The heavy carved wooden gates hide the hustle and bustle of Tangier’s Kasbah and Medina. Once closed you can take in the vibrant and instagrammable gardens that surround Villa Mabrouka and the panoramic view of Spain and the Strait of Gibraltar.
This original 1940’s Villa now a boutique hotel was once the home of the iconic fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé. They purchased the villa in the 1990s naming it “House of luck” in Arabic, and the mix of vibrant colours and textures was thanks to interior designer Jacques Grange who created the combination of Moroccan and French styles all of which gave inspiration to some of Saint Laurent Paris runway designs during this period. The Villa is today still decorated with their personal belongings, artwork and books.
British designer Jasper Conran brought the Villa in 2019 and when renovating preserved its original charm but added his own personal touch to the simplicity of this Villa whilst giving it the feel of an elegant golden era of travel combined with an English country house feel.
Adding to the original Villa and updating with new rooms, garden cottage, restaurant, and kitchen he also renovated the original pavilion which was designed by American architect Stuart Church. Conran also added an additional stunning swimming pool with the floor made from locally sourced emerald herringbone tiles which compliments the larger pool carved into the clifftop rocks surrounded by flora and fauna.
With so much natural lights flooding in from the floor to ceiling windows, dressed in voile curtains, and decorated using local materials which includes fretwork, marquetry, brass, rattan, marble, antique embroideries, each of the 12 suites is assigned its own bold colour which gives them individual personality and style but complimenting the use of neutral accessories including white lamps, sconces and trinkets without overwhelming or clashing.
In Conran’s own words “I want Villa Mabrouka to feel deeply personal, like staying in a home rather than a hotel, reflecting the way I personally like to live, the things that I enjoy, and the appreciation of beautifully made things. I want it to be a place where you can spend time taking in the beauty of everything around you.”
I can add he has really achieved this by adding elegance and charm to Yves Saint Laurent’s legacy.