Luxury Safari in Africa: What It’s Really Like (And How to Plan It Right)
Photo by Bibhash (Polygon.Cafe) Banerjee on Unsplash
A luxury African safari in 2026 is less about how many countries you cover and more about how fully you inhabit each one. The best itineraries prioritize rhythm over range, pairing exceptional camps with enough time to let each ecosystem reveal itself. From the private game reserves of South Africa to the waterways of Botswana’s Okavango Delta and the walking safaris of Zambia’s South Luangwa, here is what the experience actually looks like, and what to consider before you plan.
What Safari Actually Feels Like
Safari has a reputation for extremes. People imagine roughing it in a tent, or encountering wildlife in situations that feel staged. The reality is more nuanced, and far better.
At a well-chosen luxury camp, the adventure is entirely outside. Inside, you have a spacious suite, a real bed, hot showers, and thoughtful service. Camps are positioned deliberately in wildlife-rich areas, and guides spend years learning to read the landscape. Some mornings, elephants appear before breakfast. Some evenings, lions move at the edge of the light. The quiet moments tend to be the ones that stay: a herd of giraffes crossing the horizon, the bush settling after dark, the unhurried sense that nothing is competing for your attention.
The question of safety comes up often, and it should. Guides are rigorously trained, protocols are taken seriously, and every movement is deliberate. The right camps, and the right planning, make all the difference.
Three Destinations, Three Different Rhythms
A well-designed safari itinerary across southern Africa reads like a series of deliberate contrasts. Each destination offers something distinct, and the transitions between them become part of the experience.
South Africa: Phinda Private Game Reserve
Image courtesy of andBeyond
Days at Phinda begin early and quietly. Game drives head out before first light, climbing toward Leopard Rock as the bush wakes around you. The lodge is built directly into the hillside, with suites that open onto the valley, private plunge pools, and outdoor showers that feel entirely of the landscape. Sightings here feel intimate rather than theatrical. Returning from a drive means slipping back into stillness.
Botswana: Xaranna Camp, Okavango Delta
Image courtesy of andBeyond
The Okavango is where the pace softens further. At Xaranna Camp, game viewing unfolds by mokoro as often as by vehicle, drifting silently through water channels while birds lift from the reeds ahead. Afternoons end with sundowners in the delta itself. Tents have private plunge pools and shaded outdoor spaces, and the camp has a way of making the entire landscape feel like yours alone.
Zambia: Mfuwe Lodge, South Luangwa National Park
Image courtesy of Mfuwe Lodge
South Luangwa is widely considered the birthplace of the walking safari, and it earns that distinction. The connection to the land here is different: more grounded, more immediate. At Mfuwe Lodge, elephants move through the lagoon directly below the deck. Guides carry generations of local knowledge. For travelers in the Director’s House with a private guide and vehicle, the experience becomes personal in a way that larger operations rarely achieve.
Planning a Luxury Africa Safari: What to Know
Photo by Wade Lambert on Unsplash
Best Time to Visit
There is no single best time for safari, only the best time for your particular trip. The dry season, roughly June through October, offers excellent wildlife visibility as animals concentrate around water sources and vegetation opens up. The green season brings fewer visitors, lush scenery, and beautiful light for photography. Timing should match your travel style as much as the wildlife calendar.
How Many Days You Need
Three to four nights in one location allows you to settle into the rhythm and encounter meaningful wildlife. Combining two or three destinations over eight to twelve days allows each place to feel distinct rather than rushed. Safari rewards patience. The more time you allow, the more the experience opens.
Who Safari Is Best For
Luxury safari works well for couples, families with older children, and solo travelers looking for something genuinely restorative. Private vehicles and flexible schedules make it accessible across generations. The daily structure, early mornings, long lunches, afternoon rest, evening drives, fireside dinners, is satisfying without being rigid.
Common Mistakes in Safari Planning
Trying to cover too many destinations in too few days is the most common error. Booking through a non-specialist is another. The difference between a mediocre camp and an exceptional one is significant, and it is not always apparent from marketing materials. Working with someone who has been on the ground makes that distinction immediately clear.
Luxury Travel Tips and What to Pack
Neutral colors, comfortable layers, closed shoes, a hat, and sunscreen cover most of it. Most camps offer daily laundry, so you can pack lighter than you expect. Soft-sided luggage is required for small aircraft transfers between camps, so confirm before you pack.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luxury Safari Travel
What is a luxury African safari?
A luxury African safari combines exceptional wildlife access with high-quality accommodations, private guiding, and carefully considered logistics. The focus is on depth of experience rather than quantity of sightings, staying in fewer places for longer, and building a genuine connection to the landscape.
What is the best country in Africa for a first safari?
South Africa is often recommended for first-time safari travelers because of its variety, accessibility, and the quality of its private reserves. Botswana suits travelers looking for a more exclusive, lower-density experience. Zambia is ideal for those drawn to walking safaris and a more immersive, off-the-beaten-path feel.
When is the best time to go on safari in Africa?
The dry season, typically June through October, is considered prime time for wildlife viewing across southern and eastern Africa. Animals concentrate around water sources, vegetation thins, and game drives tend to be productive. The green season, November through April, offers fewer visitors, lush landscapes, and extraordinary photographic light.
How many days do you need for an African safari?
A minimum of three to four nights in one location allows you to settle in and experience a meaningful range of wildlife. A multi-destination itinerary across two or three regions typically runs eight to twelve days. Shorter trips tend to feel rushed. Longer trips almost always feel worthwhile.
What is a walking safari, and is it safe?
