Owner: Collezione della Famiglia Fiermontina
Hotel operator: Fiermontina Ocean, Larache
Interior design: Laboratoire Design
Photo credits: Valentina Rosati
The La Fiermontina Ocean in Larache, Morocco is a wonderful adventure with a human dimension. This is the third hospitality facility, after Lecce and Paris, for La Fiermontina Family’s Collection brand, the keeper of a multicultural family history of almost 100 years old. Located in a destination off the beaten track, 45 minutes from Tangier, it is an area populated by the Jebala Berbers, its dunes open onto the ocean, and its protected natural sites full of plantlife, including a forest of cork oaks.
The eco-retreat offers exclusive hospitality based on an ethical economy of local Moroccan community support, along with fundamental values of respect for nature, the environment, and local authenticity. La Fiermontina Ocean works with the Orient-Occident Foundation to involve the local population directly in the project, helping residents of the neighboring douars live with dignity and stay in their ancestors’ land.
Local people are hired and thoroughly trained to welcome guests in 11 suites with swimming pools and private gardens carved into the rock, in two family villas, or one of the four traditional houses in the heart of the rural village. Interior architects Charles-Philippe Mommeja and Christophe Vialleton from Laboratoire Design drew from the hospitality brand’s cultural melting pot and mingled Italian charm, French elegance, and the warmth and color of Morocco. The mix of styles starts from the reception with a set of turquoise sofas and Italian lamps from the 1950s-1970s and Moroccan and French armchairs from the 1960s.
It continues in the residences with Atlas carpets, Berber poufs, traditional painted furniture, and Taza stone floors. Through an interplay of shapes, materials, fabrics, and antique works of art, guests are ushered into an immersive experience. The level of hospitality is excellent. The two family villas are 300 sq.m. with three bedrooms, private bathrooms, a large living room with a fireplace, a kitchen, and a vast terrace with an infinity pool, and a service staff. Guests can also have a direct relationship with the local area and 55 local families.
There is an option to enjoy breakfast at the home of a local. Naturally, there are also a hamman, a spa mixing Moroccan tradition and innovative treatments, and a restaurant where the family’s cultural diversity is reflected in the cuisine. La Fiermontina Ocean is built of local natural materials, aiming for low environmental impact, using energy primarily from renewable sources. Guests receive a welcome kit of eco-friendly products, and there is recycling with organic composting and electric service cars.
