Merzouga hotel accommodation, Morocco

The building is an architectural work inspired by the Kasbahs of the zone, where the indoor temperature is cooler in summer and warmer in winter, with no need for artificial acclimatisation for 10 months a year. All the material used is from our region. Instead of bringing materials from large cities (like Casablanca or Marrakesh) we employ local artisans, in a non-industrialised zone: hand made bricks, iron, ceramic, pavements... The sheets and bedspreads are handwoven by the women of the town. With regards to the materials and the techniques, the visual impact is reduced, because it is based on local architecture and the colours are integrated on the landscape (the sand used for the bricks is sand taken from the land). All the food used in the restaurant is provided from the vegetable gardens of region, and it has not been stored in freezers or treated with pesticides. The meat is from cattle, bought at traditional markets.

The water is provided from an underground well, made by a nomad. This water comes from the perpetual snows of the Atlas mountains, in a subterranean oued. The distance maintained between the well and the next village, guarantees that our action has no negative impact in the town's underground water supply. This respect for the way of treating the water has ensured good relations with the people of Merzouga. All the staff are from the region: Chefs, leaders, room assistants and cleaners, the camel-guides, the waiters, the receptionists.... Employing these people improves the local economy: having one member of the family with a stable job in a very poor industrialised zone is very important.

All our activities have been designed with the elders of Merzouga and the nomads of the desert. They are all inspired by their culture. Everything you see at our hotel has a direct association with the Berber (Amazig) culture.

Our camels are rented to nomads, and they guide them through the desert, the cooking takes place in Merzouga's homes thought up by the women from the families, musicians from the region (itinerary musicians) provide music for the soirées of our hotel. We envisage ourselves as intermediaries between different cultures, our hotel is quite small and the relation with our guests is closed and not-standardized.

Our region is very specific. The nature of the desert needs local leaders. But knowing the desert is not only knowing the nature of the dunes, their cultural and natural values are based on the respect for the environment and for the people. We did not have to train them.. they know the region better than anybody else, and they also know that people coming from other natural and cultural realities do not know the desert environment.

The leaders give an RT briefing to our guests, some of the tips are:

The Morocco government does not have a public refuse-collection service so we ask our guests to take their rubbish back to the hotel, because we know how to treat it.

Even if it does not sound very friendly, we ask people not to give candies to the children (they usually ask for them). In Merzouga and the nearest towns there is no dentist, and it is not right to give them treated sugar.

We ask for responsible use of water.

We insist on the value of silence, and ask for cars with large engines not to be used, and for music not to be played at a loud volume. The noise is an aggression to the animals of the desert, and also to the people of the area.

The towels are washed by hand (we have no washing machines). In this way we save much more water and we offer jobs to women. Living in a country where water is one of the most necessary natural resources, our staff knows better than anybody how to save it. For 10 months a year, acclimatisation is natural, and during these months the only electric machine we have is the fridge. The light bulbs are low-energy.