Staying at the Fellah Hotel on the Porsche Travel Experience

An oasis of modern design and culture at the foot of the Atlas Mountains

August 2, 2023 | 3 min read

Hotel with pool in foreground, palms behind

Morocco is a new addition to the list of exciting destinations you can visit soon with the Porsche Travel Experience. As well as awe-inspiring routes, you’ll encounter hip, stand-out accommodation like The Fellah Hotel near Marrakech

Where is the Fellah Hotel?

In 2009, a former Parisian broker, Redha Moali, turned his back on the financial world and set about making a bold idea a reality. A luxury hotel that would be a cultural centre and artists’ commune. And not only that but a yoga retreat, eco-farm and hipster hotspot too, all rolled into one. The Fellah Hotel near Marrakech is a designer oasis with views of the magnificent outline of the Atlas Mountains. Redha’s beautiful vision is now considered one of Morocco’s most remarkable luxury resorts. And in just a few months’ time, the participants of the Porsche Adventure Experience Morocco will be relaxing here after an exciting day of driving and reliving their experiences over a cocktail.

Hotel interior with light flooding through floor to ceiling windows — The Fellah Hotel near Marrakech: stylish, contemporary décor with a ‘hipster cool’ edge

The hotel lies just a few kilometres outside Marrakech – a city that has seen visitors fall for its mesmeric charms for centuries – nestled in an old village over which the Atlas Mountains loom. It’s surrounded by lush palm gardens and olive groves, with just 69 rooms across ten chocolate-brown, Cubist-style villas called dars. Each one is 800m² in size. The architect fully integrated the Fellah Hotel into the stunning landscape, creating a fusion of contemporary design, vintage aesthetics and the desert setting – it’s a venue with a seemingly endless capacity to surprise. Old radios from the 1940s, mid-century lamps and stylish club chairs are casually combined with furniture commissioned from local craftsmen, and traditional fabrics made by the women of the neighbouring village.

Cacti and oriental plants in a garden, sand on the ground — Escape the stress of the city in an oasis of calm

I wanted to tap into Moroccan art. Its poetry. Its food. Its films. There was nowhere that introduced me to those
Redha Moali | Owner, The Fellah Hotel

Colourful Moroccan interior with floor cushions and patterned rugs — The Fellah Hotel is a fascinating and unique blend of Moroccan tradition and contemporary design

Instead of a typical Moroccan steam room, or hammam, there is Wat Po Thai massage. And in lieu of a gym, a boxing ring. There are movies on Tuesdays, lectures on Thursdays. And, at the weekend, the jeunesse dorée meet here on the dancefloor or wax lyrical at poetry slams.

Gym equipment on show along with boxing ring and punch bag — Instead of a classic hammam – or steam room – and gym, there’s a boxing ring

What's it like staying at the Fellah Hotel?

The Fellah Hotel isn’t just an exceptional retreat for guests from all over the world. At the same time it is an Arab intellectual community whose reputation extends beyond the borders of Morocco and North Africa. Six international artists receive a bi-annual stipend to live and work at the Fellah, making the hotel a creative hotspot and an authentic cultural centre.

Sunlit hotel library, palm trees visible through the window — The hotel library boasts over 10,000 books

A separate foundation supports local artists and provides villagers with language courses and training. In addition, this unique hotel is home to the Dar al-Ma’mûn – a learning centre sponsored by UNESCO and the French NGO Libraries Without Borders – plus a library with over 10,000 books containing ancient and modern Arabic texts. Morocco is a country that has enchanted visitors for centuries. To stand out, you have to be special. The Fellah Hotel is just that kind of place.

This story is part of the 25 Years of Porsche Travel Experience anniversary series. We take you on a virtual world tour around the globe – with a new, fascinating episode each week. Click here to read all stories.

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