The Heure Bleue at Essaouira: a colonial parenthesis.
Essaouira in Morocco, formerly « Mogador » as it was baptized in the 16th century by the Portuguese, is a remarkable fortified port city. Sheltered by its ochre pink crenellated city walls, you will find the Heure Bleue, a special hotel that has been able to preserve its old-fashioned and romantic charm. This Riad was formerly a patrician house built at the end of the 19th century, on an old fondouk. It displays a completely colonial charm where everything gives off a place of a protected lifestyle, a home away from home.
A subtle interplay between interior and exterior
From the English salon to the Oriental salon, opening at the same level on the patio in a subtle interplay between the inside and outside, of shade and light, your gaze will wander over the ceilings and wooden coffers carved by Souir craftsmen. Discover the interior gallery of the patio, punctuated by stone columns, admire the cement tiles made according to ancient tradition and go off into the vegetal tangle of the inside garden.
In the lobby, the space is fluid, to the cadence of the French windows in bevelled glass that are arranged around the patio, bringing along a great deal of refreshing air and lightness to the entire works.
An ocean city
From the terrace, a very beautiful swimming pool protrudes out and offers its guests a spectacular view. One never grows tired of looking at the old city and the port which becomes animated with the departure and the arrival of the colourful trawler flotilla, the continuous pack of impertinent gulls, dive flying, as well as pedlars offering grilled fish.
Don’t miss memorable moments of taking a walk in the colourful alleyways of the medina, a charm still intact. Discover as you walk the stalls overloaded with an abundance of spices and the souks where you will find brightly coloured fabrics, jewellery and all kinds of wickerwork, pottery and carpets.
A colonial touch for the rooms and suites
Suites and rooms, laid out around the delightful patio, give off a colonial spirit, in the background of dark wood, moucharabieh on the dressing doors, mottled marble for chimneys, large picture windows with bevelled panes and French windows on the patio. Furniture, carpets, pillows, curtains give off a semi-African and semi-Oriental atmosphere, but always with much style and without any false notes.
Privileged instants
Having a drink at the end of the afternoon in the English salon with its ceiling made of carved wooden coffers, and dinner in the Oriental salon are privileged moments.
A savoury menu, an inventive and creative chef, enable guests to enjoy, every evening, a different cuisine, where the Moroccan dishes mix with more contemporary creations. Fish cooked in salt, a la plancha and seafood are the gift of the Atlantic Ocean, while oriental stews (tagines) and pastillas honour traditional Moroccan specialities.
At twilight, the magic of the colours is enchanting. That is the time to enjoy a candlelit dinner at an elegantly set table.
The Heure Bleue gives off a special atmosphere, romanticism straight out of a Karen Blixen novel. We fall under the charm of this old residence that has been able to protect itself from too much modernism or a contemporary spirit. There is something enchanting about dining on the patio or in the Oriental salon, or having a drink in the English salon.
Janvier 2013
