A hotelier’s secluded hideaway in Morocco where to breath peace and harmony, and enjoy sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean: please meet VillaLotus, an actual slice of heaven on earth currently up for grab via Le Collectionist (rates around 1000 euro/night).
Located in Essaouria, a city approximately 170 kms north of Agadir, the property is embedded into an immaculate wilderness made of crystal blue waters and pinkish rocks: right here, a stone and concrete villa peeps out on a hilltop like some sort of enchanted refuge.
The owner is Willelm Smit, a hotelier and interior designer who relocated in Morocco to work as general manager at Vanessa Branson’s prestigious hotel, El Fenn in Marrakech, where he takes care of each room’s decor.
His sophisticated and eclectic taste radiates from any single inch of the property, although he got some generous help as well.
Indeed, illustrious French studio KO – which already won accolades for its Musée Yves Saint-Laurent in Marrakech – did happily join the play.
Simplicity: here’s the major guideline leading the whole architectural response, aimed at enhancing the nature/architecture symbiosis so that nothing was covered up and the beauty of the site was still fully exposed. As a result, the house is basically a camouflaging shell made of stone, concrete, and glass.
The walls’ rough and irregular texture pays tribute to natural rocks, while an L-shaped infinity pool surrounded by lurid yellow loungers and shaded by a slatted wooden roof reflects the vivid sunlight, this encouraging open air experiences and the outdoor lifestyle.
The spatial layout includes an open-plan kitchen and living room, one hammam and three bedrooms. An additional rooms is to be found in the guest cottage located a stone’s throw away from the main structure.
All habitats unfold around a central courtyard, allowing plenty of natural light and breezy air in.
The love for stone and concrete comes across a few unexpected design details, like the cast-concrete bench in the living room fitted with fluffy cushions by Maison de Vaccines, Hay and Soutane Zarib.
Right next to the bench, here’s Smit’s grandfather’s army trunk tracing back to the war days.
Plenty of vintage touches are scattered here and there: the owner’s keen eye for design focused on a bunch of iconic must-haves, like Greta Magnusson-Grossman’s “Grasshopper” lamp and Eames’ DCW chair, both artfully paired with more contemporary features.
See the contemporary photographic prints on the walls, set to provide the house with a modern yet eclectic feel and create a mix of urban and rural stylings.
Villa Lotus is a genuinely Moroccan, but utterly contemporary property that benefits from its daring, shimmering chromatic palette and tight link with nature: a magic gateway for those seeking tranquility and silence.
