Discovering The Ultimate Desert Oasis In Marrakesh

Alexandre Leymarie, the owner of Beldi Country Club, greets us in an old-fashioned greenhouse surrounded by palms and furnished simply with woven basket sofas and piano music. The scent of roses, mint, and lavender seems to emanate from every corner.

“The idea was not to have a hotel garden but to have a private garden, where you could find a hotel and other things,” Leymarie reveals of Beldi’s origins. Leymarie goes on to explain the space was originally an olive grove, which his parents purchased ten years ago. They kept the trees, but added a restaurant and pool, and eventually the spa, hotel, and souk. “Now we have a garden covering 14 hectares. It takes a whole day to discover the area.”

“We have about 15 thousand roses here,” Leymarie tells us. “We don’t sell them. We use it for scenting, for decoration, and together with other aromatic plants for the spa.”

In addition to the (very) locally grown rose products, Beldi’s spa boasts two traditional hammams, a solarium terrace, and the surrounding aromatic garden. In keeping with the traditional art of the hammam, the products used in the spa rely heavily on the all-nourishing argan oil.

“We have some very old olive trees that are about 200 years at this place, local plants from Morocco but very special plants from all over the world, too that enjoy the mixture of intense sun and rich water supply. Our water comes from a well that is powered by solar panels,” says Leymarie of the stunning botanic landscape.

As the visit comes to a close, Leymarie offers his final reflection on the magnificent beaut y of the space: “The garden is the new luxury, I think. But it should keep the spirit of a natural and authentic space.”

Beldi Country Club is located at KM6 route du Barrage, BP 210, Marrakech 40000, Morocco. To find out more, visit their website.