A walking safari involves moving through the bush on foot with an armed, highly trained guide. It offers a different quality of attention than a vehicle-based game drive: slower, quieter, more attuned to small details. South Luangwa National Park in Zambia is considered the birthplace of the walking safari and remains one of the best places in Africa to experience it.
What is a mokoro experience in the Okavango Delta?
A mokoro is a traditional dugout canoe used to navigate the shallow waterways of Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Poled by a local guide, it offers a silent, low perspective on the delta’s birdlife and water channels that a motorized boat cannot replicate.
How do I choose the right luxury safari camp?
Location, camp size, guide quality, and the style of the experience all matter. Smaller camps tend to offer more privacy and a stronger sense of place. The difference between a camp that looks beautiful in photographs and one that delivers on the ground is real, and it is best navigated with someone who has stayed there.
Is safari appropriate for families with children?
Yes, with the right structure. Many luxury camps accommodate families with private vehicles, guides who tailor the experience to younger travelers, and flexible daily schedules. Age minimums vary by property, so it is worth confirming with each camp. A private itinerary is almost always a better fit for families than a group tour.
I work with a small number of clients each season on bespoke safari itineraries, from first wildlife encounters to in-depth journeys across East and Southern Africa's most extraordinary landscapes. If Africa is beginning to call, I would be glad to explore the possibilities together.
Reach me at louis.monoyudis@fora.travel
Luxury Morocco Travel Guide | Marrakech, Atlas Mountains & Desert Journeys
A courtyard at Villa des Orangers, a Relais & Châteaux property in Marrakech
Luxury Morocco Travel at a Glance
Morocco is one of the most rewarding destinations in the world for luxury travel. Not because it offers the easiest experience, but because it offers the most layered one. Below is a quick reference for planning purposes.
Best for: Culturally immersive luxury travel, honeymoons, food lovers, design enthusiasts, slow travelers
Ideal trip length: 8 to 12 nights
Best time to visit: March to May (spring), September to November (autumn)
Most popular route: Marrakech, Atlas Mountains, Agafay Desert, return to Marrakech
Good for honeymoons? Yes, exceptionally so
Good for families? Yes, with thoughtful planning and pacing
Luxury highlights: La Mamounia, Royal Mansour, Kasbah Bab Ourika, private medina guides, Amazigh home dining, Agafay Desert at sunset
The sensory richness of the medina, the quiet authority of the Atlas Mountains, the cinematic stillness of the Agafay Desert: together, they create something that very few destinations can match. A journey that moves through distinct moods, each one sharpening and deepening the next.
This guide is designed for travelers who want to experience Morocco at its most thoughtful, most considered, and most unforgettable. Whether you are planning a honeymoon, a private cultural journey, or a first visit to the country, what follows will help you understand not just what to do in Morocco, but how to do it well.
Sunset at White Camel Camp in the Agafay Desert, Morocco
Why Morocco Requires Thoughtful Planning
Morocco is one of the most rewarding destinations for culturally immersive luxury travel. It is also one that benefits more than almost any other from careful, considered design before you arrive.
The medina of Marrakech is extraordinary. It is also, for the uninitiated, genuinely overwhelming. The call to prayer moves through the air at intervals throughout the day. Motorbikes thread lanes barely wide enough for two people. The souks compress centuries of craft and trade into streets that fold back on themselves. Color, sound, and scent arrive all at once. The experience of standing inside it for the first time is vivid and alive, and it can become exhausting quickly without the right context and the right people beside you.
Pacing is everything in Morocco. The itinerary that works is not the most efficient one. It is the most emotionally intelligent one. A journey designed to move from the intensity of Marrakech to the stillness of the Atlas Mountains, and then to the spare, cinematic openness of the Agafay Desert before returning to the city, allows the country to reveal itself gradually. Each landscape softens and reframes what came before it. The contrast between them is not an accident of geography. It is, when designed correctly, the architecture of the entire experience.
Logistics matter here in ways they do not in some destinations. Transfers between Marrakech and the mountains take longer than they appear on a map. Seasons shape the experience in significant ways. Certain restaurants, certain rooms, and certain guides fill up months in advance during peak travel periods. Arriving in Morocco with a well-constructed plan and trusted local partners transforms a demanding, exhilarating destination into something seamless and deeply memorable.
Where to Stay in Morocco
Morocco is not a destination where hotels are interchangeable. Where you sleep shapes how the country reveals itself. The right property for one traveler is not the right property for another, and the best luxury Morocco travel experience starts with getting this decision right.
Best Luxury Hotels in Marrakech
La Mamounia is, by any measure, one of the great hotels of the world. Set just outside the medina walls, it holds a rare position: close enough to the energy of the city to feel connected, far enough inside its own gardens to offer genuine privacy and quiet. The nearly eight acres of olive, orange, and cypress trees feel like a different order of time, the service is precise and warm without ever being stiff, and the scale of the rooms and public spaces provides the relief that long travel days require. One of only two hotels in Morocco to hold the Michelin Keys distinction, La Mamounia earns its legendary status consistently.
Royal Mansour Marrakech occupies its own extraordinary category. Commissioned by King Mohammed VI and conceived as a private riad village within the medina walls, it offers a level of seclusion and artisanal luxury that is almost without parallel. Each guest residence is a multi-level riad with its own courtyard and plunge pool. The culinary program, developed in collaboration with Yannick Alleno, is consistently among the finest dining experiences in Africa. For travelers who want Morocco's most refined expression of luxury, Royal Mansour is the answer.
Image courtesy of Royal Mansour Marrakech
El Fenn is the right choice for travelers who want their hotel to feel like an immersive extension of Marrakech's creative and artistic identity. A true riad experience, inward-facing and layered, it surprises at every turn with tiled courtyards, carved cedar details, and a visual energy entirely its own. El Fenn is particularly strong for long lunches, rooftop cocktails, and evenings in its atmospheric dining room.
