Ocean Vagabond

A colourful hotel with a welcoming vibe, just a shake away from Essaouira’s souks and a dream base for windsurfers

One street from the beach and thumping Atlantic breakers, and a 5-minute stroll from Essaouira’s medina, this hip hotel is a favoured hang-out for the town’s international kite and windsurfing community and other tuned-in travellers. The hotel marries the best of Morocco with cosmopolitan tastes, enlisting top Marrakchi interior designer Belafarri.

A round central column provides the visual axis around which the building turns, lifting the main ceiling to double height and supporting a mezzanine TV lounge-cum-library. Buff-coloured beijmat floors and all-white walls are sparked into life by brightly-coloured cushions and rugs, African portraits, wildlife paintings and jazzy vases and lamps. There’s a funky bar area, great food that pick-and-mixes from French and Moroccan cuisine, a hammam, and 14 colour-infused bedrooms.

Highs

• The garden is dotted with sunloungers and a small pool - a rarity in Essaouira
• The colourful lounge-bar-dining area has an instant feel-good factor
• The building celebrates the ocean light that slants in throughout the day; magical in the evening with candles
• If you've been travelling in Morocco, the restaurant's international menu makes for a welcome culinary change
• The bedrooms marry space and comfort and those at the top of the building look out to Essaouira’s beautiful sweep of beach
• You couldn’t be in better hands if you want to kite- or windsurf

Lows

• Some reports suggest service is a bit too laid back
• The upper guest lounge is low-ceilinged and a bit claustrophobic. But there are plenty of other areas for hunkering down
• The main drag into town is a street away so expect to hear some traffic noise (take ear plugs)
• There are few Moroccan dishes on O.V.’s menu
• Food and wine at dinner come with a higher-than-average price tag. A 3-course meal with good wine will cost €40-€50 per head