LOCAL Escapes

At the rear, the main hotel building opens onto a broad porch that looks out along an impossibly long and blue swimming pool flanked by an avenue of tall palm trees. On either side, in low, whitewashed adobe, nestle two lines of private suites and two-bedroom villas, each protected by its own verdant garden. Around the outside orbit the spa and Hammam complex, the restaurant and lounges, a state-of-the-art gym with separate zones for men and women, a suite of 24-hour padel tennis courts and, of course, a children’s club to entertain younger guests. We feel we have been transported to a gentler, quieter place for our stay. It all feels so sheltered and secluded that we are not prepared for the scale and grandeur of our suite. Our host opens the door and our jaws drop. Our King Junior suite is nothing short of palatial. With maximum use of natural materials, it blends traditional architectural elements with modernist flair. The furniture is in highly polished wood, all smooth surfaces and restful lines, with thick cream cushions. The headboard and benches use traditional rattan weaving. And the soaring double-height ceiling is composed of perfectly aligned bamboo canes making a gorgeous golden zigzag. But the showstopper is one wall composed entirely of floorto-ceiling sliding French doors. At the press of a button, the sweeping floor-length curtains open to reveal our private patio with our own private temperature-controlled swimming pool, a miniature of the one at the centre of the resort, all sheltered behind green hedges. The bathroom is its own private kingdom, as large as half the bedroom, with sleek matte black fittings and twin sinks, well stocked with toiletries from London-based luxury brand Graff. The floor is a serene minimalist resin-sealed concrete, and the centrepiece is without doubt the most beautiful bath I have ever seen: a huge oval, almost a small swimming pool in itself.

It’s lunchtime and at Maysan, that means one thing: La Casa, which literally means home and features a carefully curated menu of homemade Italian classics. The setting is stunning. Gilded columns and huge smoked mirrors line the walls. Above us, a high vaulted ceiling is picked out with delicate wrought iron fretwork, recalling the art nouveau conservatories of Milan or Paris. In keeping with this theme, the tables are tucked into booths in emerald and claret velvet, creating more intimate, private nooks within this grand space.

We start with a light summery artichoke salad. The artichoke is sliced almost translucently thin, layered with curls of rocket leaves, sweet semidry cherry tomatoes, pine nuts and parmesan slivers. Alongside it, one of my weaknesses, baby calamari, fried just moments before, tossed with salt and lemon zest and piled high with baby cress, ready for hungry fingers to swoop in and plunge the pieces into homemade tartar sauce. Appetites whetted, it’s time for the main courses. In a broad blue platter, shaped like a shell, are stacked majestic king prawns, grilled and topped with fresh tomato salsa. We mop up the dressing with warm rosemary bread. Then a moment of drama: a beaten copper pan arrives, billowing steam and dry ice. Inside it, chargrilled lamb chops criss-cross with roasted aubergines. The fat is perfectly caramelised, the meat just blushing pink, tender and lean. We wash them down with a couple of Maysan’s original mocktails that we take back to the suite to prepare for this afternoon’s treat – a relaxing time at the spa.

The Maysan Spa is a sanctuary within a sanctuary. If the resort as a whole evokes the urban oasis of a walled garden, this effect is redoubled as soon as we walk through the spa doors. Treatment rooms are arranged around a previously concealed internal courtyard. Leading off this space are seven private treatment suites, each with a bathroom and changing room. There are separate sauna and steam-room facilities for men and women and a truly spectacular Hammam in emerald green marble. Maysan Spa’s facials use only cellular cosmetics from the Swiss line Valmont, while massages are with award-winning British brand Aromatherapy Associates.