La Sultana offers intimacy and quiet sophistication from within the medina itself. Candlelit, richly decorated, and designed to feel like a private discovery rather than a hotel, it delivers some of the most atmospheric dining in the city.
Image courtesy of La Sultana
Villa des Orangers, a Relais and Chateaux property, is an exercise in discretion and elegance. Its rooftop terrace and courtyard pool create moments of exceptional calm within the medina. Mandarin Oriental Marrakech serves travelers who prefer a more contemporary, resort-style expression of luxury, with expansive gardens, multiple pools, and the consistently excellent service the brand is known for worldwide.
Image courtesy of Villa des Orangers
Atlas Mountains Hotels
The Atlas Mountains are approximately one hour south of Marrakech, and the journey there is part of the experience. The landscape transitions from urban energy to high-altitude stillness, and the properties in these mountains offer a fundamentally different relationship with Morocco.
Kasbah Bab Ourika sits above the Ourika Valley with views that shift and deepen throughout the day as light moves across the peaks. Grounded, peaceful, and deeply connected to its surroundings, it delivers the kind of stillness that recalibrates the nervous system after days in the medina. This is where Morocco shows its quieter, older face.
Kasbah Tamadot, Sir Richard Branson's celebrated property in the High Atlas, is one of the most spectacular stays in the country. Perched dramatically above the valley with views toward the snow-capped peaks, it combines Moroccan design with world-class hospitality. The infinity pool, the hammam, and evening meals served under the stars are among the most memorable experiences in luxury Morocco travel.
Image courtesy of Kasbah Tamadot
Olinto has emerged as one of the most acclaimed addresses in the mountains, particularly for food. Dinner here delivers Michelin-level cooking without formality, in a setting that feels both remote and deeply considered. For travelers who care about dining as much as landscape, Olinto belongs on the itinerary.
Image courtesy of Olinto
Desert Camps in Morocco
The Agafay Desert, a rocky plateau about one hour from Marrakech, offers a landscape experience entirely distinct from the Sahara. Lunar, intimate, and cinematic, it works beautifully as an afternoon, sunset, and dinner experience.
White Camel Camp provides exactly this: camel rides at golden hour, fire-lit dinners, and a sky filled with stars. As an overnight, expectations need careful management. The tents are visually striking, but the refinement many luxury travelers expect is not always consistently present. For most guests, the recommendation is to experience the Agafay for its atmosphere and activities, and return to Marrakech to sleep.
What Makes Morocco Luxury Travel Different
Luxury travel in Morocco is not primarily about thread count or turn-down service, though both can be found in abundance at the right properties. It is about access. About context. About the depth of experience that becomes possible when every layer of the trip has been considered with care.
The riad is the foundational architectural idea of Morocco: a building that turns inward, presenting a modest exterior to the street while opening onto a private courtyard with a fountain, carved cedar and plaster work, and a quality of light that changes through the day. Staying inside a great riad is one of the most distinctive accommodation experiences anywhere in the world. It changes the relationship between traveler and place.
Private guides transform the medina from a disorienting maze into a navigable, layered, and endlessly interesting world. A skilled local guide reads the city in real time, knowing when to slow down and when to accelerate, which souk is worth the time, which courtyard holds something worth pausing for. The difference between overwhelm and magic in the medina is not fortune. It is curation.
Private experiences give Morocco its texture: a cooking class where tagine preparation becomes a genuine connection to culinary tradition, a perfume workshop that turns into an education in how Moroccan culture understands scent and memory, a village walk in the Atlas foothills that offers a window into Amazigh daily life without any performance attached to it. These are not tourist activities dressed in luxury language. They are the moments that stay with travelers for years.
Morocco Through Food
To eat well in Morocco is to understand something about the country's relationship to time. The cuisines of the Maghreb are slow cuisines, patient and layered, built on the logic of preservation, abundance, and generosity.
Tagine is the most recognized Moroccan dish, and for good reason. It is not one thing but many: lamb with preserved lemon and olives, chicken with saffron and almonds, vegetables slow-braised until they become deeply satisfying. The conical clay pot is both cooking vessel and serving dish, and what emerges has been developed over hours. Couscous, prepared correctly by hand and steamed slowly over broth, carries a texture and lightness that cannot be rushed. Pastilla, the traditional pie of pigeon or seafood layered inside crisp warqa pastry with almonds and spices, is one of the more astonishing combinations in world cooking.
Moroccan tea culture is its own ceremony. Mint tea poured from height into small glasses, sweet and fragrant, is offered at the beginning of almost every encounter, commercial or social. It is a gesture of welcome, and it should be accepted as such.
The most extraordinary meal of this particular Morocco journey was the simplest. In a small village in the Atlas Mountains, an Amazigh family offered a home-cooked lunch of slow lamb, preserved lemons, and bread from their own kitchen. No performance, no presentation, no menu. Just generosity and the flavor of food cooked by people who mean it. It was the kind of meal that travels home with you.
In Marrakech, the dining landscape rewards planning. Lunch at Royal Mansour is among the finest meals the city offers and is worth reserving even for guests staying elsewhere. La Sultana provides an intimate, candlelit atmosphere within the medina that makes dinner feel like a private occasion. La Mamounia's multiple restaurants deliver consistent quality across every setting. In the mountains, Olinto has become the destination for seriously executed food in a setting that earns its own journey.
Best Time to Visit Morocco
The vivid colors and Moorish detail of Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech
Spring and autumn are the two ideal windows for a luxury Morocco itinerary, and both offer distinctly rewarding conditions.
