ES SAADI MARRAKECH
Marrakech will be awash with the bright and beautiful – from internationally acclaimed film stars to celebrated directors, cast and crew – all there to attend the 17th Annual International Film Festival of Marrakech, of which Es Saadi Marrakech Resort has been a faithful partner since it started.
Created in 2001 by His Majesty King Mohammed VI to promote arts and the film industry in Morocco, this year the festival has confirmed the attendance of several Hollywood A-listers, including Oscar winning actor Robert De Niro and Robin Wright, who will be receiving the Etoile d’Or Award from James Gray, President of the Jury and esteemed Director of such blockbusters as Ad Astra, The Immigrant, and The Yards.
Since its debut, Es Saadi Marrakech Resort has partnered with the Film Festival, opening its doors to superstar attendees as a luxurious home base from which to enjoy the week-long event. It’s well suited for the task, having been a playground for the famous for decades – Josephine Baker dazzled in the bar, Princess Margaret threw parties, the Rolling Stones took over an entire floor and Leo DiCaprio lounged by the pool in one of the private villas. And with such a storied history, it continues to exude a feeling of old-world glamour and elegance.
Founded in 1966 by Jean Bauchet, who owned the Moulin Rouge, the hotel was originally home to the iconic “Casino de Marrakech”. Es Saadi began life as a casino, followed by the Hotel***** and the addition of a Moroccan-style Palace. And here each detail feels authentic. Guests are invited to wander down blooming garden paths to relish lagoon-style pools replete with ancient Roman columns or have a drink at the grand and ornate Lobby Bar in the Palace – all the time soaking in the grandeur and glory of old-world Moroccan style.
And there are additional connections for film buffs. It was here that Tom Hiddleston first transfixed British audiences as The Night Manager – the Palace interiors stood in as the luxury Cairo hotel in the 2016 BBC adaptation of John Le Carré’s novel. Although named as Cairo, the grand hotel with the famed concierge desk is not in Egypt at all but was in fact the magnificent Es Saadi Marrakech Resort.
Next month, Es Saadi Marrakech Resort will act as the location for festival attendee activity, providing space for meetings, press conferences, and interviews. Also providing evenings of elevated gastronomic Moroccan cuisine, the Es Saadi hosts an annual gourmet dinner for Jury members at esteemed restaurant La Cour des Lions in the Palace Es Saadi.
Junior suites start from £270 per night. Villas start at £800 a night. Buffet breakfast, Wi-Fi and Airport transfers included.
