Hotels Bloom This Spring in Marrakech

With an unofficial opening date planned for the second quarter of 2012, the long-anticipated Taj Palace Marrakech will be home to 161 guest rooms with interiors by artist and designer Stuart Church, who mixes Ottoman and Oriental influences with the bohemian aesthetic of a Berber kasbah, making the property feel like a landmark palace far older and grander than its actual age. The hotel also finds a fitting marquee for its lavish spa -- at more than 35,000 square feet, one of the largest in the region -- operating under Taj's Jiva Grande Spa brand with two large hammam-style bathing facilities. Not only are those the largest in the region; they're attached to a full-service fitness club and 14 treatment rooms just a short drive from the historic medina.