Eden Boutique Hotel and Spa

Two guides turned hoteliers

Eden belongs to two brothers born in a nearby village, Lahcen and Ismail Sabiri. In the 1990s they worked as guides, taking travellers around Morocco. Lahcen then spent several years in hospitality in Europe; Ismail built up a tour agency in Morocco. Together they took over a small auberge in the High Atlas and renovated it with craftsmen from the region.

Eden is the next project. It took seven years to build and drew in dozens of local artists and craftsmen: carved cedar wood, zellige (glazed terracotta mosaic), textiles woven in the region, made-to-measure furniture. Two foreigners took part: the French landscape architect Guillaume Berthier designed the terraced gardens, planted with flowers and herbs, and the British photographer Michael Colley contributed a large series of black-and-white prints of Morocco, hung in the library, hallways and lounges. The hotel opened in December 2023. The auberge team moved with it and forms the core of the 28 people who work there.

The hotel describes itself as the first five-star hotel in the Dades Gorge. It sits above the oasis in Tamellalt, and its 18 suites look out over the mountains, the "Monkey Fingers" cliffs, the oasis or the gardens.

The third brother's table

The chef, Mohammed Sabiri, is the third brother; he spent eight years training in fine dining in Europe before taking over the kitchen at the auberge, then at Eden. His cooking blends Morocco and the Mediterranean, with a share of plant-based dishes, and draws on the hotel's kitchen garden and nearby growers. There is one set menu at lunch and another at dinner, both changing daily; the team prepares an alternative for any diet or preference you mention. The wine list is Moroccan.

Breakfast runs from Berber omelette to Moroccan pancakes, with house-made breads and jams and the chef's yoghurt. Hours, local time: breakfast 7.30 am to 11 am in summer and 8 am to 11 am in winter, lunch 12 noon to 3 pm, dinner 7 pm to 10 pm. Non-residents are welcome at the restaurant if they book by phone.

The bars, by the pool and in the garden, serve wine, beer, cocktails and soft drinks from 12 noon to midnight; they are open to residents, restaurant diners and day-pass holders. The rooftop bar, where guests watch the sunset, is being refurbished.

Hammam and pools

The hammam, lit by lanterns and lined with decorative tiles, has two tables, so you can go in as a pair. It can be booked privately for up to five people, for a family or a group of friends. There are two rituals: the traditional hammam (scented black soap, scrub, a wrap of ghassoul, a Moroccan mineral clay, and a scalp massage) and the "Eden Deluxe" hammam, with a six-plant wrap (basil, clove, lavender, artemisia, mint and damask rose). Massages from 30 minutes, manicures and pedicures complete the menu. The full list and prices are available at reception. The spa shop sells damask rose and argan oil products, some of them made by women's cooperatives.

The hotel has two pools, one of them an infinity pool, each with a shaded area. A limited number of visitors can use them with a day pass, so you may share a day by the water with people passing through.

Out into the valleys

The hotel runs its own outings with guides and drivers from the valley.

• On foot: five routes of 1.5 to 6 hours, from easy to challenging, chosen with the guide according to the weather and the terrain. For routes over three hours, the hotel provides a packed lunch or sets up a picnic along the way.
• By 4x4: the most popular trip goes to the Valley of Roses, with a stop at a nomad family's tent for a glass of tea. Another climbs the hairpin bends of the gorge, beyond the canyons, to the Valley of the Apples with its orchards and coloured rocks. The "three valleys" day crosses the M'Goun gorges, mountain passes and Berber villages, with a riverside picnic. Closer by, the Arg valley combines villages, small mountain oases, dinosaur footprints and the village of Arg, where craftsmen make kohl.
• The set-up picnic: a barbecue with Moroccan salads and home-made bread, served on cushions and low tables at a chosen spot in the Dades valley, the M'semrir valley or the Valley of Roses.
• The cooking class: from 11 am to 3 pm, booked the day before. It starts with mint tea, moves on to picking produce in the kitchen garden and ends with the meal you have cooked; someone translates into English, French or Spanish.

What the hotel does in the valley

The hotel employs people from the valley, many of them trained at the auberge. With a Swiss NGO (non-governmental organisation), the brothers set up the province's first pre-school crèche, giving the land and managing the build; they also work with European charities to support nomad families. Guests choose how often their linen and towels are changed, to save water and energy.

Sabaro's view

Who it suits: couples, honeymooners, travellers touring towards Merzouga who want a comfortable stop with a spa and a good table; groups and yoga retreats, since the hotel can be booked in full.

Strengths: a new house built by the valley's craftsmen; a chef from the family and a menu that changes daily; two pools and a hammam; walks and 4x4 trips run by the hotel.

Good to know: the five-star rating is the hotel's own claim. Some guests find the pool cool out of season and the wifi patchy in the evening. Laundry is free for stays of two nights or more. Check-in from 3 pm, check-out until 11 am.

Our advice: two nights rather than one, to fit a day of walking or 4x4 between two evenings; ask for a suite with pool and mountain views if you plan to spend afternoons at the hotel.