Research Trip: Spain & Morocco
Abercrombie & Kent FAM - Spain & Morocco
Paige recently took a familiarization trip (FAM) with Abercrombie & Kent to Spain and Morocco and can't wait to tell you all about it.
The Stops:
Madrid, Cordoba, Toledo, Granada, Rabat, Fez, Casablanca, Marrakech
The Hotels:
Heritage Madrid Hotel, Hotel Orfila Madrid, Mandarin Oriental Ritz Madrid, Palacio Gran Via Royal Hideaway Hotel Granada, Fairmont La Marina Rabat-Sale, Story Rabat, Four Seasons Rabat, Riad Fes, Palais Faraj Fes, Royal Mansour Casablanca, Mandarin Oriental Marrakech, Kasbah Tamadot Atlas Mountains, Olinto Atlas Mountains, Villa des Orangers Marrakech
The Highlights:
Abercrombie & Kent service, Mandarin Oriental Ritz Madrid, Paella Masterclass, Alhambra in Granada, Tapas in Spain, Four Seasons Rabat, Lunch at Royal Mansour Casablanca, Mandarin Oriental Marrakech, Moroccan oil, Sidecar tour in Marrakech, Farmers Restaurant Marrakech
Day to Day Details:
Day 1:
Arrival into MAD airport was fairly early and after grabbing my bag I was greeted by my Guardian Angel with A&K that assisted me to my transfer, talked me through my itinerary, and made sure I had everything I needed! One of the biggest perks of A&K is that you have a Guardian Angel in each city and access to them 24/7. Guardian Angels are specifically vetted by A&K and know their cities inside and out. They can give you amazing recommendations from where to explore, where to buy the best souvenirs, and they know all the best food spots!
Once I arrived at my hotel, Heritage Madrid Hotel, my room was ready (another perk with OTM and A&K) and they offered me breakfast on arrival where I had a lovely cappuccino and avo toast with poached eggs! As a Relais & Chateaux property, the food was amazing! Once I got to my room I took a hot shower and a nap (tsk tsk for beating jet lag) and went out to explore the city on my own for a few hours. Heritage Madrid Hotel is set in the Salamanca neighborhood, which is perfect for walking around. I love Madrid and have been a few times, so I was fairly comfortable walking to and through Retiro Park on my own.
Later that evening our group met up for the first time together at Orfila Hotel, another Relais & Chateaux, for dinner and a site inspection. This property is set in a historic building that used to be a theater and features many original design features and a quaint garden.
Day 2:
The morning started off with breakfast at the hotel and then we were off to the city center. We were originally scheduled to have a tour of the Royal Palace, but as a working palace for the Royal Family, an event got scheduled and we had to shift plans. After walking around the outside of the palace, we headed to The Prado Museum with our amazing guide to check out some amazing art by Velázquez, Goya, El Greco, and more. I’ve been to The Prado before, without a guide, and let me tell you, it makes all the difference. Learning about the art and how many of the pieces are connected through history makes all the difference, especially as someone that studied art and history in school.
After time at The Prado, we headed back to the Heritage Hotel for a site inspection and very delicious lunch. The food at R&C hotels is truly unmatched. Every bite was so delicious and I cleaned my plate each time.
Later that evening, we met up with another guide for a wonderful, authentic tapas tour through La Latina, best known for their tapas restaurants and Mercado de San Miguel, one of my favorite places to eat. After fully stuffing our faces with each restaurant's delicacies, we had to call it a night.
Day 3:
Today we headed out of Madrid via car south to Toledo, a great day trip pairing with Madrid. The old city of Toledo is surrounded by walls, first built by Romans, but later settled by Muslims, Jews, and Christians. Today the city still holds the history of each influence and features one of the biggest cathedrals in the country. After a few hours walking around the walled city, we headed back to Madrid.
Tonight we changed hotels to the STUNNING Mandarin Oriental Ritz, legit one of the most beautiful hotels I have ever seen. This hotel was one of the original Ritz hotels, still holding true to its name, but now owned by Mandarin Oriental, and recently went through a multi-million dollar renovation reopening in 2021. Not only is this hotel in the most prime location, the property has everything you need, the rooms are to die for, and the attention to detail is second to none. The only thing we all regretted was not having more time here!
For dinner we headed to the outdoor kitchen on property for an exclusive Paella Masterclass with one of the chefs trained by local superstar chef Quique Dacosta. Dacosta is known for this paella recipe and has earned himself multiple Michelin stars throughout his restaurant locations. The experience was so fun and we got to eat our personalized paella plus some additional recipes and take home the recipes and a custom apron!
