There are scores of 5 star hotels in Marrakech and more arriving on the scene every year. There are thousands of riads, tucked away in the Medina, whose aesthetic, service and price point range from hostel to the pinnacle of style and sophistication. The vast majority of these reinterpret the Moroccan look, sometimes with great effect. Personally, however, I am a bit tired of the over decorated surfaces, heavy fabrics and dark interior spaces. Riad Joya, a 7-bedroom oasis of serenity and beauty, opened in December, and it is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. Just a short distance from Place Djemaa el-Fna, this spare, very wide house offers luxurious comfort, perfect service, diverse and delicious menus (the owners are Italian) and the opportunity, due to its size and the relative uniformity of its rooms, to become a private home for a family or group of friends. Even if on your own, however, it will still feel like your home in Marrakech.
As with all riads, Joya has a rooftop for sunbathing, breakfasting or sharing an aperitif under the stars. Theirs, however, is surprisingly commodious, wide and spare and comfortable, and we shared a drink and hors d’oeuvres there with Sophie, one of the three owners, before heading in for a delicious dinner.
It should be noted that two of the three Italian owners are no newcomers to the hotel industry. Sophie worked for Starwood, and her beau is General Manager of one of my favorite hotels in Italy. Together with their Italian designer, they have created a meticulous, original, piece of heaven.
Cape Town is one of the world's great cities. The setting alone is worthy of top billing. And then you have a vibrant culinary scene, a fascinating flora and fauna representative of its microclimate, a diverse population and the logistical advantage that makes it a gateway for visits to the wine lands, to the garden route and north into the bush. In spite of the aforementioned, what makes me vibrate with anticipation in Cape Town is its flourishing art and design scene, its world class museums and galleries, its artisans, many of them passionately committed to ensuring that hand and design skills endure. The person who knows as much about this sector of the Capetonian landscape is Marion Ellis whose company, Cape Insights, designs whole or partial itineraries that feature - among other subject matter - the flourishing arts of the city. Marion's knowledge has both the breadth and depth to take you on a meandering journey across the media - from paintings and ceramics to photography and art installations - and behind the scenes to meet with collectors and artists, teachers and innovators."
["post_title"]=>
string(37) "Art & Design Flourishing in Cape Town"
["post_excerpt"]=>
string(0) ""
["post_status"]=>
string(7) "publish"
["comment_status"]=>
string(4) "open"
["ping_status"]=>
string(4) "open"
["post_password"]=>
string(0) ""
["post_name"]=>
string(35) "art-design-flourishing-in-cape-town"
["to_ping"]=>
string(0) ""
["pinged"]=>
string(0) ""
["post_modified"]=>
string(19) "2018-10-29 11:18:44"
["post_modified_gmt"]=>
string(19) "2018-10-29 15:18:44"
["post_content_filtered"]=>
string(0) ""
["post_parent"]=>
int(0)
["guid"]=>
string(31) "http://lisalindblad.com/?p=8743"
["menu_order"]=>
int(0)
["post_type"]=>
string(4) "post"
["post_mime_type"]=>
string(0) ""
["comment_count"]=>
string(1) "0"
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
}
}