Luxury Travel: Review of the Selman Hotel in Marrakech : As the Bird flies... Travel, Writing, and Other Journeys

“I love luxury. And luxury lies not in richness and ornateness but in the absence of vulgarity. Vulgarity is the ugliest word in our language. I stay in the game to fight it.” - Coco Chanel

We stayed at the Selman during our week-long visit to Marrakech in June. I wrote a review of the hotel for Travelettes, but felt it best not to write about it here, not only because I feared inciting severe jealousy in you my much-treasured readers, but also because I didn't want to do the same in me. For returning regularly to the Selman is not a habit I can afford, sadly. Although it's completely free for me to daydream about this sumptuous luxury hotel in Marrakech. (P.S. More Marrakech luxury hotels and riads over in this post!)

But now that autumn is here, and I'm juggling multiple work and writing projects, I found myself dreaming of the calm and quiet we enjoyed at the Selman. Rather than induce heady leavels of envy, my photos left me happy we had the experience at all. It may be wishful thinking but I hope the photos have the same effect on you.

Review of The Selman, Marrakech

Designed by famous French architect, Jacques Garcia, and home to the owner's collection of thorough-bred Arabian horses, which you can visit in their stables, the charm and luxe-factor is clear to be seen around every corner or down each symmetrical corridor you walk along. What's more subtle are the extra details that make this design hotel, a real 5-star, a rating that is a bit of a red herring in Marrakech (i.e. most 5 stars are average 4 stars at best). We loved the complimentary fruit by the pool, the optional turndown service and the smiles that every single staff member had for us, and not in a fixed-this-is-really-uncomfortable kind of way.

When you look at the photos below you will understand why we didn't feel the need to leave the Selman during our stay. That's the problem with places like this offering endless luxury, delicious food and consistently good service, you just don't want to leave. As far as I'm concerned, that is completely fine. If you did want to visit Marrakech, because there really are some real gems to discover, however, it's not an easy destination to explore at ease so I really recommend you check out this guide to getting around Marrakech. It's naturally busy, chaotic and noisy, but there are some real gems to discover. Personally, I prefer the climate and the restaurants Marrakech has to offer, over the sights to see and the atmosphere to soak up, but it is definitely worth a day exploring.

Now here are the photos, and here's my heartfelt, 100% guarantee that if you're craving or deserving a luxury escape made up of calm, quiet, indulgence and the highest quality in comfort, design and service, the Selman is well worth your consideration.