Spring, from March through May, brings the country to its most beautiful. Temperatures in Marrakech are warm but not extreme, typically ranging from the mid-teens in the morning to the mid-twenties in the afternoon. The gardens of La Mamounia and the Jardin Majorelle are at their fullest. The Atlas Mountains hold late snow on their highest peaks while the valleys below are green and flowering. The Agafay Desert takes on a quality of light in spring that makes it feel otherworldly. Spring is also peak season, and the best hotels and restaurants fill up months in advance. Book accordingly.
Autumn, from September through November, is equally beautiful and often quieter than spring. Days are warm and golden, nights in the mountains and desert are cool and clear, and the medina returns to a less crowded, more considered pace after the summer heat.
Summer, from June through August, brings intense heat to Marrakech, regularly exceeding 38 degrees Celsius. It is not the season most luxury travelers choose for the city, though the Atlas Mountains remain comfortable at higher elevations. Winter evenings in Marrakech carry their own appeal: the medina lit by lanterns, the gardens quieter, and a pace that is more contemplative. Temperatures can drop significantly at night, and the Atlas Mountains are cold at elevation. For travelers who value atmosphere over weather, winter offers a Morocco that very few people experience.
How Many Days Do You Need in Morocco?
Seven nights is the minimum for a meaningful first visit to Morocco. It allows time to settle into Marrakech, absorb the medina across a few days, make a journey to the Atlas Mountains, experience the Agafay Desert, and return to the city with enough left in the schedule to let the experience land properly.
Ten to twelve nights is the ideal length for travelers who want to move unhurriedly through the core itinerary of Marrakech, the Atlas Mountains, and the Agafay Desert, with time for day trips, longer meals, and the kind of unscheduled afternoon that often produces the most memorable moments.
For travelers who want to extend beyond Marrakech and its surrounds, several additions are worth serious consideration. Fes, Morocco's imperial capital, offers an entirely different face of the country: its medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, older and more labyrinthine than Marrakech's, and the craft traditions still practiced there are among the most significant in the Islamic world. Two to three additional nights make the extension worthwhile.
The Koutoubia Mosque, Marrakech's most iconic landmark
Essaouira, the Atlantic coastal city two and a half hours west of Marrakech, provides a beautiful counterpoint to the intensity of the medina: whitewashed walls, sea light, fresh seafood, and a quieter, bohemian energy that many travelers find deeply restorative. Chefchaouen, the famously blue city in the Rif Mountains, is more accessible as part of a longer Morocco itinerary or a combined trip that includes Fes. Morocco can also be combined with a safari extension to East Africa, or with a European summer journey, for travelers building longer international itineraries.
Common Mistakes Travelers Make in Morocco
Moving too quickly through Marrakech is perhaps the most common error. The medina requires time to adjust to. Travelers who arrive and immediately fill every hour with activity often leave feeling overwhelmed rather than enchanted. Building in slower mornings, unstructured afternoons, and longer meals changes the entire quality of the experience.
Staying only in Marrakech and skipping the Atlas Mountains or the Agafay Desert means missing the emotional arc that makes Morocco more than a city visit. The landscape contrasts are not optional extras. They are central to how the country works on you.
Choosing hotels based solely on visual appeal or social media prevalence is a mistake in Morocco more than in most destinations. Not every beautiful riad is the right riad for every traveler. Positioning within the medina, size of the property, level of service, and the particular atmosphere of the place all matter enormously. A property that is perfect for a design-forward couple may be entirely wrong for a family with young children or a traveler who needs a quieter, more insulated base.
Underestimating the importance of knowledgeable local guides is a mistake that becomes obvious within the first thirty minutes in the medina. Without a skilled guide, the souks become a gauntlet rather than a pleasure, and the private access to local artisans, family homes, and quieter corners of the city never materializes.
Booking too late is increasingly a problem in Morocco, particularly in spring and autumn. The best rooms at La Mamounia, Royal Mansour, and Kasbah Tamadot sell out months in advance. Planning six months out is not excessive for a serious luxury Morocco itinerary.
Who Morocco Is Best For
Morocco works exceptionally well for a specific set of traveler profiles, and understanding which one applies helps determine how the trip should be designed.
Honeymoon travelers will find Morocco among the most romantic destinations in the world. Private riad courtyards, rooftop dinners above the medina, sunset camel rides in the Agafay Desert, and spa evenings at Royal Mansour or La Mamounia create the ingredients for an exceptional Morocco honeymoon itinerary.
Sunset from the rooftop at La Sultana, Marrakech
Design lovers are deeply at home in Morocco. Islamic geometric patterns, hand-cut zellige tilework, carved cedar and plaster, hand-knotted textiles, and hammered metal lanterns represent one of the richest craft traditions in the world. The properties that interpret this tradition at the highest level, including Royal Mansour, El Fenn, Villa des Orangers, and La Sultana, provide an immersion in Moroccan design and Islamic architecture that is simply not available anywhere else.
Food travelers have more to explore in Morocco than a single trip can cover. From tagine and couscous to pastilla, mechoui, and the extraordinary diversity of Moroccan salads and mezze-style starters, the culinary landscape is deep and endlessly interesting. Add the Amazigh home cooking traditions of the Atlas, the seafood culture of Essaouira, and the growing restaurant scene in Marrakech, and Morocco becomes one of the great food travel destinations in the world.
