Nobu Marrakech

Nobu Marrakech: An Oasis for the Luxury Traveler and the Cigar Aficionado

By Candido Alfonso, CEO, Entre Humos

By the time we arrived at Nobu Hotel Marrakech, we were exhausted.

We had spent two days traveling from Fez to Marrakech by car, including an overnight stay in the desert. Reaching the camp itself involved roughly two hours on camel, followed by the journey back out the next morning before continuing toward Marrakech.

It had been unforgettable, but physically demanding.

Then we arrived at Nobu.

From the moment the staff received and welcomed us, the change in atmosphere was immediate. After two days of roads, desert, movement and adventure, Nobu felt like an oasis.

The lighting was soft. The atmosphere was calm. The lobby was elegant without feeling formal. Even the aroma made an impression: subtle, refined and welcoming, with a sense of peace that felt perfectly timed after the journey we had just completed.

Within minutes, we began to decompress.

Then came one of the details I remember most clearly from the entire stay.

There was no traditional check-in line. No standing at a counter. No transactional arrival experience.

Guest services invited us to sit comfortably on one of the beautiful sofas in the lobby, offered us cocktails and handled the check-in while we relaxed.

After the trip we had just completed, it was exactly what we needed.

Luxury is not necessarily about giving the guest more. It is about understanding what the guest needs at that particular moment.

We did not need another process.

We needed a couch, a drink and the feeling that the journey was over.

Nobu delivered all three.

THE LOBBY SETS THE TONE

The lobby is one of the most memorable spaces in the hotel.

A large tree becomes part of the architecture itself, surrounded by warm lighting, Moroccan details, contemporary furniture and carefully selected artwork.

It is visually striking, but more importantly, it is comfortable.

That distinction matters.

Too many luxury hotel lobbies are designed mainly to impress when you first walk through the door. They photograph beautifully, but they do not necessarily make you want to stay.

Nobu Marrakech is different.

People sit. They talk. They order drinks. They spend time there.

And for me, there was one additional detail that immediately stood out.

I was offered an ashtray if I wanted to enjoy my cigar in the lobby.

For a cigar aficionado, that small gesture says a great deal.

There was no awkwardness. No suggestion that I needed to move somewhere else. No sense that the cigar was an inconvenience.

An ashtray was simply offered.

That is hospitality.

THE NOBU PHILOSOPHY IS EVERYWHERE

What became increasingly clear throughout the stay was that Nobu Marrakech is not simply a beautiful hotel carrying a famous name.

There is a philosophy behind it.

And that philosophy is present throughout the property.

You feel it in the architecture, the lighting, the music, the service, the guestrooms, the spa and the public spaces.

The hotel succeeds in bringing Nobu's contemporary international identity into Marrakech without losing a sense of place.

Moroccan influences are present throughout, but they are integrated rather than theatrical.

Nothing feels like a theme.

It feels like Marrakech interpreted through Nobu.

That is far more difficult to execute well.

SERVICE WITHOUT FRICTION

The service throughout our stay was consistently five-star.

Reception, guest services and concierge all operated at the same level.

What impressed me most, however, was not formality.

It was how effortlessly the hotel removed friction from the trip.

The concierge arranged guides for our tours who had already been vetted by the hotel.

When visiting somewhere like Marrakech, that matters.

Instead of spending time researching operators, comparing reviews or wondering whether someone is reliable, the hotel has already done the curation for you.

You trust Nobu.

Nobu trusts the guide.

And you are free to enjoy the destination.

The same philosophy extended to transportation.

The hotel arranged its private Range Rover and driver for us, including transportation to the airport and a visit to the cigar lounge at the Royal Mansour.

Of course, traveling around Marrakech in a private Range Rover is luxurious.

But the real luxury is not the vehicle.

It is not having to think about transportation at all.

We told the concierge where we wanted to go.

They handled everything else.

That is what five-star hospitality should feel like.

A CIGAR SMOKER'S DREAM

For anyone who travels with cigars, Nobu Marrakech deserves special attention.

There are luxury hotels where cigar smoking is technically possible.

And then there are hotels where enjoying a cigar feels completely natural.

Nobu Marrakech belongs firmly in the second category.

Being offered an ashtray in the lobby immediately established that.

But the experience goes beyond one gesture.

There are beautiful environments throughout the property where you can sit comfortably, have a cocktail, enjoy a conversation and smoke a cigar without feeling as though you have been separated from the hotel experience.

For an aficionado, that is increasingly valuable.

One practical note: bring your own cigars.

I did not see cigars for sale at the hotel, although in fairness I never specifically asked, so I would not assume they are unavailable.

I simply travel with my own.

In fact, I usually bring a few special cigars specifically for trips like this — cigars I have been saving for the right setting, the right destination or the right moment.

Nobu Marrakech made me want to smoke those cigars.

That may be the highest compliment I can give the property from an aficionado's perspective.

The lobby, the rooftop, the cocktails, the service and the slower rhythm of Marrakech created exactly the kind of setting where opening something special from the travel humidor felt appropriate.

A premium cigar requires time.

That is part of its beauty.

You cannot properly enjoy one while rushing.

It asks you to sit.

To talk.

To drink something.

To observe your surroundings.

And sometimes, simply to do nothing for a while.

Nobu Marrakech understands that rhythm.

THE ROOFTOP

If I had to choose one place at the hotel to spend an afternoon with a cigar, it would be the rooftop.

It has the relaxed energy of a sophisticated resort.

