Introduction Olinto might very well be the best overall hotel experience my wife and I have yet experienced in 108 years (combined!) of hotel-visiting.It is an adults-only (18 and older) retreat, near the village of Ouirgane in the High Atlas mountains, roughly an hour’s drivetime south of Marrakech.16 acres, 9 keys, a place of incomprehensible beauty, calm, luxury and restraint.Before getting into details, some history of this property might be in order: Olinto is part of a larger property, an olive farm that’s been there as long as anyone can remember, at least a century or three, Fabrizio Ruspoli - an Italian prince whose arts/patronage provenance goes back many centuries - purchased the farm in 2019, just after selling his previous, highly storied Marrakech riad hotel La Maison Arabe. Ruspoli named the farm ‘Olinto’ (Italian for olive) and carved out a 16-acre portion of it for this resort.Over the subsequent three years, this new owner created a very different kind of vibe and space than the storied La Maison Arabe apparently occupied during his forty-year ownership.In designing and building the resort, directive #1 to Ruspoli's team - even before any considerations of layout, facilities, materials or style - was to not fell (or move/replant) a single existing tree in the process.With the hotel (nearly) complete, they have needed to cut down only two olive trees (among seemingly-endless thousands of them).Ruspoli employed hundreds of Morocco’s most skilled artisans - builders, woodworkers, zelige tile masters, plaster carvers, etc - to complete this dream of a resort during the entirety of the coronavirus pandemic, essentially saving the livelihoods of many in said vocational communities.Any existing structures on the proposed ‘resort’ section of the farm were razed, save for one large barn that was repurposed into a bar/lounge (and to stunning effect). Everything else was hand-built from the ground up.And the most remarkable thing about these new structures - indeed, perhaps the most convincing magic spell the entire property casts - is how absolutely ancient everything looks and feels. The stone pavilions (villas), the pushed-earth walls surrounding the property and its sections, the brickwork and tiling all over the villas and common spaces, the gorgeous terra cotta Moorish/Spanish roof shingles….. Everything looks like it’s been there for centuries, fully patina’d, weathered, just incredible. All of these structures existing where they do - i.e. among the already very mature olive/fruit/nut trees and other landscaping as per original vision - surely plays no small part in this particular magic trick. I should also note that we visited Olinto in early June, just as Morocco's ‘low season’ was commencing. We saw some other guests, mostly during breakfast/dinner hours then later evenings at the bar, and we were told that 5 of the 9 pavilions were booked at various points during our four-day stay. But I can’t imagine this sprawling oasis feeling anything less than completely private, even during peak capacity (18 guests). Check In Completely delightful, but like everything else here, very calm and private.Even the drive-up and cul-de-sac for the lobby entrance feels Eden-like; a bespoke grass/gravel and stone affair nestled (like everything else on property) between rows of ancient-looking olive/fruit/nut trees.Thankfully, no long reception lines containing the entire Love Boat crew in white gloves, clapping in unison. Just an extremely quiet, classy pair of young gentlemen dressed in smart-looking traditional Berber uniforms, opening the doors of Olinto's Range Rover for us, handling all of our luggage and whisking us inside to the private reception area. “Welcome home!’ one of them near-whispered to us with a huge grin, after they each warmly greeted us by name and congratulated us on our 20th wedding anniversary.(This was the 1st of 3 hotels on our trip, so we d arranged for Olinto’s own transport from RAK, which was executed flawlessly and with similar grace.)Once inside the beautiful (and amazing-smelling) lobby, after a delicious welcome drink and a passport given, we were offered the option of a short property tour or being escorted directly to our room. Room All nine guest pavillions at Olinto are massive stone/pushed-earth villas. If I’m not mistaken, they are all '1BR', and all have either a full pool or plunge/soaking pool.The oavillions are situated along either side of a bucolic road-width walkway. While at first glance, one might worry that within such a vast acreage, grouping all of the villas in a (relatively) small area