Photographers find Morocco provides extraordinary material: the medina light in the early morning, the geometry of riad courtyards, the Atlas landscapes at any hour, the Agafay at dusk, and the colors and textures of daily life in the Ourika Valley. Slow travelers and culturally curious travelers both thrive in Morocco when the trip is designed with enough space for genuine discovery: unscheduled walks, conversations begun over mint tea, and afternoons in a particular neighborhood without an agenda.
Why Work With a Luxury Morocco Travel Advisor
Morocco is one of the destinations where working with a specialist advisor makes the most significant difference to the quality of the experience.
The reason is not primarily logistical, though the logistics are genuinely complex. The reason is access. The best local guides in Marrakech work with a small number of trusted partners and do not appear on booking platforms. The rooms at La Mamounia and Royal Mansour that are most worth having are not always the ones that appear most prominently in search results. The private experiences that make a Morocco itinerary extraordinary, including cooking in a family home in the Atlas, a private weaving demonstration with a master craftsman in the souks, or an early morning walk through the medina before the city wakes, do not exist on the open market.
A luxury Morocco travel advisor brings relationships: with the hotels, with the guides, with the drivers who know which mountain road is worth taking at which hour. They bring knowledge of pacing, knowing that a traveler arriving after an overnight flight should not have a full day of medina immersion scheduled for day one. They bring the capacity to make adjustments seamlessly when something changes, so the traveler never needs to manage the logistics themselves.
Most importantly, a good advisor brings an understanding of fit. Not every great hotel in Morocco is the right hotel for every traveler. Not every great experience is the right experience for every group. The matching of the trip to the person is where the real work of luxury travel planning lives, and it is where the difference between a good trip and an extraordinary one is made.
Groove Jet Travel specializes in bespoke Morocco itineraries designed for discerning travelers. Every itinerary is built from the ground up to match the specific traveler, the specific timing, and the specific kind of experience they are looking for.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luxury Morocco Travel
Is Morocco safe for luxury travelers?
Morocco is a safe and welcoming destination for luxury travelers. Like any international destination, it benefits from local knowledge and trusted partners. Working with a reputable travel advisor ensures that transfers, guides, and accommodations are all vetted and reliable. The major luxury hotels in Marrakech operate to international security standards, and experienced local guides provide both context and confidence throughout the journey.
What is the best luxury hotel in Marrakech?
For many travelers, La Mamounia and Royal Mansour Marrakech represent the two pinnacles of luxury in the city. La Mamounia offers iconic grand-hotel luxury, eight acres of gardens, and a polished service experience within walking distance of the medina. Royal Mansour provides an unparalleled level of seclusion with private riad villas and one of the finest culinary programs in Africa. The best choice depends on the individual traveler. El Fenn, La Sultana, and Villa des Orangers are exceptional alternatives for those who prefer a more intimate or creatively distinctive experience.
Is Morocco good for a honeymoon?
Morocco is one of the most romantic destinations in the world for a honeymoon. Private riad courtyards, candlelit dinners in the medina, sunset moments in the Agafay Desert, and spa experiences at La Mamounia or Royal Mansour create the conditions for an exceptional romantic journey. A Morocco honeymoon itinerary typically combines two to three nights in Marrakech with a mountain stay and a desert evening, and can be extended to Essaouira for a coastal finish.
What is the difference between the Agafay Desert and the Sahara?
The Agafay Desert is a rocky, arid plateau approximately one hour south of Marrakech. It is not a sand desert in the traditional sense but offers a dramatic, lunar landscape with exceptional sunset and stargazing conditions. The Sahara Desert is much further south and requires additional travel time. It offers the classic experience of towering sand dunes. The Agafay is ideal for a day trip or evening experience from Marrakech. The Sahara is best incorporated into a longer Morocco itinerary with additional nights.
Should I stay in a riad or a hotel in Morocco?
This depends on the traveler. A riad offers an authentic architectural experience: an inward-facing building centered on a private courtyard, offering quiet and seclusion even within the medina. The best riads in Marrakech, including El Fenn, La Sultana, and Villa des Orangers, provide exceptional intimacy and design. Larger hotels such as La Mamounia, Royal Mansour, and Mandarin Oriental Marrakech offer more facilities, more space, and a broader range of dining and wellness options. Many travelers find that a combination works well: a larger hotel for the first nights while adjusting to the city, and a riad for later in the journey.
How much does a luxury Morocco trip cost?
A well-designed luxury Morocco itinerary typically ranges from approximately $1,000 to $3,000 per person per night in total trip cost, depending on the properties selected, the activities included, and the time of year. La Mamounia and Royal Mansour are among the most expensive properties in Africa. Kasbah Bab Ourika and El Fenn offer exceptional value relative to their quality. A travel advisor can help design an itinerary that achieves the right experience at the right investment level.
How many days should I spend in Morocco?
Seven nights is the practical minimum for a meaningful first visit. Ten to twelve nights is the ideal for a fuller experience that includes Marrakech, the Atlas Mountains, and the Agafay Desert without feeling rushed. For travelers who want to include Fes, Essaouira, or Chefchaouen, fourteen nights allows for a genuinely comprehensive Morocco journey.
Do I need a guide in Morocco?
A knowledgeable local guide is one of the most important investments in a Morocco itinerary. In the Marrakech medina particularly, a skilled guide transforms the experience from potentially overwhelming to genuinely immersive. They provide context for the Islamic architecture, Moroccan craftsmanship, and cultural practices that give the city its depth, and they provide access to private experiences and quieter corners of the city that independent travelers rarely find. The best local guides in Morocco are in high demand and should be arranged well in advance through a trusted travel advisor.
I work with a small number of clients each season on bespoke Morocco itineraries, from first-time visits to in-depth cultural journeys through the medina, mountains, and beyond. If Morocco is beginning to call, I would be glad to explore the possibilities together.
