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The Sheltering Spa

Just around the corner from snake charmers and belly dancers, visitors to Marrakech can now find two new Cinq Mondes spas, chic imports from Paris. Opened in partnership with Club Med Marrakech, one is near the lively Djemàa el-Fnâ square in the medina, the other, in the city's upscale La Palmeraie district. The latter, at the Marrakech La Palmeraie, just completed last year, is the first of Club Med's upgraded luxury properties, and its Cinq Mondes spa certainly helps underscore that message. The reception is airy and light, the walls are white and violet, the floor is covered in colorful mosaic, and from the ceiling hang delicate star lanterns. The treatment rooms and relaxation area surround a glassed-in water courtyard, as does the sizable, tiled hammam. In the fashion of its original Paris location, Cinq Mondes offers treatments from around the globe, from Japanese shiatsu to Javanese body scrubs. But here in Morocco one should experience the two-hour Royal Ritual of the Hammam ($198), especially after a long day exploring the mazes of the medina. It includes a scrub down with Moroccan black soap, a traditional moisturizing wrap, and to top it off, a relaxing massage.

MARRAKECH LA PALMERAIE, CINQ MONDES, MARRAKECH, MOROCCO, (800) 258-2633, CLUBMED.COM .

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