Thought Leader with Vanessa Branson presenting El Fenn

Described as a champion of global cultural and ecological initiatives, Vanessa Branson is self- effacing when asked about her role as President and Founder of the Marrakech Biennale (formerly AIM Biennale). Founded in 2004, the Marrakech Biennale is a not for profit organisation which aims to establish Marrakech as a platform for contemporary art in Africa, the Middle East and the Mediterranean region.
North Africa’s only trilingual arts festival, an event now entering its 6th edition and comprising visual art, literature and film programs featuring acclaimed international and Moroccan artists, the Biennale’s objective is to build bridges between cultures.In October 2014, Vanessa was awarded the Royal distinction of Officer of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite, at the occasion of the ceremony inaugurating he Mohammed VI Museum for Modern and Contemporary Art in Rabat, in recognition of the contribution she has made to the Moroccan cultural scene and, in particular, for her efforts in establishing Marrakech as an eclectic and diverse platform for the arts. She is also a trustee of the British Moroccan Society and Virgin Unite, and on the board of trustees of Global Diversity Foundation
Voted as the number 1 travel destination in the world 2015 by Trip Advisor Awards, it’s obvious that Marrakech has a lot to offer. A well- known Jewish-Moroccan artist, Art- C intimates that in order to know Morocco, you have to know the people of Morocco and likens Moroccan people to the doors of the seemingly small houses one finds on Marrakech’s bustling streets- that seem small and insignificant upon first glance, but when opened, reveals and ‘Ali Baba universe’, as he describes it. It’s this Morocco that Vanessa Branson fell in love with when a passion for travelling and the purchase of a rundown ‘ruin’ of a palace in the centre of Marrakech, turned into a project with pal Howell James CBE, and is today the magnificent and magical El Fenn.Being passionate travellers, she and Howell had a ‘Fantasy Hotel’ game where they compared hotels they stayed in with their idea of an ideal hotel. This vision came to fruition with El Fenn.
Vanessa describes the moment they bought El Fenn in 2002, as ‘a mad moment of exuberance after a big lunch’ and describes the journey they went on to develop an ‘ancient crumbling palace’ into the beautiful boutique hotel which is today El Fenn.‘We weren’t professionals, were just passionate travellers interested in design’ says Vanessa, ‘And we wanted to make it a place we wanted to stay in and our friends would enjoy and could afford to be in.’ Not setting out to be professional business people, El Fenn is not a concept hotel, she says, ‘we simply set out to create the most beautiful hotel.’Entered through an unassuming doorway in the heart of the Medina, El Fenn is described as being a place where one can dress up or down according to one’s mood, where people are happy to lie around in one of the beautiful public spaces rather than be tucked away in their own private balconies, there is no time structure and one can enjoy meals served in the lively restaurant or brought to you on a tray ‘where you can lie and eat, read your book or sit on your computer’. With its beautifully bespoke bedrooms and 3 breathtakingly luxurious tree- filled courtyards boasting marble fountains, El Fenn is at once warm and inviting, with dark wood antique carved wooden doors, its rich fabrics, comfortable furnishing and roaring fireplaces and at the same time, discreet and mysterious, with its magical dusky ambiance hinting at hidden mysteries and enticing secrets. Renowned Moroccan architect Amine Kabbaj added his Midas touch to the project, maintaining and restoring the historic Moroccan architecture, extending the property to 28 rooms and adding all modern amenities. The 7000 square feet roof terrace provides the perfect views over the city any time of the day. It’s no wonder that in December 2014, El Fenn was voted number one out of 950 hotels to win the prestigious Mr & Mrs Smith award for Best Dressed Hotel.
El Fenn breathes art and breath-taking paintings and photographs from its astonishing modern art collection live comfortably amongst contemporary and sometimes quirky installations, reflecting a rich tapestry of life- diverse, deliciously rich and startlingly beautiful in its cultural clashes and connections.
An installation comprising a collection of shoes at the front door had me courteously shedding my shoes, mistakenly thinking that it followed my adopted country, Norway’s tradition off taking ones shoes off when entering a home!

[@Pilgrim06]

A soulful oasis of exquisite taste, a destination in itself; for me it had the experience of living amongst a curated , refined collection of Morocco’s essence. With service and food to inspire the senses. Three days and nights - I wouldn’t call it ‘a stay’ - of pure, living poetry, that kept unfolding itself before me.