Reach me at louis.monoyudis@fora.travel
Romance in Carmel Valley
The pool outside at Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley
We recently stayed for a few nights at Bernardus Lodge & Spa, and it’s one of those properties that gently resets your mind as soon as you arrive.
The setting is the real headline. Tucked deep into Carmel Valley, the property feels wonderfully private and removed, surrounded by vineyards, gardens, and rolling hills. It’s quiet, romantic, and restorative in a way that makes it ideal for couples, anniversaries, or anyone looking for a true reset. Once you’re on site, the world feels far away, in the best possible way.
The decor leans into a very California, slightly industrial aesthetic, the kind that made Restoration Hardware so popular about a decade ago. Think warm woods, stone, metal accents, and a lived in elegance that feels more homey and occasionally shabby chic than ultra modern. It won’t appeal to clients looking for something sleek or cutting edge, but for this location, the vibe fits. Everything feels grounded, comfortable, and relaxed.
Image courtesy of Bernardus Lodge
The grounds are genuinely beautiful and impeccably maintained. Paths wind through gardens and vineyards, and there’s an easy rhythm to the property that encourages lingering walks, slow mornings, and afternoons that quietly disappear. It’s a place designed for staying put and sinking into the surroundings.
A bit of helpful context. Bernardus Lodge was previously owned by the same group as Bernardus wines, but that’s no longer the case. That said, Bernardus wines are still served on property, and they’re lovely, very much part of the experience and worth enjoying during a stay.
Food wise, this falls squarely into the category of really good hotel food. Meals are well executed and satisfying. As a standalone restaurant, there are stronger options in Carmel itself, but we ate most of our meals on property and were happy enough doing so. It fits the pace of the stay and removes the need to plan or rush anywhere.
Logistically, not having a car wasn’t an issue at all. Ubers arrived surprisingly quickly, and Carmel by the Sea is about a 20 minute ride, typically around $40 each way. One small but important billing note for clients. The hotel automatically includes a $30 per day parking fee, even if you don’t have a car. We flagged it at checkout, and the team was very kind and quick to remove it, but it’s worth double checking the folio before departure.
The bottom line. Bernardus Lodge is a beautiful, intimate retreat that excels at privacy, romance, and a strong sense of place. It’s not about flash or ultra modern design. It’s about comfort, calm, and settling into the landscape. For couples looking to unplug and spend real time together, it’s a wonderful choice.
A Little Paris, A Lot of New York
A gorgeous bedroom in Foquet’s signature color palette
Fouquet’s New York is a hotel with a very clear point of view. Based on a recent site visit where I toured multiple room categories and spent time in the public spaces, it’s best described as refined, theatrical, and intentionally Parisian, a quietly glamorous counterpoint to the usual New York luxury hotel experience.
Set in Tribeca, the hotel has a calm, residential feel that immediately sets the tone. This isn’t a place you choose for constant buzz outside your door. It’s a place you come back to at the end of the day, where everything feels composed and slightly cinematic. Most guests will rely on Ubers rather than walking everywhere, but in return you get privacy, quiet, and a sense of retreat that’s increasingly rare in Manhattan.
The inside of Titsou’s Bar
The interiors are elegant and expressive. Rooms lean into a soft pink and blush color palette that feels cohesive and fashion forward. It’s beautiful and distinctive, but it’s also specific. Guests who appreciate design and atmosphere will love it, while those who prefer very neutral or understated rooms may want to consider other options. Room sizes are more boutique than sprawling, which works well for shorter stays or couples who value style over square footage.
One of the hotel’s strengths is its sense of mood. The spa is serene and thoughtfully designed, with a small indoor pool adjacent to it, perfect for a quiet reset between city outings. It’s not a resort style setup, but it adds a welcome layer of calm to the stay.
In the evening, the hotel really comes into its own. Titsou, the on site speakeasy style bar, is genuinely chic and feels like a destination in its own right. It’s intimate, stylish, and the kind of place you linger over a drink rather than rush through. It adds energy and elegance without turning the hotel into a scene.
Marble and casement windows inside the bathroom of a suite
Service follows a more European rhythm. Polished, courteous, and discreet, rather than overly formal or intrusive. Guests who appreciate subtlety and independence tend to feel most at home here.
The bottom line. Fouquet’s New York is ideal for travelers who care deeply about design, atmosphere, and a sense of occasion. It’s not meant to be everything to everyone, but when it’s the right match, it feels intentional, stylish, and quietly special. If you’re looking for a hotel that feels like a refined hideaway rather than a high energy hub, this is one worth considering.
Best New Luxury Hotels to Book in 2026 Across the Globe
Whether you’re planning your next international adventure or seeking the world’s most exciting hotel openings, these seven new luxury properties deliver unforgettable style, amenities, and location. From Greece and Portugal to Japan and California, these hotels are making waves.
One of the best new luxury resorts in Greece, 91 Athens Riviera combines beachfront views with modern glamping.
91 Athens Riviera: A New Luxury Glamping Hotel on the Athenian Coast
One of the more interesting hotels to open on the Athenian Riviera, a quickly revitalizing stretch of coastline south of the Greek capital, offers a stylish twist on glamping near the beach. 91 Athens Riviera is an offshoot of the popular Domes hotel line, and features a collection of luxurious canvas tents, designed with a similarly keen eye for design.
Each unit is outfitted with plush king-sized beds, spacious bathrooms with walk-in showers, and furnished decks. Some feature private plunge pools and multiple bedrooms, and all come with Marshall speakers, Nespresso machines, and a host of other self-care amenities, from foam rollers and bespoke sleep masks to white-noise machines.