Day 4:
Today we headed to Madrid Atocha train station with our Guardian Angel to board a 2-ish hour train to our next city, Cordoba. On arrival in Cordoba, we met our guide and driver and headed to the historic city center. Here, we got to see more of the Muslim, Jewish, Christian influences by exploring the only Mosque Cathedral in the world, the Mezquita de Córdoba. First built as a mosque, this building has shifted over time as the power in Cordoba was constantly shifting between Muslims and Christians. Within each addition to the building you can see the representation of Muslim and Christian influence and the shifting of designs. The building is so large, you could walk around for hours and still not cover the whole space.
After our morning in Cordoba, we headed towards Granada, about a 2 hour drive from Cordoba. On arrival at Palacio Gran Via Royal Hideaway Hotel, we got to pick out our room scents, each a flower that grows at Alhambra! We then headed to their amazing rooftop bar for welcome drinks and a beautiful view of the Alhambra. It’s said that this hotel has the best rooftop view in the city and we also happened to be there on the night of the Harvest Full Moon! After we got our fill of moonlight, we headed to their restaurant on property for a delicious dinner.
Day 5:
This morning we headed out for one of our favorite guided tours through the Alhambra. I had previously been to the Alhambra, but on their hottest day on record and barely lasted through the day, so this was a nice change! The Alhambra is one of the most significant palace and fortress complexes in southern Spain, originally built by the Muslim state leader and features some of the most well preserved Islamic architecture outside of a Muslim state. The grounds are truly stunning and quite literally built for a queen, also known as one of the residences of Queen Isabella (watch The Spanish Princess). I think we all could have just walked around the grounds all day and were truly taken by the beauty.
Later that day we headed to the hills of Granada to the Sacramonte neighborhood. Sacramonte is known for its gypsy settlement and now for the flamenco shows in the gypsy caves. After seeing a beautiful sunset over the hill, we headed deep into a cave for a very authentic flamenco experience. Flamenco in Spain is more than a dance, it’s a way of communication and in the hills of Granada, a completely new style was formed over the years. The dancing is passionate and tells a story. It’s truly a unique experience and very special.
Afterwards, we went back into town for more tapas! Granada is known as the region of free tapas! For every drink you order, you get a signature tapa to pair. I can see how you could easily stay out all night just ordering drinks and tapas in Granada!
Day 6:
This morning we packed up and headed to the Malaga airport for our flight to Morocco!!! From Malaga we had a quick 1 hour jump over to Casablanca where we landed and met our Guardian Angel with VIP service through immigration.
From the airport we made the 1.5 hour drive to Rabat to check into our hotel, Fairmont La Marina Rabat-Sale. After checking in, we got a site tour of the beautiful property and got to finish at their rooftop lounge for snacks and drinks with the most beautiful sunset.
Day 7:
We woke up to a beautiful breakfast spread at the hotel and headed out for our first tour in the country. Our first stop was to the Mausoleum of Mohammed V. This beautifully tiled and ornate complex is now the resting place for all the kings of Morocco. After, we got to walk through the Oudaya Kasbah, the old fortified city of Rabat that leads into the Andalusian Gardens.
From there, we headed to the newly renovated Four Seasons Rabat, which was one of the most impressive properties we toured. This property is a Unesco site, formerly a palace brought back to life by Four Seasons. We finished with a beautiful lunch on their pool deck.
From there, we jumped into our car to start the longer drive towards Fes.
To break up our drive, we arranged a guided tour of Volubilis, a Roman city archaeological site. It felt like being in Italy or Greece here and we had to remind ourselves we were actually in Morocco!
After our long drive, we finally arrived at our next stop, Riad Fes, and dined on property.
Day 8:
This morning we were up and out to start a full day of Fes artisan and textile tour. We started in the Medina, Fes El Bali, to walk the narrow old streets lined with hundreds of vendors. Throughout the day we got to visit a rug manufacturer, a tannery and leather store, and a beautiful pottery workshop.
Later that evening, we headed to the other featured property in Fes, Palais Faraj, for a site tour and dinner. The rooftop of Palais Faraj overlooks the old Medina, which has beautiful views during sunset!
Day 9:
Road trip day! Unfortunately our flight to Marrakech got cancelled, so today turned into a longer roadtrip day, but we got to make a stop about half-way through in Casablanca at one of the most amazing hotels!
