All products featured on Vogue are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
Welcome to the second iteration of Vogue’s global spa guide, an index of the 100 best spas in the world, built from the expertise of our global editors and trusted contributors. There is a lot to choose from in the world of wellness, and no matter how far you’re planning to travel—from a subway ride to a trans-Atlantic flight—we want to make sure it’s worth the journey. Whatever your path, let us be your guide.
Why go here?
In April 2024, to the beguilement of the global travel elite, the Royal Mansour opened the doors to its second-ever property, in downtown Casablanca on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. Owned by King Mohammed VI, the hotel’s famed Marrakech OG location—with its exquisite Augustinus Bader spa—regularly ranks on the world’s best hotels lists. (We d hoped to make it there this year, but didn t quite get there—check back in future years.) So it was safe to say that anticipation for The Spa at Royal Mansour Casablanca—an ode to North African wellness and beautification eight years in the making, and housed on two stories and more than 2510 square meters—was sky-high.
What’s the vibe?
Forget the trad urban hotel “subterranean” wellness experience (read: basement), with all the atmosphere (dimly lit) of a lavish parking garage. When it comes to The Spa Royal Mansour Casablanca, everything is elevated. Taking up the entirety of the hotel’s fourth and fifth floors, light pours into the treatment rooms, gym, pilates and yoga studio, salon, stunning mosaic outdoor plunge pool, and the post-massage relaxation booths (assorted dates and seeds to hand). Marble abounds, while wood tones, leather, and linen instantly make you sink into the comfort and quiet.
One of the most appealing elements for Western visitors is the sense of place. Casablanca has long been a crossroads of cultures, a port where locals mingle with visitors from the rest of Africa, the Middle East and Europe, and the spa is no exception. Perhaps its most winning quality is its ability to refract a sense of international luxury through Casablanca’s rich history, leaving visitors from around the world feeling rejuvenated, relaxed, and like they have experienced more that just one more stop on the merry-go-round of luxury travel.
The history?
That said, this is not a resort experience. While the Marrakesh Mansour is a tourist haven, Casablanca (population in excess of six million in the Casablanca-Settat region) is one of Africa’s financial powerhouses, and Morocco’s business capital. The hotel has instantly become the fanciest spot in town, so spa-wise, expect a rolling roster of jet-set guests and well-heeled locals, as well as beauty addicts willing to travel from Fez, Rabat, and beyond for the region’s only Hydrafacial machine (the glow!) on top of an assortment of top-tier massages and treatments. The partnership with marocMaroc, the skin-care brand harnessing the allure of traditional Moroccan ingredients, is especially a winner.
What should you try?
Hands down, the signature hammam experience. The process of being guided through deep exfoliation and black-soap cleansing, followed by argan oil application in their stunning marbled hammams, will leave your skin, mind, and perhaps even your soul experiencing a level of deep cleanse that will stay with you long after you’ve floated back into the real world. (It’s worth noting that all the work is floor-based, as is the tradition in Morocco.)
What else do we need to know?
“We are global, but it is Morocco through and through,” says spa director Hanane Selloum of North Africa’s hottest new beauty destination. “We have all the modern luxury our global guests expect, but we do everything here with a real sense of our history here in Casablanca and Morocco too.”
Who can go?
Hotel guests naturally have access to the gym, sauna, and pool, and treatments are available by appointment. Fitness memberships are also available to city dwellers.
Booking details for The Spa Royal Mansour
Address: Av. des FAR, Casablanca 20250, Morocco
Read more from Vogue’s Global Spa Guide. Read more about Royal Mansour Casablanca at the Conde Nast Traveler Hot List.