Simply Abu Dhabi XXX

Nearly a thousand years old, this market town on the fringe of the Sahara Desert is as popular as it has ever been. The whole pantheon of luxury hotel groups is forging a presence here. Be it an expanding boutique hotel brand or one of the established giants, a property in Marrakech is now an essential requisite in any self-respecting portfolio. One of the world’s strongest luxury brands—The Ritz-Carlton—is well underway in establishing a presence here at the Jnan Amar Polo Resort, an expansive 50-hectare site just 20 minutes outside Marrakech. Amine Boughaleb, Director of the Moroccan Tourism Board UK, told Simply Abu Dhabi, ‘The arrival of The Ritz-Carlton confirms the city’s appeal amongst the international elite and its status as a premium destination choice.’ The Jnan Amar Polo Resort will comprise a luxurious resort with three elements: The Ritz- Carlton Hotel & Spa, the Polo Club in Marrakech and The Ritz-Carlton Residences Marrakech. With Marrakech’s star continuing to rise, it’s no surprise that branded real estate projects are popular as the wise and wealthy are always looking out for attractive investment destinations. When complete, The Ritz-Carlton Residences will consist of 85 serviced villas designed in eight distinct styles, with prices ranging from €1.3 million for a 3-bedroom villa on 1,800m2 of land to €2.3million for a 5-bedroom villa built on 3,000m2 of land. Built on generous plots, they will offer views of either the two polo fields or the dramatic Atlas Mountains. Each residence has its own private terrace, heated swimming pool, en suite bathrooms, expansive living areas, fully-fitted kitchens, and separate dining areas, overlooking meticulously landscaped gardens. Contemporary Berber architecture creates a departure from the more commonplace Moorish arches and is in keeping with the surrounding vernacular, using local materials and the city’s traditional scorched orange colour. With a guided tour of the entire location by Brett Gregory-Peake, a special advisor to The Ritz-Carlton Residences Marrakech, it’s immediately clear that development is making exceptional progress. Hundreds of workers are constantly moving and toiling. ‘The key for us was to create homes that have a good sense of space, so the plots are very generous and fully serviced by The Ritz-Carlton. So, if you want a club sandwich at 3am or if you need a transfer or to book a polo lesson, you just pick up the phone and it’s organised for you,’ Brett explains. The Jnan Amar Polo Club Marrakech was founded by Amar Abdelhadi, whose uncompromising vision saw this world-class polo ground designed in partnership with the Santa Maria Polo Club from Sotogrande in Spain. Amar says, ‘I don’t believe in doing things by halves. From the earliest stage we realised the importance of making the right investment and bringing together the right team, irrespective of delay, to ensure the club’s credibility amongst the players and its future as a polo destination. We are already witnessing the rewards of this approach.’ Although very young, Jnan Amar is now firmly on the polo calendar, positioning Marrakech as the polo hub of the North African region and bringing the club to the attention of a global audience of players, patrons and principles. Amar adds, ‘We’ve achieved so much in such a short timeframe. With the club now firmly open, it’s clear just how well suited the location and indeed Marrakech is to the sport.’ Responding to why he thinks the project has done so well with 65 per cent of phase one already sold, Brett says, ‘It’s a destination that people fall in love with and the people that do come here, who have bought here, they love Marrakech and they just want to be part of what’s going on here. As a place to live with accessibility to Europe, it’s fantastic. With daily flights in and out of Geneva, Paris, London and so on.’ With a sweep of his arm Brett motions across the vast expanse of expertly maintained polo ground and adds, ‘The club house is going to have an Argentinian restaurant, a swimming pool, gardens and two tennis courts. And all the sports activities will be focused at the clubhouse, which owners have full access to.’ Another reason for the swift progress is that the developer hasn’t had to wait for sales to fund hotel construction and therefore everything is on track for handover to The Ritz- Carlton management team in May 2019. Brett explains, ‘With €25 million of investment to date, we’re proud to be redefining the Moroccan residential landscape and putting polo back on the map here in Marrakech. The result achieved during phase one validates our exceptional location, the unique appeal of polo and our partnership with The Ritz-Carlton.’ Residence ownership brings a world of benefits beyond the beautiful villas. Every home comes with a privilege card, complete with a host of benefits and services, including 10 nights at any Ritz-Carlton hotel internationally, complimentary membership of the polo club for two years, fast track at the airport, preferential rates at a leading golf club and additional benefits across Marrakech including special offers in the city’s best hotels, boutiques, restaurants, plus preferential access to the best events and openings. There will also be a 24-hour hotel concierge service available, private chauffeur and transfers, catering, housekeeping, childcare, and excursions, which can all be arranged at the touch of a button. Whilst abroad, owners will have peace of mind knowing their property is well maintained and secured. Expanding on the choice of location, Brett says, ‘The road which The Ritz-Carlton Residences is located on is becoming one of the main thoroughfares in Marrakesh. It starts with The Mammounia Hotel, then you have the Beldi Country Club, the Selman Hotel, the Royal Palm, then it will be The Ritz-Carlton Residences, followed by the Capaldi Hotel and so on. The road in itself has become a destination and it leads all the way to the mountains. So, we chose here because there was foresight about the major importance of this road.’ Taking the time to visit some of the destinations mentioned makes the attraction to this part of the world even clearer. The Selman is a vast palatial hotel with a stud farm of stallions and possibly the most immaculate stables in existence. The Capaldi is a secluded oasis the opens up like a secret garden to reveal a wonderful retreat with swimming pools, a traditional spa, fine dining restaurant and a private cinema. The Beldi Country Club meanwhile, is an institution in Marrakech with a spa, souk, hotel and restaurant in an enchanting setting that is often booked for upscale weddings. The arrival of The Ritz-Carlton complemented by Marrakech’s only polo club adds to the cache and glamorous appeal of this mesmerising corner of the world. Once popular, polo has died out over the last the three decades, but now the Jnan Amar Polo Resort Club and The Ritz-Carlton are reigniting polo’s presence in Morocco. Patrick Guerrand-Hermès, Honorary Co-President of Jnan Amar Polo Club says, ‘I’m delighted to see the sport of kings finally return to Marrakech, and captured within such a majestic setting.’ The opening of the hotel is set for January 2020, and the final word must go to Brett, an Englishman that fell in love withMarrakech fifteen years ago and who has lived and breathed The Ritz-Carlton project since coming on board as an advisor. ‘Marrakech is the hedonistic, mystical party capital with history. It has played host to the Rolling Stones and AndyWarhol—it’s seen as the destination for Morocco. It’s tourism gold and so protecting it has been crucial, as tourism is one of the key foundations of the country’s economy today.’ www.rcr-marrakech.com www.jnanamar.com The Capaldi