El Fenn Through My Eyes – Jeremy Jauncey
Who better to tell you about what it’s like to stay at El Fenn than our guests themselves?
In our new series El Fenn Through My Eyes, we’re sitting down with some of our favourite people to ask them about why they choose to stay with us – and their most memorable moments.
Kicking off the series is Jeremy Jauncey.
As founder & CEO of @beautifuldestinations and @beautifulhotels – with a combined following of 45 million people on social platforms – he’s travelled the world capturing content of some of the most unique properties. In 2021, Jeremy stayed at El Fenn with his fiance Pia Wurtzbach for five months during the Covid pandemic.
“I first discovered El Fenn through Instagram. No surprise there. My job involves looking at an awful lot of images of hotels of course but there was a shot of candles floating in the pool that instantly captivated me. I fell in love. I first visited in 2016 when I was doing an event in Marrakech and returned regularly after that. So regularly in fact that I lived in El Fenn for five months in early 2021!
Travel was restricted because of the pandemic and my fiance Pia and I needed to stay put somewhere for a while. I thought of El Fenn immediately because it’s one of the most homely properties I’ve ever visited and I felt welcome the moment I walked in. I knew it was the perfect place for us to put down some temporary roots while we waited for travel to start again because we’d be able to feel comfortable.
During our long stay, I’d swim every morning in the downstairs pool. I’m a big believer in the benefits of cold water therapy and the ground floor pool doesn’t get the early morning sun like the pools on the roof so it’s perfect for a swim after a workout. The rest of the day was spent working and we had lunch on the roof terrace every day. At times, because of the lockdowns, Pia and I ended up having the place to ourselves and it was pretty magical. We also loved an evening drink at the downstairs bar. The firepits would be lit and sometimes a guest would play the piano. A great place to relax.
We stayed in several different rooms during the five months we were at the hotel and all were beautiful. The large rooms obviously have the wow factor but we also loved the smaller ones above the main courtyard. They’re quiet and get the best natural light at the start of the day. The windows are also large so you can make the most of the cool morning air before the heat kicks in.
For me, what’s unusual about El Fenn is that it’s almost two very different properties. By day, it’s full of drenched colours and sunshine. But then the sun sets, the candles are lit and it becomes a completely different experience. It’s a special place.”
