Marrakesh, Morocco, 2018

Valentines’ Day last week reminded me of this photograph. Our room had a rose bud in a vase, rose petals scattered and shaped into a heart on the giant bed, and more scattered over the bathroom vanity and linen.

We had caught a taxi at the airport and given the address for our hotel, Les Jardins de la Medina. We arrived on a narrow street of brick pavers, defined by long, tall, plain walls abutting the pavers. The hotel entrance was as unprepossessing as the exterior wall, but going through the door was like being Mary, finding the key to the gate of “The Secret Garden.”

Entering the hotel you are immediately in a lush courtyard jungle . You’re asked to sit and relax, enjoy a cool towel, drink and refreshments, while someone checks you in, gets your luggage moved to your room, and, when you are ready, takes you on a tour of the property, ending at your room. Of course there is no ADA in Morocco, so everyone has to climb stairs, guests and staff.

I spent almost 30 years traveling for a living and I’ve spent a lot of time in hotels. A lot of time. Often as I stood in the mind-numbing sameness of another of those corridors of repeating room doors, I thought of the hallway scenes from “The Shining” or “Barton Fink” or “Naked Lunch.” I understand why a hotelier would want to maximize ROI with as many rooms to rent as possible, and those rooms as standardized as possible to simplify and control costs for housekeeping and maintenance, but it is such a pleasure to discover a property designed and built to exploit the light and climate, where every turn you take is some new, unique vignette.

To see a new gallery of photos from Les Jardins de la Medina, go to https://www.billdurrence.com/index/G0000l9OJoQjn4VM