I had made a pact that I wouldn’t leave Marrakech without having a hammam. You may know I tried one at Casa Spa in London earlier this year (and loved it) so a truly authentic one in the heart of this bustling city was destined to be the highlight of my trip.
There are hammams on every corner in Marrakech but it’s difficult to know which ones are good (and hygienic) or which ones are terribly bad. It’s why I relied on recommendations from friends and good old Trip Advisor.
I managed to book with Les Bains De Marrakech, a hugely popular boutique spa with top ratings. Conveniently I made a reservation through their website while I was in Marrakech and paid securely through Paypal.
Their website is superbly designed and easy to navigate so I could select which treatments I fancied. I went for one of the packages the spa offers: a 45 minute hammam and traditional body scrub with black soap and kessa glove plus a ghassoul body mask with plants and either a one hour relaxing or draining body massage for 580 dirhams per person (roughly £48). A hammam on its own is 170 dirhams (about £14).
Les Bains De Marrakech, which opened its doors in 2008, is situated in the old medina, by the iconic Kasbah gateway. There are scooters and motorbikes whizzing through the souqs and the spa is tucked away down an alley way that magically takes you away from the noise to tranquility.
From the reviews I had read I was very excited and to my delight, appearances exceeded my expectations as soon as I stepped inside. It is a luxurious spa, tastefully decorated in traditional Moroccan décor. The corridors are like a maze but they are lit up by the stunning traditional Moroccan lanterns.
I was instructed to arrive half an hour before my treatment was due to begin. The staff are highly professional, polite, well spoken and friendly. Once I had been welcomed, I was taken to the changing rooms to get ready. Les Bains De Marrakech provides everything – you only need to bring your swimwear.
While I waited for my appointment, I relaxed on a sun lounger by the pool and was served mint tea. I had requested for a private hammam (at no extra cost) but if you visit with a friend or your partner and have no qualms about sharing then your treatment will take place together.
The therapists usually don’t speak English but are fluent in French and Arabic. I managed to get by with some French though my therapist made a sweet effort to speak broken English. Well you don’t really need to be engaging in much dialogue when a hammam is very much hands-on.
I knew what to expect – steam, soap, scrub, steam, mask, wash. I had heard a few horror stories about some hammams’ tendency to not observe hygiene properly but thankfully Les Bains De Marrakech use a brand new kessa glove on every client and let you take it home afterwards.
The therapist is not shy about poking you in intimate areas; it is an invasive treatment which if you’re not aware of (let alone not used to), you won’t like. I just tell myself they do this all the time and it’s true, they don’t bat an eyelid about your wobbly bits…plus there is hardly any light in the stream room so you’re alright!
Having experienced such thorough scrubs with my London Moroccan and Turkish hammams, my actual Moroccan hammam at Les Bains De Marrakech was mild in comparison. I also was deprived of seeing how much dirt and dead skin was coming off me because the steam room was very low on lighting.
But it was my massage I was disappointed in. I chose a ‘relaxing’ massage which was explained to be a strong, deep massage to loosen my muscles and help me relax. Instead my masseuse just rubbed oil into me, and stroked my back, shoulders and head. It felt quite limp and amateurish and I did not leave relaxed and relieved.
Perhaps I was unlucky in landing someone who didn’t appear to know what they were doing, but for what I had paid (which was exceedingly more expensive than other spas), I had expected much more. I craved for a massage at Casa Spa and am yearning to book an appointment there. I wouldn’t have to fly to another country for it…
Les Bains De Marrakech has invested a lot in its vision to be an aesthetically beautiful spa and it accomplishes this flawlessly. I just can’t help but think had I gone to a lesser known hammam and consequently paid less, I would have left more satisfied.
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