Kasbah Tamadot, Marrakech

Kasbah Tamadot was the former home of Luciano Tempo who purchased the property and filled it with beautiful antiques from India, Africa and the Far East.

In 1998 Richard Branson went to Morocco for circumnavigating the globe in a hot air balloon. Whilst there, his mother Liv Branson found the beautiful Kasbah and dreamed of turning it into a wonderful Moroccan retreat. Richard did not quite manage to realise his goal on that occasion, his mother eventually convinced him to purchase the property.

The refurbishment of the building was extensive, though the character and charm of the original complex of spaces have been retained and enhanced.

When Richard Branson bought Kasbah Tamadot in 1998 he also inherited Luciano’s 1000 square metre warehouse in Asni, filled to the brim with his treasures. As you wander around you see pieces of Luciano’s collection have been used to furnish the Kasbah today.

Kasbah Tamadot set at the foothills of the Atlas Mountains one hour’s drive from Marrakech, Morocco, is trasfered to one of the properties of Virgin Limited Edition, Richard Branson’s unique retreats.

As part of Virgin’s commitment to the community, Kasbah Tamadot approached the leaders of the local communities to offer villagers the opportunity to work at Kasbah Tamadot. Most had never worked in a hotel before, let alone spoke English, however they proudly employed and trained the local villagers in all aspects of hotel operations and English. Today Kasbah employs 100 Berber staff including the general management couple who both trained on Necker Island, one of Virgin Limited Edition properties.

Today, as the leader of the Virgin commitment group Liv Branson is spending most of her time here, working with the local Berber community leaders to improve local villagers skills.

Kasbah Tamadot has 24 rooms and suites including Luxury Berber Tented Suites Each Berber Tented Suite has its own Berber name, every one with a special meaning – Afoulky (Beauty), Addou (Wind), Amalou (Shade), Azoka (Tree), Adrar (Mountain) and Azenzer (Ray of Sun).

Asounfou, the Berber word for relaxation, describes the Kasbah Tamadot spa perfectly, which incorporates the indoor pool, two treatment rooms, a sauna and a traditional Hammam.