Sir Richard Branson is celebrating a double success in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2021 with two of his stunning Virgin Limited Edition collection of luxury retreats around the world being voted best of the best.
His Kenya Safari Camp, Mahali Mzuri, is ranked Number One Hotel in the World and Number One Resort in Africa, while Kasbah Tamado, at the foot of Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, has been named top resort hotel in North Africa and the Middle East for the fourth year in a row.
Situated in the private Olare Motorogi Conservancy in the wider Maasai Mara ecosystem in Kenya, Mahali Mzuri lives up to its name’s translation in Swahili — “beautiful place”.
The accommodation, that sits in the direct path of the annual Great Migration, is both intimate and super stylish with just 12 luxury tented suites that make for the perfect retreat after a day of world-class game viewing in the vast Kenyan plains.
Each tent includes an adjoining bathroom and substantial private deck, while at the center of the camp sits the Main Tent, where breakfast and lunch are enjoyed on an expansive deck with breathtaking views.
Travellers are immersed straight into local culture with intricacies such as a Maasai spear which doubles as a ‘do not disturb’ sign, while refreshing dips are taken in the 12-metre infinity pool overlooking the never-ending views of the majestic Maasai Mara.
Top of page and above: The Mahali Mzure safari camp in Kenya. Below: The Kasbah Tamadot resort at the foot of Morocco’s Atlas Mountains
Community is at the very heart of the hotel where all of its staff are Kenyan and the largest number of local Maasai are employed in the area.
Guests have the opportunity to visit a traditional Maasai village, help in the abundance of community projects the camp is renowned for, or simply just sit back and absorb the peace and quiet, and the beautiful surrounds that the design of the camp guarantees.
Sister hotel Kasbah Tamado is nestled in a remote village and marketplace in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, and is renowned for the lengths it goes to in supporting its local community and people.
Along with its unique setting and stunning facilities, the hotel employs nearly all of its staff from the local Berber village and created the Eve Branson Foundation to provide opportunities and enhance living standards for young people and women in some of the most impoverished communities in the local area.
The tranquil and secluded hotel has 28 rooms and suites, including the Master Suite and ten authentic Berber Tents.
Each room at Kasbah Tamadot is decorated in a unique style with beautiful artefacts from around the world, many of them collected by its former owner, the renowned antiques dealer and interior designer Luciano Tempo.
The luxurious Berber tented suites offer stunning views of the mountains, king-size beds, large soaking tubs (some with mountain views) and private terraces with sun loungers and 180-degree mountain views. Some even have private plunge pools.
Travel + Leisure recognises the top hotels, islands, cities, cruise lines, airlines, spas, and more, based on a readers’ survey on rooms/facilities, location, service, food and value.
