AKAN is redefining Moroccan luxury through soulful hospitality and a deep respect for cultural heritage.
Fez– In a hotel world that often feels copy-pasted, one Moroccan family is doing something different. The Benabbès-Taarji legacy is bringing heart back into hospitality, with AKAN, a new collection of soulful places where design, memory, and heritage all live under the same roof.
It’s not about building a brand. It’s about telling a story. A Moroccan story.
Since 1998, one of the finest examples of this vision has quietly flourished in Marrakech’s Palmeraie.
Set in three hectares of lush gardens, this serene retreat blends arabo-andalusian architecture with traditional craftsmanship and a lived-in sense of ease.
Forty-four rooms and suites, scattered across intimate pavilions, open onto private patios and quiet pools. Under the leadership of Mohamed Hejjaj, the experience is as layered as the setting itself, dinner beneath olive trees, long walks along shaded alleys, or peaceful afternoons at the spa.
Luxury here isn’t just about things. It’s about rhythm. Time. Texture. Authenticity.
Then there’s La Villa des Orangers, a rare jewel just steps from Medina. Once a grand 1930s residence, now a refined Relais & Châteaux address, the first on the continent, no less, it offers 33 rooms and suites that stay true to Moroccan materials and artisanal savoir-faire.
With its fountains, lush courtyards, scented gardens, and sweeping views of the Koutoubia and the Atlas Mountains, it’s both an escape and a deep dive into beauty.
General Manager Souheïl Hmittou keeps the mood effortlessly elegant, while Chef Ighiri Abdelilah brings a sense of ceremony to every meal. The spa, inspired by Roman serenity, is the cherry on top.
But AKAN isn’t just about beautiful properties, it’s about the thread that ties them together.
“We’re not just lining up destinations,” says Eros Abrile, one of the minds behind the project. “We’re crafting a story. One of a living, layered, emotional Morocco.”
That story continues through the work of Wafa Laksiri, Director of Marketing and Customer Experience, who curates bespoke immersive journeys for each guest, and Soraya Sandra El Mouch, Head of Brand Marketing, who ensures that each house, each element, fits into the larger narrative of AKAN.
This isn’t tourism, it’s legacy work. For the Benabbès-Taarji family, each property is not a product, but a living archive. A place that holds memory. A cultural statement. A promise to last.
And this is only the beginning. More homes will join the collection in time, each carrying a piece of Morocco with it, not the postcard version, but the real one. The soulful one.
In a world where luxury can feel empty, AKAN is betting on the opposite: real emotion, local roots, and a sense of belonging that doesn’t go out of style. It’s a luxury that tells a story, not just of Morocco, but of a family choosing to pass something down.