Large daybeds surround the pool. Wooden pergolas provide shade. Music creates atmosphere without overpowering conversation. Drinks arrive. Marrakech surrounds you.

It is effortless.

And again, the cigar fits naturally into the environment.

There is something about Marrakech itself that makes this especially appropriate.

The city encourages longer experiences.

Long lunches.

Tea that becomes a conversation.

Dinner that stretches late into the evening.

Cocktails on terraces.

Time spent simply watching the city move.

The cigar fits perfectly into that pace.

THE ROOM

Our room continued the same philosophy as the rest of the hotel.

Contemporary, warm and restrained.

Neutral tones, dark woods and subtle Moroccan influences created an environment that felt sophisticated without being overly designed.

The sleeping area transitioned naturally into a separate sitting space, giving the room more of a residential feeling.

That is something I increasingly appreciate when traveling.

A great hotel room should not merely be somewhere you return at midnight and leave again the next morning.

It should be somewhere you actually enjoy spending time.

The bathroom was equally well executed, with generous proportions, extensive stonework and a double vanity.

There was luxury everywhere, but very little excess.

That is usually a good sign.

THE HAMMAM AND SPA

The spa became another highlight of the stay.

My travel companion experienced both a traditional hammam treatment and a massage and loved the experience.

The hammam was particularly appropriate in Marrakech.

A great luxury hotel should not isolate you from the destination. Whenever possible, it should create a bridge into the culture around it.

The hammam brought an element of Moroccan wellness tradition into the Nobu experience, while the massage delivered exactly the restorative element needed after several days of intensive travel.

There is also something appealing about a property that allows two travelers to experience it differently.

One person can disappear into the spa for a hammam and massage.

The other can find a comfortable seat, order a drink and light a cigar.

Both are having a luxury experience.

Neither feels secondary.

MARRAKECH THROUGH THE EYES OF AN AFICIONADO

Marrakech may be one of the most interesting destinations I have visited recently as a cigar traveler.

Not simply because cigars can be enjoyed here.

Because they seem to belong here.

The architecture, courtyards, terraces, hotels, long meals, tea culture, cocktails and slower pace create a natural environment for the ritual of smoking a cigar.

During our stay, we also visited the cigar lounge at the Royal Mansour, with transportation arranged by Nobu.

That experience deserves its own story.

But more broadly, it reinforced something I had already begun noticing around Marrakech:

The premium cigar still has a place within luxury hospitality here.

That should not be taken for granted.

WHAT NOBU MARRAKECH GETS RIGHT

Looking back at the stay, there was no single extravagant gesture that defined it.

Instead, it was a collection of very good decisions.

The welcome after an exhausting journey.

The fragrance of the lobby.

The couch and cocktails instead of a check-in counter.

The ashtray offered without hesitation.

The room.

The rooftop.

The hammam.

The massage.

The concierge.

The vetted guides.

The Range Rover.

The private driver.

Each detail made the next part of the trip easier.

That is what sophisticated hospitality looks like.

When a hotel is operating at a very high level, the guest should barely notice the machinery behind the experience.

Everything simply seems to happen.

At Nobu Marrakech, it did.

THE TRAVELLING AFICIONADO FIVE BANDS

Rather than use a conventional star rating, The Travelling Aficionado evaluates properties through five elements of the travel experience that matter most to us.

Like the bands surrounding a premium cigar, each Band represents a distinct part of the stay.

HOSPITALITY BAND — SERVICE & ARRIVAL

How you are welcomed, the quality of service, concierge capability, responsiveness and attention to detail.

Nobu Marrakech: Earned

RESIDENCE BAND — ROOM & COMFORT

Accommodations, design, sleep quality, bathroom, amenities and overall comfort.

Nobu Marrakech: Earned

SENSE OF PLACE BAND — DESTINATION & CHARACTER

How successfully the property connects the guest with its city, culture and surroundings.

Nobu Marrakech: Earned

INDULGENCE BAND — FOOD, BEVERAGE & WELLNESS

Restaurants, bars, cocktails, pool, spa and the experiences that make you want to remain at the property.

Nobu Marrakech: Earned

AFICIONADO BAND — THE CIGAR EXPERIENCE

Where cigars can be enjoyed, the quality of those environments, the attitude of the staff toward cigar smokers, nearby cigar experiences and whether the aficionado genuinely feels welcome.

Nobu Marrakech: Earned

AFICIONADO NOTE

Bring a travel humidor with a few cigars you have been saving. I cannot confirm whether cigars are sold at the property because I never asked, but Nobu Marrakech is exactly the kind of hotel that will make you want to light something special.

FIVE BANDS

THE TRAVELLING AFICIONADO EXCEPTIONAL STAY

Nobu Marrakech earns all five.

For the luxury traveler, it delivers exceptional service, distinctive design, excellent accommodations, a memorable rooftop, an impressive spa and concierge services that genuinely improve the trip.

For the cigar aficionado, it offers something increasingly difficult to find:

The ability to enjoy a premium cigar naturally as part of a luxury hotel experience.

Not hidden away.

Not treated as an inconvenience.

Simply enjoyed.

Perhaps the most telling moment came right at the beginning.

After two exhausting days traveling from Fez, through the desert and finally into Marrakech, we walked into the lobby, were seated with cocktails and welcomed as guests rather than processed as arrivals.

And when I wanted to enjoy my cigar, an ashtray was offered without hesitation.

At that moment, an aficionado knew he had arrived somewhere special.

That is The Travelling Aficionado.