would somewhat curtail complete and utter privacy. It definitely does not. These lodgings are exceedingly private with mature foliage and 5-6 ft pushed-earth walls surrounding you on three sides. (The fourth side being your pool/garden with mountain/valley views.)All the pavillions' layouts feel similar, and they look to be of similar (indoor) size. We were able to look at several of them, and i’m also relatively certain they all have roof decks on their second floors. They differ a bit in price, and that seems to depend on several factors: the size of the outdoor acreage, the size of roof decks, full pool vs. plunge/soaking, and how commanding the views.While they are technically all ‘one bedroom’ guest lodgings, and all indoor living space is on the first floor, to think of them simply as typical ‘luxury 1BR suites’ would be a near-meaningless characterization.They are large - I’m guessing ours was at least 800 sq feet of indoor space - and very intelligently laid out. Loft-like living/dining room with fireplace, large bedroom with several sitting areas, big beautiful double-vanity bathroom, as well as a large closet area and a second 1/2-bath off of it.And beyond layout/design, the villas…are…...…beautifulEvery inch of finish of the structure is hand-crafted and completely Moroccan in feel - from the oversized wood-carved doors, to the bespoke zelige floors of fully-reclaimed tiles, to the hammered/tanned-leather bed headboards. These finishes are on a level with Royal Mansour, if a bit less inricate, though everything somehow feels less dark and more open than the riads at that wonderful hotel, and therein lies the twist :The pavilions, along with much of the other common areas, are individually furnished with Ruspoli’s renowned collection of 20th century European furniture and art. Many of the furniture pieces, light fixtures, art etc are quite literally 1-of-1 propositions. Light woods here, gleaming crystal and chromes there, pops of color with lovely felts, naugahides, leathers and embroidery. The overall effect is one of class, comfort and, ultimately… lush, opulent luxury.Extremely comfortable king bed with large menu of pillow choices. Full wet bar, mini-fridge stocked w waters/juices/liquor/etc, nespresso machine, tea set with hotplate, mugs/glassware/cutlery, all you’d need. Bathroom may not knock some travelers over with useless hi tech wizardry, but it is fantastic and spacious, finished in gorgeous dark-green marble, tile and wood. Gigantic soaking tub, rainforest shower, great products by a local Marrakech outfit (name escapes), and fantastic extra touches like a large heated wall-rack for swimsuits/towels.Welcome treats, fruits, flowers were delectable, and other treats were discreetly left at the pavillion daily.In front or the pavilion was a large private deck with two separate eating/areas areas (one covered with retractable ’tent’/drapes, cabana-style, the other with large umbrella), and two sun-loungers. Teak-rimmed, heated infinity pool - hand-tiled in gleaming amethyst-colored patterns - with jaw dropping views of Mt Toubkal and the snow-covered Atlas high peaks.Out back of the pavilion is an outdoor shower and yet another sitting area under a fruit-bearing lemon tree. Up a set of spiral stairs from there (mobility-restricted guests, take note) is a very large roof deck - maybe anothe 700 sq ft - with a covered daybed, plantings/landscaping galore and still more sitting areas and sun-loungers, both shaded and open-air.Each pavilion/pool/garden complex is gated with entry via card key and, again, surrounded by earthen walls at the perfect, just-above-eye-level height. Service For this trip, pre-arrival communications were fairly extensive. We were celebrating a very special occaision and my pre-request/notes list was a bit shorter than the 3-4 items i usually send through. Fully informative, cogent and kind emails were always returned - and by no more than 3 separate entities over a nine month period (!) - within 24 hours.Service onsite was exactly how we like it. We’re not big fans of ‘high’ service as more often than not we find it obtrusive (or at least over-attentive), disingenuous feeling, stiff or over-formalized. We ask to be addressed by our first names, don’t mind if someone doesn’t remember our exact first-night cocktail order on the second night, and we generally want to be treated in an informal way.While Olinto certainly would seem to be able to provide that kind of service if needed/wanted, they caught right on with us and what we were after. We've always felt that, much better than 'great' service, is