Sir Richard Branson Reopens Kasbah Tamadot in Morocco

Has anyone had more fun over the past half-century than Sir Richard Branson? He has made his mark in various fields, and his swashbuckling persona has become a key asset of his global empire. Along the way, he has fallen in love with a handful of idyllic spots around the world and turned them into luxury getaways under the rubric of Virgin Limited Edition (VLE). Worth recently attended the re-launch of VLE’s Moroccan branch, Kasbah Tamadot.  

It is a very uncharacteristically foggy fall morning in the foothills of Morocco’s Atlas Mountains. Sir Richard Branson–self-made billionaire, serial entrepreneur, adrenaline-addicted adventurer–is leading our small group on a hike along a mountain path. The weather deprives us of the usual panoramic views of red-stone cliffs and hillside villages, but the hike, through a landscape dotted with juniper trees, feels like a stroll through an ancient Japanese landscape painting. At Branson’s insistence, we have started soon after dawn. It’s not as if we were sitting around. The previous afternoon, Branson had led another group on a bracing bike ride up (and then swiftly down) a mostly paved road up into the mountains. One rider’s Apple watch reported that we had climbed the equivalent of 81 stories. It felt like more.

Branson’s Playful Spirit Defines the Experience

That blend of playfulness, politeness, merriment, and hospitality characterizes Kasbah Tamadot. This luxury resort is one of the chief attractions of Virgin Limited Editions, a collection of nine luxury resorts around the world. The properties in the VLE portfolio are all places Branson fell in love with and transformed into high-end accommodations for well-heeled travelers whose taste for adventure matches his own. Branson’s enthusiasm is reflected in the welcoming spirit of the hotel staff, an entirely Moroccan team primarily drawn from the surrounding area, which the Berber people dominate. 

A Historic Villa with a Personal Touch

The meaning of the word “kasbah” varies depending on where you are in Northern Africa–generally taken to mean a town fortress, it can also mean a fortified granary, and in the Berber regions of Morocco, it often refers to a walled villa—as in the case of Kasbah Tamadot. The villa was built in the 1920s as the residence of a provincial official, in the days when much of Morocco was a “protectorate” of France (other parts of Morocco were under Spanish “protection”). When Branson purchased the place in the 90s, it was possessed by an Italian antique dealer named Luciano Tempo, who had put his stamp on the property with his collection and by commissioning the decorative painting of some of the ceilings. 

Branson learned about the place from his parents, who first came to visit it in 1988. After he bought it, his mother, Eve Branson, developed a passionate interest in the well-being of the surrounding area. Through the Eve Branson Foundation, she set up English classes for residents, organized rubbish bins to help keep settlements tidier, and encouraged local crafts. She died in 2021 at the age of 96. However, the vividness with which her son talks about her makes one think she might enter the room at any moment.

Resilience in the Face of Disaster

Just as Branson’s commercial enterprises have sometimes been battered by financial storms, his favored retreats have sometimes been hit by natural catastrophes. In September of 2017, his beloved Necker Island hideaway in the British Virgin Islands was struck by Hurricane Irma, which caused significant destruction to buildings, trees, and infrastructure. And on September 8, 2023, Morocco was hit by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake with an epicenter less than 60 kilometers from Kasbah Tamadot. Nearly 3,000 people were killed, and more than 5,000 were injured in the quake, which caused heavy damage in Marrakech and over much of the central part of Morocco, including the area around Kasbah Tamadot. 

The pre-earthquake property comprised the villa itself, its grounds, and some luxurious tents erected by Branson for visitors to experience a kind of accommodation evocative of the lives of nomadic peoples–while maintaining a high standard of luxury. The quake damaged the villa and destroyed its library and the structure that served as the property’s mule shed. Nobody who works at Kasbah Tamadot died, but nearby towns were hit hard. The Eve Branson Foundation responded by raising over $1 million (including contributions from former guests at the Kasbah) to support relief, recovery, and rebuilding. 

