomadic journey from Agadir to Ouarzazate, staying in luxurious private houses and bivouacs, through the majestic landscapes of southern Morocco. With no restaurant, each individual dining experience is created personally for guests and no experience is repeated twice. Both inside and out, there are dozens of spots where private dinners are intricately organised by the dedicated team of 80 staff. Experiences include an alfresco lunch in the garden, a picnic in Sidi Fla gorges and dinner in the Valley of the Roses. There is also no menu, instead meals are crafted from local ingredients sourced from the souk or grown in the hotel’s garden. Moroccan chef, Mohamed El Mantouh, has been originally trained for Dar Ahlam by Pierre Hermé and Frederick Grasser-Hermé for the pastry side, as well as Thierry Alix for the cuisine side. Booking Dar Ahlam with Small Luxury Hotels of the World prices starts from 800 euros per night on a full board basis (www.slh.com/darahlam)
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