Both the swimming pool and the hotel’s beach club invite lounging and sunbathing, while a tennis club includes eight courts and an instruction program. A spa is present as a matter of course, and the chic restaurant is an outpost of the Paros-based Barbarossa.
28 Rooms
Style: Modern Design
Atmosphere: Lively
The Jay, San Francisco, where minimalist luxury meets California modernism in this stylish Embarcadero high-rise inspired by sculptor Ruth Asawa.
The Jay San Francisco: A Modern Luxury Hotel Near the Embarcadero
This is what luxury looks like in San Francisco in the mid-2020s: a bit minimalist, a bit understated, with plenty of warm tones and organic textures. The Jay, Autograph Collection is just the latest evolution of the 25-story Brutalist tower that stands at Battery & Clay, in the Embarcadero district, and it’s emblematic of the times as well: not quite an independent, but nor is it strictly a chain.
The interiors, by AvroKO, owe much to the Japanese-American modernist sculptor Ruth Asawa, and more broadly pay tribute to a century of Californian aesthetics, from Arts & Crafts on through to the present day. The TransAmerica Pyramid is a block away, and Embarcadero Center is reachable via an elevated walkway.
360 Rooms
Style: Contemporary Classic
Atmosphere: Lively
Palácio de Seteais, Portugal , where you can sleep in an 18th-century palace with frescoed walls, sweeping gardens, and dreamy views of fairytale Sintra.
Valverde Sintra Palácio de Seteais: Historic 5-Star Palace Hotel in Portugal
The quaint hilltop town of Sintra looks like something straight out of a Portuguese fairy tale. While most of its castles and palaces now function as museums, one houses a luxury hotel, the Valverde Sintra Palácio de Seteais.
This grand 18th-century palace, neoclassical in style with a triumphal arch connecting the building’s two wings, is filled with hand-painted frescoes and antique furnishings. Rooms have period character, too, with decorative headboards and sumptuous floor-to-ceiling drapery, and the royal suite, located in the original owners’ quarters, is especially spacious and ornate.
A modern spa occupies the estate’s onetime dovecote, and an outdoor pool is set amid the gorgeous surrounding park. Adding to the storybook charm is an elegant afternoon tea served on fine china.
30 Rooms
Style: Traditional Elegance
Atmosphere: Quiet
Castle Leslie, Ireland, a romantic country estate steeped in Irish history with horse stables, antique-filled rooms, and crackling fireplaces.
Castle Leslie Estate: Luxury Irish Castle Hotel with Horseback Riding
There’s a rich history behind Castle Leslie Estate, set on a thousand countryside acres in County Monaghan: the Leslie family, descended from Attila the Hun, has lived on the property since 1665, and it’s home to the oldest plumbed bath in Ireland.
Old-world charm is built into its wood-paneled sitting rooms with gilded oil portraits, buttery soft Chesterfield sofas, and crackling fireplaces, and rooms are just as atmospheric with decoratively carved four-poster beds and heirloom antiques. Some have roll-top baths and private terraces or Juliet balconies, but none have screens or minibars.
The not-so-subtle implication being, of course, that refreshments and entertainment are best enjoyed in the restaurant and pub downstairs. Styled like a flamboyant hunting lodge with equestrian statuary, opulent chandeliers, and cozy brocade-lined banquettes, it’s a lively spot throughout the afternoon and evening, but there’s always solitude to be found in the castle’s lovely gardens and quiet library.
71 Rooms
Style: Traditional Elegance
Atmosphere: Quiet
Naturally Pacific, British Columbia is surrounded by forest and sea, this eco-chic retreat features a stunning spa, fire pits, and wildlife tours.
Naturally Pacific Resort: New Eco-Luxury Hotel on Vancouver Island
Not far from the docks where boats depart for whale-watching and grizzly tours on Campbell River’s Discovery Passage, the stylish Naturally Pacific Resort rises up on the edge of a golf course. Its modernist structure, built of sustainably sourced wood and stone, features floor-to-ceiling glass windows to make the most of Vancouver Island’s natural beauty; its interiors, in keeping with the theme, showcase life-sized nature scenes captured by a local photographer.
The hotel’s earth-toned rooms and suites are contemporary with Art Deco touches, like leather-upholstered barrel chairs and gold-speckled black marble countertops, and the elegant cocktail bar downstairs follows suit. In a location such as this, the main attractions are outside, but the hotel’s ethereal spa, heated indoor-outdoor pool, and open-air firepits are wonderful to return to after exploring the surrounding forests and waterways.
100 Rooms
Style: Modern Design
Atmosphere: Quiet
Inspired to experience award-winning hotels for yourself? As a luxury travel advisor, I can help design an itinerary around them, or create a bespoke trip that reflects your own style. Contact me at louis.monoyudis@fora.travel to start planning.
Faena New York: Glamour on the High Line
Faena New York has landed in Chelsea, and let’s be clear: this place doesn’t whisper, it screams. Think gold ceilings, murals so oversized they make MoMA jealous, and a spiral staircase that feels like it was designed by a jeweler. Alan Faena didn’t come here to play. He came to stage a spectacle.
The vibe? Decadent, over-the-top, and very “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it.” It’s boutique in size (120 rooms), but trust me, nothing feels small here. Rooms start north of $1k, so we’re talking unapologetic luxury with all the velvet ropes and hushed exclusivity you’d expect.
What’s Good
The Design: This is maximalism at its most glamorous, complete with Keith Haring art, leopard-print sofas, and 24-karat ceilings.
The Rooms: Big (for New York), smart layouts, soaking tubs, terraces, and espresso machines. You will feel spoiled. Very spoiled.