service than can instantly adapt/mutate it's tenor and style fully to what any particular guest prefers. Not (necessarily) by asking, but by sensing. I've read many hotels' service characterized as 'extra-sensory', sure. It's essentially a trope these days.But I had never experienced full ensconcement in what seemed like ESP-based service until staying here.The place is silly with staff - 65 employees for 18 guests - but it only feels that way when you actually think of something you need. In that case, a staff member suddenly conjures themselves, and seemingly out of thin air - either standing quietly out of sightline, around a corner or in the 'next garden over' when you take a few steps to seek out help, or appearing wherever you happen to be on property within 60-90 seconds of a what’sapp shout.From ownership, general manager, duty manager, conceirges, servers to housekeeping, the landscapers and buggy-drivers - everyone is impossibly kind, efficient, friendly and eager to serve.No request is too obscure or outrageous. An example is a shot-in-the-dark, Flutie-hail-mary, choose-your-cliche request we made via what'sapp for 'Zantac' (an OTC heartburn medication) on a Sunday night 'round 9:00pm. These Olinto coornidates are pretty out-there; again, it's a full 60 minute drive from Marrakech at near-alpine elevation. After first apologizing that they might have to drive to Marrakech for it, but they could have it by morning, they texted back in 10 mins later to say they think they might have found a closer place.The Zantac was at our villa within 40 minutes of the first text. Dining Olinto has ‘just’ one restaurant onsite. Ergo, if you’re the type of ‘luxury’ traveler that needs at least three different dining options, each ‘helmed’ by a brand-name global superchef, this may not be the hotel for you.Olinto’s single restaurant, however, is a doozy. It produces the most delicious Moroccan tagines, fishes, and other regional dishes and uses produce from the Olinto farm. The breads made here are next-level.For those wanting non-Moroccan food, the chef also prepares any number of Italian, Vegetarian and other, various continental dishes as well. In fact, I'm guessing there is very little this kitchen can not prepare, and convincingly. Mealtime dining takes place either within Olinto’s fabulous, candle-lit dining room - fireplaces often roaring - or outside under a dream-like filigreed pergola. Music is soft and classy, one night there was a musician playing qanun, another evening we heard the soft strains of a (recorded) Hartman/Coltrane tune.We ate outside under the pergola one evening, and in our pavilion on another. Olinto will serve any meal, anywhere on property (and it is a BIG property), at anytime of day with just a little bit of heads-up (30 mins tops for villas or main campus) via what’sapp.The rooftop bar above the main lounge offers commanding views of the mountains and is a mesmerizing place for a sunset cocktail, but special mention needs to be made of the the hotel’s indoor bar/lounge. Refashioned from a barn, it is a singularly impressive masterstroke of Moorish detail-work, w dizzying cathedral ceilings and (somewhat inexplicably) warm stained-glass windows.We saw some truly beautiful bars at some of the hotels we visited - La Mamounia, Royal Mansour, Kasbah Tamadot, Amangena - but this room took the cake. It is one of the most beguiling, refined and relaxing spaces we’ve ever enjoyed a cocktail in. Location On a hilltop valley within the Atlas mountain range, the property is a feast for every sense and a place ’nature-lovers’ need to book immediately.. Unimaginably beautiful fragrances of rose, lavender, pine, bougainvilla and eucalyptus. Wondrous choruses of birdsong and mountain breezes/gusts. It is the kind of property that seems to continue forever, too, proffering so many secret trails, brooks and sitting areas to discover. One can meander for, quite literally, hours and continue to find new meandering pathways (not ’trails’ per se, these are ‘finished' to some degree) leading eventually to sculptures, fountains and gardens.There is an enormous, central resort pool, shaped vaguely like a fleur-de-lis. The pool is not heated, but even in early June is plenty warm. Cocktails and snacks are of course available, and the pool floats under the majestic Atlas peaks. It is ’tiled’ with what is, in fact, thin-cut stone of the most beautiful shade of blue. There is also another smaller, heated pool just outside the still-under-construction spa/gym building. (The pool is open, fully functional, and even more ‘zen’ than the main pool).