“Through heavy and beautifully gnarled gates lies Jnane Rumi – a petit piece of paradise from Marrakech’s baking sun and buzzing souks. It is, quite simply, divine. The decoration is on point and a playful balance between the contemporary and the colourful, and the salvaged and the artisanal. It has a pulse, a heart. Around every corner is something that stops you in your tracks from murals to, as I found, kittens clambering out of woven basketry or throaty frogs singing at the fountain’s side. The people couldn’t be kinder, the food is scrumptious, and the atmosphere feels safe and restful. The best word for it? A sanctuary.” — Sarah
Rooms
In the main house there are seven rooms to choose between – each one utterly unique. For our visit, we stayed in Suite 4, Burhan. A sizeable space with natural light flooding in from almost every wall, its captivating green-tiled flooring and pea green walls is shouldered by two pared-back bathrooms: one an open-air space with carved lattice panelling and linen sheer curtains surrounding the colossal stone bath tub and the other with a statuesque shower in the centre of the space. Every room is noteworthy though thanks to the impeccable interior decor overseen by Dutch-Moroccan designer Mina Abouzahra and its owners Dutch husband-and-wife duo Gert-Jan and Corinne van den Bergh – specialists in artistic exchange, cultural sensitivity and the art of thoughtful travel.
There are also three newly opened garden pavilions as well as a private annexe and pool for those seeking greater privacy still.
Spaces
The first space you’re likely to step out of the winding pathway through palms and pistachio trees is Jnane Rumi’s small and beautifully formed indoor dining area – floor-to-ceiling mural on one side and glossy red floor-to-ceiling bookcase on the other. From here, flow a series of common spaces from the grand salon where a grand piano sits in wait, French doors open and a breeze wafting through either side; an opulent library with books to borrow in umpteen languages; a meditation courtyard and a 13x6m swimming pool with a collection of beds and armchairs for sun-lazing in as the estate’s hens and resident donkey amble freely a hop, skip and a jump away in the garden beyond.
“Let the outside world fade away” says Jnane Rumi, and that’s precisely what happens within moments of landing here. A place of peace, somewhere to feel deeply appreciative of art and culture, and where you can retreat for however many days feels necessary to allow scents of rosemary, orange, lemon-thyme and lavender to take you to your very own garden of Eden. We couldn’t recommend it more for those in need of respite.
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