Le Jardin des Douars
One Michelin Key
Hotel Details
Location
Le Jardin des Douars · Essaouira, Morocco
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Key Highlights
- ✓Guests consistently highlight several aspects that make Le Jardin des Douars exceptional:
- ✓Exceptional Service: The staff is universally praised for their "perfect service and thoughtful touches," being "extremely friendly and helpful," and "incredibly kind and welcoming."
- ✓Outstanding Dining: The culinary experience is a major draw, with guests frequently calling the food "exceptional" and "fantastic," offering a blend of Moroccan and Mediterranean flavors.
Expert Review: Le Jardin des Douars
Le Jardin des Douars, a Michelin Key One-Keys property nestled in the Essaouira hills of Morocco, is consistently lauded as a tranquil and luxurious escape, offering guests an authentic yet refined Moroccan experience.
1. Overall Rating & Sentiment
Le Jardin des Douars garners overwhelmingly positive feedback, frequently earning "Exceptional" or "Fabulous" ratings from guests, with scores often reaching 9.6 or 9.8 on platforms like Booking.com. It holds a "One MICHELIN Key" distinction, signifying a "very special stay." The general sentiment describes the hotel as a "botanical oasis," "paradise," and a "one of a kind" retreat that encourages guests to unwind and disconnect.
2. Key Highlights
Guests consistently highlight several aspects that make Le Jardin des Douars exceptional:
- Stunning Gardens & Design: The hotel is celebrated for its "beautifully landscaped gardens" filled with towering palms, cacti, bougainvillea, and olive trees, creating a "proper oasis" that stands in stark contrast to the surrounding arid landscape. Its architecture, built in accordance with Moroccan traditions, resembles a "ksar" or guest fort, featuring terracotta walls, zellige tiling, tadelakt plasterwork, and carved wood, exuding a "Berber chic" and "traditional elegance."
- Exceptional Service: The staff is universally praised for their "perfect service and thoughtful touches," being "extremely friendly and helpful," and "incredibly kind and welcoming."
- Inviting Pools & Wellness: The property boasts two delightful swimming pools, including a heated "adults-only pool" and a family pool, both offering a serene environment. The on-site hammam and spa, offering massages and treatments, are also popular amenities for relaxation.
- Outstanding Dining: The culinary experience is a major draw, with guests frequently calling the food "exceptional" and "fantastic," offering a blend of Moroccan and Mediterranean flavors.
3. Room Quality
The rooms are described as "amazing" and often "better than the pictures," providing a comfortable rather than overtly luxurious experience. They feature traditional Moroccan décor, original wooden doors, tactile Berber rugs, and rich colors. Many rooms, suites, and villas include private terraces. Options like the "Pasha" rooms come with king-size beds, private terraces, corner fireplaces, and seductive sunken baths. Bathrooms are well-equipped with free toiletries and even a "DIY hammam kit." The hotel offers 19 rooms, 6 suites, and 6 private villas, with villas potentially having their own pools and accommodating up to 14 guests.
4. Dining Experience
Dining at Le Jardin des Douars is a significant highlight, offering a "varied menu" with "authentic flavors" and "local ingredients." The cuisine is a sophisticated mix of French and Moroccan influences.
- Breakfast: The "amazing" all-inclusive breakfast buffet is extensive, featuring international options like eggs and French toast alongside local delicacies such as msem, bagadir pancakes, handmade batbout flatbreads, amlou (almond paste), fresh dates, nuts, and figs. Unlimited Moroccan mint tea is also a guest favorite.
- Lunch & Dinner: Lunch is served daily on the terrace, with light and fresh dishes. The "spectacular Sunday barbecue buffet" featuring grilled meats and fresh fish is particularly recommended. Dinners offer tagines, couscous, and international dishes, with options for intimate candlelit settings or dining by a grand fireplace. Guests also appreciate the complimentary cake and mint tea served by the pool at 4 pm.
