Review of Dar Ayniwen, by Joanna Monkhouse

Most of the guesthouses in the Palmeraie arrived relatively recently but Dar Ayniwen has the advantage of having been around for some 30 years. Built as the owner's family home, after 20 years a house with seven bedrooms became too big, and it was turned into a luxury guesthouse, now run by his son. The 12-acre garden is well established, with orange and fig trees, bougainvillea and oleander, tall palms, a formal pond with lily pads, and magnificent lawns (it's not easy to keep that much grass green in Marrakech) and the focal point - a large heated pool with a fountain at the far end.

The house is decorated in an high Moroccan style - Dar Ayniwen is certainly luxurious but more fussy and patterned than the simple stylishness of Jnane Tamsna, the modern Moroccan of Les Deux Tours or the minimal vastness of Ksar Char-Bagh. The ground floor has several salons, a dining room, pretty tiled corridors and hallways with a rose-filled fountain.

The rooms themselves are individualised, plush and lovely. Abundant windows spill rich light into the rooms, as warm and welcoming as the house of an old friend, albeit a friend with exquisite taste. Tranqility and style are the primary focuses of the eight graceful suites, furnished with museum-quality, antique, Oriental furniture. Of all Dar Ayniwen's rooms, The Galaxy suite on the first floor is the most impressive, with views of the pool and gardens on the three sides of the balcony. One room is located in a garden pavilion, with a pretty en-suite bedroom, small salon and dining room. The bathrooms are large and ornate featuring marble or tadelakt (traditional polished plaster) or occasionally tiles and attractive antique fittings.

The hotel also offers free chauffer service for trips to nearby golf courses or into the Old City. After your day’s excursion, unwind at the Dar Ayniwen’s spa, offering a traditional hammam and sauna, as well as therapies and massages from an attentive staff.