Michlifen Resort & Golf

An Alpine chalet in Morocco

Michlifen means "snowflake", and the hotel lives up to the name: it was conceived as a large luxury mountain chalet, at 1,650 m, on the edge of Ifrane National Park. The Michelin Guide awards it one Key (its distinction for hotels) and describes a mountain retreat "with the bones of an Alpine lodge and the soul of a Moroccan palace".

The decor relies on raw materials: columns of Timahdit stone from the Middle Atlas, log walls, fir, slate, driftwood, and in the spa, pisé (rammed earth) and tataoui, the traditional reed ceiling. The furniture comes from European houses (Ralph Lauren sofas, Pierre Frey and Rubelli fabrics), the china from Limoges, and fireplaces burn in lounges throughout the hotel.

Rooms and suites come in four styles: Savoyard chalet, Nordic with pale woods, more ornate Tyrolean, and American lodge with log walls. You book a category; ask the hotel if you want a particular style.

Which room to choose

Suites outnumber rooms, which makes Michlifen a place with plenty of space. A Deluxe room is enough for a couple who spend their days outdoors or at the spa; for several nights, especially in winter, a Deluxe suite adds a sitting room and two balconies. A family takes an Ambassador suite, with two bedrooms each with its own bathroom; the Suite d'Exception and the Royal Pavilion are for groups and private stays.

Every suite connects to a room, which also makes it easy to house a large family in two adjoining units.

Winter by the fire, summer in the cool

The hotel lives two very different seasons.

In winter, life moves indoors. The indoor pool, a hall of wood and glass measuring 18 m by 12.5 m, is heated to around 30 °C; a large fireplace burns there when snow falls on the cedars. The 3,500 m² spa has eight treatment rooms (three for couples), two separate hammams for women and men, five hydrotherapy rooms, a private area with jacuzzi and sauna, a hair salon and an infusion bar. Treatments use products from the Moroccan brand MarocMaroc (ghassoul clay, argan, black soap). In the evening you dine at Le Cedray, a French restaurant with Tyrolean panelling whose speciality is spit-roasted foie gras, or at L'Oriental, between Moroccan and Lebanese cooking; both serve from 7.30 pm to 11 pm. The Lounja bar, around a stone fireplace, has a pianist in the evening.

In summer, life moves outdoors. The outdoor pool hosts the Saturday and Sunday brunch; Le Chalet serves Mediterranean food on its terrace, with fondue as its speciality; La Ferme offers an open-air Moroccan lunch, from 12.30 pm to 4 pm, prepared by Jamila near the kitchen garden, with bread baked in a traditional oven. From the hotel you can reach the lakes circuit (Dayet Aoua, Dayet Hachlef, Dayet Ifrah) and the old cedars of the forest, including one more than 800 years old. The team also offers mountain biking, tree-top courses, horse riding, quad biking, and visits to Meknes winemakers such as the Château Roslane estate.

The Jack Nicklaus course

The Michlifen Golf & Country Club is an 18-hole course at 1,650 m, among cedars and holm oaks, designed by Jack Nicklaus — his first signature course in North Africa. Nicklaus singles out holes 9, 17 and 18 as those with the best views over the Azrou plain. The course is run with IMG, the international sports agency, and was named Morocco's best golf hotel at the 2019 World Golf Awards. A shuttle links the hotel to the clubhouse, built of stone and wood under green-tiled roofs, which serves lunch overlooking the greens.

The academy has three analysis studios (one for putting, two for the swing). Two learning packages are offered: "Open Course" at 3,500 MAD (Moroccan dirhams) for beginners, and "Performance" at 4,500 MAD to improve.

A hotel for families

The kids' club takes children aged 4 to 14 with a programme by age: creative workshops and dressing up in Amazigh (Berber) costumes for the youngest, billiards, table tennis and games consoles for the older ones, and a cinema room of their own. In fine weather the activities move outside: educational farm, kitchen garden, fishing, cycling, tennis. A 2,500 m² sports hall (basketball, volleyball, badminton) covers rainy days.

Sabaro's view

For whom: families, golfers, and couples who want to break a tour of the imperial cities with a few cool days in summer, or by the fire in winter.

Strengths: one Michelin Key; many large suites; a 3,500 m² spa and heated indoor pool; the Jack Nicklaus course; a real programme for children; a 9.2/10 rating on Booking.com from more than 1,300 reviews.

Good to know: on Booking.com, children over 4 pay the adult rate, and value for money there is rated 8.5/10; early departure is charged in full; the Tripadvisor rating is lower (4.4/5). Snow is never guaranteed: for a winter stay, it helps to enjoy the spa and the forest too.