Royal Mansour is the hotel brand owned and cultivated by the royal family, and when I say it’s royally grand, I mean it! For our stop, we got a site tour and had lunch at the Royal Mansour Casablanca, and all of us agreed we’d happily return just to stay at this property.
After lunch, we stopped by the magnificent Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world!
We finished our day by finally arriving to our grand finale, the Mandarin Oriental Marrakech, where we checked in and had a delicious dinner on property at Ling Ling.
Day 10:
We woke up to the most beautiful morning in Marrakech with breakfast and a site tour at our hotel. This property is so beautiful and our whole group can’t wait to go back to actually have some free days to relax on property!
The majority of the rooms on property are standalone villas featuring a private patio with a huge pool and an incredibly spacious room with a living area, bedroom, and exceptionally spacious bathroom. The property also features multiple restaurants, a garden, a kids club, a main pool, and a very relaxing spa.
After, we headed into the old Medina for some souvenir and argan oil shopping and then to a cooking class for lunch. During the interactive cooking class we got to make our own lunch in the traditional tagines and enjoy the fruits of our labor.
We then visited the iconic Jardin Majorelle, famously restored by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, known for its luscious garden and rich, vibrant colors.
Then, it was my favorite activity of the trip, a sidecar motorcycle tour through the old Medina! We each got a seat either in the sidecar or on the back of the motorcycle and zipped through the old city exploring sites and learning from our drivers. We finished the tour in a beautiful open plaza just as the golden hour sun was hitting us.
For dinner, we got to experience a little more of the local culture with dinner in town.
Day 11:
For our final day in Morocco we got to head to the beautiful Atlas Mountains for a hike, Berber experience, and some special hotel visits.
The Atlas Mountains are filled with beautiful landscapes, views, and Berber villages, home to Morocco’s Indigenous Amazigh people. As a very unique experience, after our hike, we got to visit a Berber home for a very traditional breakfast and tea and learn how their culture has been passed down generations.
For lunch we headed to Olinto, a beautiful villa property and olive orchard, owned by an Italian prince, turned into a luxury hotel.
For our last stop, we got to visit Kasbah Tamadot, Sir Richard Branson's award-winning magical mountain retreat! Set in the mountains with beautiful views, this property features riad style rooms, perfect for an elevated traditional stay.
For our final dinner, we got to head to another amazing property, La Villa des Orangers, right in the Medina.
Why Spain
Spain is one of my favorite destinations in Europe because it offers the perfect blend of history, culture, incredible food, and luxury accommodations. Each city feels completely different from the last, from the grand boulevards of Madrid to the winding streets of Toledo, the rich history of Córdoba, and the stunning architecture of Granada. The country is incredibly easy to navigate thanks to its excellent train network, making it ideal for travelers looking to experience multiple regions in one trip.
Spain is also a destination where food plays a central role in everyday life. Whether you’re enjoying tapas in Madrid, a traditional paella experience, or discovering Granada’s famous free tapas culture, every meal feels like part of the journey. Combined with world-class hotels, knowledgeable guides, and unforgettable cultural experiences, Spain is a destination I find myself recommending (and going to) again and again.
Why Morocco
Morocco completely exceeded my expectations. While many travelers are initially drawn to the colorful souks and famous landmarks, what surprised me most was the incredible diversity of experiences within the country. One day you’re exploring ancient medinas and artisan workshops, and the next you’re enjoying luxury resorts, mountain villages, or coastal cities.
The hospitality throughout Morocco was exceptional, and the craftsmanship found in everything from pottery and textiles to architecture and design was truly remarkable. Marrakech offers energy and excitement, while destinations like Rabat, Fes, and the Atlas Mountains provide entirely different perspectives on the country. Morocco is a destination that engages all of your senses and leaves a lasting impression long after you return home.
Why Abercrombie & Kent
One of the highlights of this journey was experiencing Abercrombie & Kent’s service firsthand. From the moment I landed in Madrid until my departure from Morocco, every detail was thoughtfully coordinated. The Guardian Angel program was particularly impressive, providing local experts in each destination who were available to assist with logistics, recommendations, and anything else we might need throughout the trip.
Traveling through multiple cities and countries can sometimes feel overwhelming, but A&K made the experience seamless. Between the knowledgeable guides, VIP airport services, carefully selected hotels, and exclusive experiences, every aspect of the journey felt effortless. Their attention to detail and deep destination expertise are what truly set them apart and allow travelers to focus on enjoying the experience rather than worrying about the logistics.