5. Service & Staff
The service and staff at Le Jardin des Douars receive consistent commendation. Guests frequently use words like "friendly," "helpful," "welcoming," and "kind" to describe the team. Reviewers note that "nothing was too much" trouble for the staff, and their "gentillesse et disponibilité" (kindness and availability) contribute significantly to the relaxing atmosphere. The owner/GM reportedly greets guests personally, adding a warm, personal touch to the experience.
6. Location & Accessibility
Le Jardin des Douars is situated in the Essaouira hills, approximately 8.1 miles (13 km) and a 15-20 minute drive from the city center and the medina. This location provides a peaceful, wind-sheltered "oasis" away from the city's bustle. The hotel offers a convenient 20-minute hourly shuttle service to Essaouira's beach or medina. Free parking is available on-site. Nearby attractions include the Mogador Golf Course, just a 5-minute drive away, and Sidi Kaouki Beach, accessible in 15 minutes by car.
7. Value & Pricing
While considered a luxurious property, guests often perceive Le Jardin des Douars as good value, with rooms starting from approximately £105-£140 per night, including breakfast. Villas, offering more expansive accommodation, typically start from £490-£530 per night. The Michelin Guide categorizes its pricing as "3 of 4." Many guests highly recommend it as a worthwhile "luxurious treat" during a tour of Morocco.
8. Common Complaints
While reviews are overwhelmingly positive, a few minor points of criticism have been noted:
- Wi-Fi Connectivity: Some older reviews mentioned weak Wi-Fi in rooms, though current information suggests free Wi-Fi is available in all areas.
- Dinner Menu Variety: One guest felt the dinner menu could offer more variety.
- Bedding Firmness: A personal preference, one reviewer found the bedding slightly hard.
- Location Contrast: While the secluded location is a highlight for many, some guests noted the stark contrast between the hotel's luxury and the poverty in the surrounding areas of Essaouira, which can be surprising.
- No In-Room Television: Rooms generally do not feature televisions, although villas might be an exception.
Sources
Points to Consider
- •While reviews are overwhelmingly positive, a few minor points of criticism have been noted:
Google Reviews
423 reviews
Recent Guest Reviews
Sylwia Paterak
Absolutely fantastic exeperience. Comfortable big rooms, beautiful garden, very kind staff, delisious food, swimming pools with a heated water, petonque... you dont want to leave the hotel area at all. There was a problem with wifi but it didnt change the whole experience. I truly recommend if you want to disconnect and enjoy nature
Matt DeGooyer
This hotel exceeded all our expectations. The grounds of the hotel are beautiful, elegant, and have spotless, high-quality rooms that are even more spacious and beautiful than the photos might suggest. Service was top notch from reception, restaurants, pool bar and housekeeping. Two nights there were low-key musicians playing pleasant live music during dinner. Staff were particularly warm and ...
Mario
Good Hotel, Bad Personal Experience The hotel itself was fine, offering a decent, premium-level experience, but my stay ended on a very sour note. I made the mistake of leaving my wireless earbuds by the swimming pool table on Saturday, and they were gone when I returned approximately 12 hours later. While this was my fault for leaving them unattended for so long, it was extremely frustrating t...
Jenniffer Espinoza
Lovely, lovely stay. The hotel is so beautiful and the food was amazing. My only suggestion would be with the shuttle bus to essaouira. I think with the amount of people taking it they could organize certain hours for a lower price (we got a taxi for half the price).
Charlotte P.
Simply stunning and with the best service! We spent a week at Jardin des Douars and wished we could stay longer. The hotel is beautifully decorated, the staff is really professional and super nice and warm. The food is also really good, traditional with a twist. Thank you for making our stay beautiful and memorable.
Grace Cooper
We had an amazing week in Villa Jasmin- having the privacy of a villa whilst able to use what the hotel had to offer is such a great combination. Essaouria is a short 15 minute shuttle ride away, as is a quad biking trip on the dunes which was fantastic. Villa Jasmin is lovely- 3 large comfortable bedrooms, great pool and outside area, and designed nicely. Feels very ‘Moroccan!’. It’s literally ...
About One Michelin Key
One Michelin Key is awarded to hotels that offer a very special stay. These properties are characterized by their unique personality, high quality, and ability to create memorable experiences for guests.
