Spirit of Yves Saint Laurent at Villa Mabrouka

New to the Tangier hotel scene, Villa Mabrouka, an Arabic name that translates to the ‘House of Luck’. was transformed by the esteemed British designer Jasper Conran. Once the secluded sanctuary of fashion legends Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, the former private residence, a 1940’s estate, has twelve rooms. Originally designed by Jacques Grange, it is a unmatched enticement for fashionistas and followers and mere travelers seeking an intimate Villa property within walking distance of the Tangier medina.

Set high above the Bay of Tangier, overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar and the North Atlantic Sea. Petite and private 12 room haven with sweeping views of the sea. Lush gardens with hush-hush niches for reading or snoozing, birdsong, and breezes at no extra charge. Imagine a candlelight dinner in a fetching vine covered stone Gazebo on a cliff with views to die for. The sweet Gazebo, with hand painted interiors, is set above the pool and looking out onto the lawn and gardens, it can accommodate up to 8 people for private dining. Up to 12 people can nosh in the Pavilion D’Été with its open fire and view on to the pool, lawns and garden. Gardens of rare Mediterranean plants were designed by Madison Cox, president of the Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent Foundation. The gardens were reworked with Jasper Conran and Madison Cox. Famed British designer, Jasper Conran, is the ideal host of this fashion legacy property.

Marrakech Suite was once the primary bedroom of the Villa, a large private terrace provides spectacular views out onto the garden and sea below. Rooms and suites are charmingly named after Moroccan cities. Ouarzazate Cottage is a spacious sea view cottage, located in the gardens, with a bedroom, sitting room and an ensuite bathroom. Adjacent to the cottage is a large terrace, complete with a flowing fountain and surrounded by bougainvillea, banana and fragrant citrus trees.

Perfect location, around the corner and down the hill to the nearby bustling Tangier Kasbah and medina, amble around the corner to yummy dining at famed El Morocco Club. Cozy, intimate seating upstairs or try the buzzy piano bar downstairs. Always say yes to the oysters!

I loved wandering the white halls, the cozy salons, linger and look at the objects selected by Saint Laurent. The reception area and the grounds contain many of the original tiles, now beautifully framed and displayed in the main Villa. Highly Recommend for an elegant sanctuary in Tangier, with pools, roof top bar and a lovely restaurant. A large collection of the furnishings are original, you feel the spirit of Saint Laurent hovering in every corner.

Asilah Cultural Festival – Tangier Day Trip

Day Trips from Tangier. Just an hour south of Tangier is a delightful seaside town, Asilah on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. Its old town, or medina, is enclosed by well-preserved fully intact, 15th-century ramparts and gates, built by colonial Portuguese. The medina is an art hub, known for its murals and Moussem Culturel International d’Asilah, an annual festival. Many of the houses of Asilah feature Mashrabiya windows, known as oriel windows. Small enclosed balconies where young women could view their suitors selected by their fathers.

An easy day trip from Tangier and much quieter than larger Moroccan cities. A popular summer getaway for locals, it exudes charm, has safe swimming beaches, quaint streets with buildings painted in bright blue and white. The cobbled streets, and old wooden doors embody the small town’s Spanish heritage. It’s a treasure trove of Spanish and Portuguese and Moorish architecture. The murals change every year during the Asilah Cultural Festival, which takes place in late July or August. You can easily stroll the cobbled streets in a few hours.

The town’s history dates to 1500 B.C., when Phoenicians occupied a site called Silis, Zili, Zilis. The Portuguese kept hold of the town but in 1589 the Moroccans briefly regained control of Asilah, but then lost it to the Spanish.

In 1692, the town was again taken by the Moroccans under the leadership of Moulay Ismail.  Asilah served then as a base for pirates in the 19th and 20th centuries, and in 1829, the Austrians punitively bombarded the city due to Moroccan piracy.

The restored Raisuni Palace is in the mid-northern part of the medina, alongside the sea walls. It was built in 1909 by Moulay Ahmed er Raisuni, (also known as Raisuli), a local rogue and pirate who rose to power and declared himself pasha of the region. He rose to notoriety and wealth partly through kidnappings and ransoms, you may remember the Wind and The Lion film with Candace Bergen and Sean Connery, depicting Raisuli. It’s a little dated, but who tires of Sean Connery or Candace Bergen in a vintage film? Raisuli, a Berber chieftain, triggers an international incident, drawing the involvement of Theodore Roosevelt, when he kidnaps an American widow and her children in 1900s Morocco.

Leaning over a sea wall, I caught a glimpse of an old cemetery, Sidi Mansour cemetery, which extends out to sea, I didn’t see a door or entry and it appears to be washed by waves. It includes two small structures, the domed Marabout or mausoleum of Sidi Ahmed ibn Moussa and, across from it, the mausoleum of his sister, Lalla Mennana. Between these structures, the ground is covered with other graves which are covered in beautiful ceramic tiles. I wouldn’t mind being laid to rest here near the sea, under an ancient tile.

Life in Asilah, Morocco

Highly Recommend a day Visit to Asilah.