When French painter Jacques Majorelle set out in the early 1920s to create an exotic garden in Marrakesh, he never imagined that his beloved work would become a world-famous destination and Morocco’s most popular tourist attraction. Designed as a serene retreat, the Jardin Majorelle evolved over the following decades into a labyrinthine wonderland with countless plant species, fountains, covered walkways and Majorelle’s house and atelier, which would have been demolished after his death had Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé not purchased and renovated the property in the 1980s. It now houses the Musée Berbère, a courtyard café and an elegant boutique with the 12-acre complex welcoming travellers from around the world looking to wander. One such traveller is Austrian Christian Schallert, whose 8-room boutique hotel Maison Brummell Majorell has just opened its doors right next door. New Zealand architect Bergendy Cooke, in collaboration with Moroccan colleague Amine Abouraoui, was inspired by the cubist Art Deco architecture of the Musée Berbère, which French architect Paul Sinoir built in the 1930s to house Majorelle’s atelier, combining Moorish and modern elements in a jewel of a building that blends harmoniously with the neighborhood. Drawing on Brummell Projects’ style of luxury, the hotel is ideal for design lovers, combining handcrafted finishes and contemporary artwork in the spirit of Majorelle and the eclectic sense of Yves Saint Laurent’s style.

Photo by La Dichosa

Photo by Emily Andrews

Photo by Ely Sanchez

Photo by La Dichosa

Photo by La Dichosa

Photo by Emily Andrews

Photo by Ely Sanchez