Faced with the damage the quake caused to the property, VLE restored the villa and the tents and expanded and improved the property. VLE added six large “riads”—the term refers to a traditional Moroccan house with a courtyard and garden. These riads can be booked entirely–with three separate bedrooms, each with a sitting room and outdoor space. Or one can book just one of the units, as the three sections of each riad can be enjoyed independently. I stayed in one of the rooftop tented suites of a riad, a kind of mini-villa in the sky, consisting of a bedroom with ensuite bath, a separate sitting room (also with bath), and a patio with chaises, a sofa, chairs, and table, as well as a private hot tub. The roofs of the bedroom and sitting room are indeed tented, and both rooms share a glorious view across the villa’s gardens to the surrounding hills. Riads are like the Kasbah itself–inward-looking structures that lavish their attention on the interior courtyards, gardens, etc., with a surrounding enclosure to provide privacy. 

Near the riads, in the place of the ruined mule shed, the new restaurant Asayss sits in a roofed structure open to the surrounding landscape front (including the beautifully landscaped gardens of the Kasbah). At the same time, drapes are used to keep the sun out of diners’ eyes or to keep heat in the room, as conditions warrant. Highlights of the cuisine at Kasbah Tamadot include traditional Moroccan tagines and a variety of bread baked in conventional Moroccan ovens. In addition to Asayss, one can dine at Kanoun—a more traditional dining room in the villa—and at an assortment of outside tables overlooking the main pool and the gardens. 

Community Engagement and Economic Impact

These improvements were accomplished within just a year of the earthquake’s strike, and throughout this period, all Kasbah Tamadot employees were paid. At the same time, the resort worked to relieve the suffering of those in surrounding communities and to help them rebuild. In the nearby village of Tamgounssi, which still displays the scars of the quake, we visited a weaving workshop established and supported by the Eve Branson Foundation. In one room, women were working on looms, weaving colorful fabrics made into laundry bags, tablecloths, pillowcases, and other decorative and practical items used at Kasbah Tamadot and other VLE properties. They are also available for purchase in the gift shop within the villa. In another room, women were making colorful rugs—a large one made here serves as the red carpet for the entrance of Kasbah Tamadot. (Another initiative offers training and facilities for local men to learn carpentry skills.) 

Building skills must have come in handy over the past year as the hotel staff and others worked to rebuild, expand, and improve the property. With about 150 employees and as a magnet for local tourism, Kasbah Tamadot is an integral part of the local economy. As Branson and his team celebrated the reopening of the property, it was clear that there was genuine enthusiasm among the staff. The expansion of the accommodations from 26 to 42 rooms/suites and the doubling in the number of diners the resort can serve at a sitting is a proclamation of confidence that the earthquake was an interruption, not an end, to the Kasbah’s story. 

The resort offers fantastic views of the surrounding mountains and valleys but does not sit antiseptically apart from the local community. The walls surrounding the property do not block the views, including nearby village structures still being repaired and reinforced; the market town of Asni is a short bike ride away. VLE encourages visitors to switch off their devices and relax on the property with pools, gardens, and dining options. However, guests are also encouraged to engage with local culture by visiting a local market, learning how to bake traditional bread, or having a cup of fresh mint tea at a local Berber residence. The souks and other attractions of Marrakech lie just an hour away. 

On-site activities include tennis, gym sessions, and visits to the Asounfou Spa, which consists of a traditional steambath cleansing called a hammam, which is extraordinarily relaxing and restorative. And even when Branson is not in residence, hikes and bike trips into the surrounding hills are easily arranged. Younger visitors may enjoy many of these activities and are encouraged to visit the Animal Palace, where they can admire and pet goats, sheep, donkeys, and rabbits. 

A Destination Rooted in Culture

While there was a good business reason for Branson to be present for the reopening of Kasbah Tamadot, there was also a palpable sense of family connection with the place, which is dear to his heart. The festivities marking the re-opening included much music, food, a spectacular firework display, a strolling magician, and Branson himself presiding over the revels in a purple cape (of local manufacture). One could sense the relief all involved with the enterprise felt that after the disastrous effects of the earthquake, Kasbah Tamadot was once again ready to welcome a new slew of visitors. 

These days, many high-end resorts stress their connections to the local communities and their efforts to make a positive contribution through employment, environmental efforts, and educational initiatives. The message is even more compelling when personalized by Sir Richard Branson and his mother’s foundation among the Berber peoples of the Atlas Mountains.