The Oriental Spa is the hammam and treatment suite of Villa Maroc, a riad hotel at 10 rue Abdellah Ben Yassine inside the Essaouira medina. It sits in the central courtyard of the house and runs three treatment rooms alongside a vaulted hammam finished in green and rose zellij with marble benches. Hours are 9am to midday and 3pm to 8pm, with treatments arranged by reservation.
Why book
The Oriental Spa at Villa Maroc in Essaouira is the spa of one of the medina's oldest riad hotels, set in the central courtyard of the house.
The hammam is a small vaulted room lined with green and rose zellij, with marble benches and brass taps, closer to a private bath than a public steam hall.
Three treatment rooms sit around the same courtyard, each lit by a pierced metal lantern rather than ceiling lights.
Villa Maroc is on rue Abdellah Ben Yassine, a two minute walk from Place Moulay Hassan, so you do not need a taxi.
The spa splits its day into a morning and an afternoon session, which suits people who want a treatment before dinner.
Treatments
Traditional hammam sessions in the riad's own vaulted steam room.
Massages and body treatments in three private rooms off the courtyard.
Signature treatments and longer spa packages, listed on the spa menu the hotel supplies on request.
Opening hours
Morning session runs 9am to midday.
Afternoon session runs 3pm to 8pm.
Treatments are taken by reservation with the hotel.
Best time
The 3pm to 8pm session is the easy one to fit in: come back from the beach, take a treatment, then eat in the medina.
Villa Maroc is small, so ask for a slot as soon as you arrive in Essaouira rather than on the day.
The hammam is the right call after a windy day on the bay, when salt and sand have done their work.
How to combine
Place Moulay Hassan and the cafes around it are two minutes on foot.
The Skala du Port and the fishing harbour are a short walk west along the ramparts.
The souks and the woodworking workshops under the Skala de la Ville are inside the same walls.
Essaouira beach and the windsurf schools begin just south of the medina.
The Oriental Spa is inside Villa Maroc at 10 rue Abdellah Ben Yassine, 44000 Essaouira, in the walled medina about two minutes on foot from Place Moulay Hassan.
The Oriental Spa at Villa Maroc in Essaouira opens from 9am to midday and again from 3pm to 8pm. Treatments are taken by reservation with the hotel.
The Oriental Spa at Villa Maroc in Essaouira has one hammam and three treatment rooms, all arranged around the riad's central courtyard. It is a small spa built into a historic house rather than a large hotel wellness floor.
Yes. The Oriental Spa at Villa Maroc in Essaouira works by reservation. Contact the hotel on +212 5 24 47 61 47 or hotel@villa-maroc.com to fix a time and ask for the current spa menu.
The hammam at Villa Maroc in Essaouira is a small barrel vaulted room lined with green and rose zellij tilework, with marble benches, brass wall taps and a pierced lantern for light. It sits off the riad's central courtyard.