Location: Right on the High Line with Hudson River views for most rooms, perfect for art lovers who want to explore the galleries of Chelsea and anyone allergic to Midtown chaos.
Food & Drink: Michael Anthony (yes, Gramercy Tavern) plus Francis Mallmann are behind the program. Expect bold flavors and a scene that’s as much about who’s at the next table as what’s on your plate.
Coming Soon: Guerlain spa, cabaret theater, and secret bars. Translation: the playground isn’t even finished yet (as of Sept. 2025)
What to Watch Out For
Exclusivity Overload: Faena loves a velvet rope. For some people, that’s the fantasy. For others, it’s a hard pass.
Not Quite Done Yet: The spa and cabaret won’t open until 2026, so right now you’re paying full price for an experience that’s still more than a little unfinished.
Dining Consistency: Cocktails? Brilliant. Food? Still warming up. Give it time, but don’t expect perfection out of the gate.
The Price Tag: Even by NYC luxury standards, this is on the higher end. You’ll need deep pockets and zero guilt.
Bottom Line
Faena New York is not for everyone, and that’s exactly the point. It’s bold, theatrical, and dripping in gold. If you want understated, go elsewhere. But if you want your hotel to double as a stage for your own fabulous entrance and all the social media shots you can take, this is your new temple.
Inspired to experience award-winning hotels for yourself? As a luxury travel advisor, I can help design an itinerary around them, or create a bespoke trip that reflects your own style. Contact me at louis.monoyudis@fora.travel to start planning.
Il Sereno Lago di Como: A Modern Masterpiece
There are plenty of beautiful hotels on Lake Como, but very few that have the confidence to strip everything back. In a region where history often translates to heavy drapery and gilded nostalgia, Il Sereno is a revelation.
It’s a hotel that whispers instead of winks, that swaps velvet for stone, and sentimentality for strength. It’s also one of a handful of Italian properties awarded two Michelin Keys, cementing its place among the most exceptional stays in the world.
Architecture that Breathes, Not Brags
From the moment you pull into the understated entrance, where you’re enveloped in a crisp composition of walnut, glass, and stone, it’s clear this isn’t another Como relic frozen in time.
Designed by renowned architect Patricia Urquiola, Il Sereno is a masterclass in restraint. Everything is in dialogue with the lake: the movement of the water, the shimmer of the sky, the rhythm of the mountains.
The facade is an elegant grid of local stone and teak louvers, its vertical gardens climbing in controlled chaos up the walls. Inside, Urquiola’s fingerprints are everywhere from woven chairs, sculptural lighting, and bespoke textiles, where every detail quietly anchors the space without competing with the view.
The hotel’s showstopper staircase seemingly suspended by bronze rods, spirals upward like an art installation masquerading as architecture. It’s one of those design moments that lingers in your memory long after you’ve checked out.
Interiors with Nothing to Prove
Walk into your suite, and the first thing that hits you isn’t color or clutter, it’s calm. Floor-to-ceiling windows pull the lake right into the room, while a minimalist palette of stone, linen, and timber creates the sense that someone finally understood what serenity should look like.
Urquiola’s design language is sensual but disciplined. The furnishings are tactile, sculptural, and human. You won’t find a trace of old-world fuss here, no tasseled curtains, no floral upholstery, no distractions. Just a spatial clarity that makes you feel instantly lighter.
The bathrooms, all marble and bronze, are generous without being grandiose. It’s luxury cemented in proportion and precision.
Spa Days and Aperitivo Nights
Downstairs, The Spa at Il Sereno feels like a secret carved directly into the rock. Minimalist and cocooning, it offers views of the lake through low-slung windows that catch the light before it dances away.
Treatments use Valmont products and local botanicals, and the atmosphere has that rare blend of clinical calm and Italian ease. The relaxation area, half submerged, half open to the water, is reason enough to stay in all afternoon.
For dining, there’s Ristorante Il Sereno Al Lago, which has been graced with a Michelin star. The menu is contemporary Italian without cliché, with dishes that are precise, creative, and beautifully balanced.
Even breakfast feels like an event here: a cart is rolled table side full of freshly baked pastries, local cheeses, fruit that tastes like it was chosen just for you, and coffee that tastes infused by the morning light bouncing off the lake.
Ahoy!
And then there’s the boat. Every guest has access to Il Sereno’s custom-built Cantiere Ernesto Riva motorboat, a handcrafted masterpiece of mahogany and chrome that glides across the lake. This is the ultimate way to arrive for lunch in Bellagio or an aperitivo in Varenna, with the wind in your hair and a Negroni in hand.
The Maserati Experience: Arrive in Style
For those who believe the journey should be every bit as elegant as the destination, Il Sereno offers its Maserati Experience, an arrival worthy of its setting. Guests can be collected from Milan’s city center, Central Station, or one of Lombardy’s airports in a sleek Maserati, gliding north toward the lake in quiet luxury. It’s a fitting prelude to what awaits.
A Breath of Fresh Air
In a region obsessed with history, Il Sereno is the future. It’s modern, minimal, and quietly confident. You come here not to escape Lake Como’s legacy, but to experience it through a different lens, one where architecture, design, and nature blend into a dreamy, singular horizon.
If you’d like to stay here, I can help you unlock exclusive perks, including:
Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
Daily breakfast for two, complimentary
$100 dining credit at Il Sereno Al Lago
Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability
Complimentary Wi-Fi throughout your stay
Inspired to experience award-winning hotels for yourself? As a luxury travel advisor, I can help design an itinerary around them, or create a bespoke trip that reflects your own style. Contact me at louis.monoyudis@fora.travel to start planning.