Atlas mountains boutique hotel in Morocco
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
The hotel has been built on land of low agricultural value, so the change of land use to one that provides employment for a significant number of local people is very positive. Although the hotel is new, its traditional architecture is in keeping with the mountain environment and really complements its fantastic hill-top location. The traditional materials employed were sourced locally. In particular the stone was collected from the river bed as it was periodically washed down by mountain storms.
Energy use is minimised through the use of solar panels for hot water and under-floor heating. When necessary, this heat is supplemented by heat from high efficiency gas condensing boilers. Energy efficient light bulbs are used and the rooms and suites have systems that turn off lights and appliances when guests go out.
The Atlas Mountains have an arid climate, so methods to conserve water are important. We have our own well which provides us with water descending from the summits of the mountains. We are proud of our beautiful gardens that cover five hectares and the way that we use water intelligently. We have re-introduced many native mountain plants that are resistant to the climate and stop soil erosion. We also have formal gardens with rose and other flower beds, and these are watered by efficient drip-feed irrigation.
We have planted a large numbers of trees (fir, olive, almond, fig, pomegranate and other fruit trees).The new trees and plants have made a big difference to our natural environment and guests will be able to see a large variety of birds.
We are passionate about fresh food and cultivate our own fruit and vegetables. Our produce is largely organic and we always appreciate specialist advice for our particular environment.
Community
Morocco is much poorer than the countries in Europe to the north and, with a young population and high unemployment, the people face many challenges earning sufficient money. The key to prosperity is jobs and the Kasbah regards this as one of its main priorities. Your visit to our hotel will help put money into the local economy and generate important direct and indirect employment.
The Kasbah was constructed using local workers. There were up to 60 local workers at the height of construction and hence 60 families that had a source of income in an area that was previously very poor. The activity of our company encouraged other investors to start projects in the area.
The hotel opened in March 2011 and we currently have 20 staff. This should increase to over 40 once we are better known. We are continuing with the policy to source as many of our supplies as possible locally and thereby generate significant indirect employment.
The Kasbah is in a wonderful location and guests have the opportunity to see some fantastic scenery. However, we want to do more than this. We want guests to experience the culture of the Berbers living in the mountains. Thus, in addition to all our staff being from the local villages (Moroccan Berbers), we organise a large programme of activities that allow guests to see a different way of life. We will take you to the real Berber mountains away from the regular tourist circuits and allow you to discover some of the initiatives that the local people are taking themselves to increase prosperity.
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