The Story of The Sea Green Room

We’re going to let you into a secret: this room is one of our favourites. 

It might be smaller than some but has the most beautiful light and a view over our central courtyard. Step out of the huge cedar doors and onto a colonnade to enjoy a morning cup of coffee – and birdsong from the trees just outside the room.

It’s also got one of the most famous baths in the hotel because Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o posed in it during a 2014 Vogue shoot with photographer Mikael Jansson.

One of our original rooms, it’s one of the few that hasn’t been tweaked too much over the years. While other rooms might have had tadelakt or tiling renewed, the beautiful sea green walls have stood the test of time.

Tadelakt is hand-mixed and pigment is added on the spot. But as we watched the lime plaster being mixed while this room was being finished in late 2003, we knew the bespoke colour was perfect. The bed frame and bath are also crafted from it.

We love to play with scale when we’re designing spaces and the oversized hand beaten Moroccan lantern in this room does just that. Look up and you’ll see a traditional hand carved cedar wood ceiling.

But perhaps the most recognisable element of this room is the Venetian mirror hanging above the bed which we found in a dusty antique shop in Gueliz when we were out shopping before the hotel opened. 

With so many of our guests returning again and again to El Fenn, we want them to feel there’s always something new to see and we also believe that buildings are living organisms that require change so we’ll often move carpets, art and furniture around the hotel to create new moods and vistas. 

But the Venetian mirror has always hung above the bed and will always remain there. The room just wouldn’t be the same without it. 

The sea green room is in the large room category, see more of them here.