Dar Najmat – a luxury stay at Mirleft’s House of the Stars

Dar Najmat, Mirleft, Morocco
Dar Najmat, Mirleft, Morocco

Dar Najmat – where traditional Moroccan decor meets sophisticated European style

Luxuriating in ripples of turquoise and admiring a surprisingly superb view from the infinity pool, hubbie and I were in love again. This time it was with Dar Najmat, an elegant guest house proudly overlooking a secluded sandy cove near Mirleft on the Atlantic coast of Morocco.

As much as we love the romance and glamour of Moroccan riads, it was high time we explored beyond our comfort zone and dip our toes into waters of quite a different style. I hadn’t expected a European boutique hotel to even come close to deserving the same unabashed worship that we lavish on our usual accommodation haunts in our favourite country, but you know what? Dar Najmat just blew our socks off! It was perfect, and I don’t say that lightly!

Dar Najmat, Mirleft, Morocco
No words needed! – Dar Najmat, Mirleft

The location

We were on tour with Wild Morocco, exploring the lesser-known Anti-Atlas Mountains and the Atlantic coast. Situated about 140km south of Agadir, and not far from the coastal resort of Sidi Ifni, Mirleft is a sleepy little village perched on the cliffs and a great stop-over point if you’re travelling between the Ameln Valley and Essaouira in the north.

The village hasn’t been over-run with mass tourism, and with sea breezes (okay, winds!!) and empty sandy beaches, it is a world away from the bustle of the city crowds and heat of the desert.

Dar Najmat enjoys a commanding position above the famous Marabout beach just outside Mirleft, which once upon a time was the border between the Spanish and French areas of the country. I have to say that this was some of the best coastal scenery we saw on our long ocean road trip.

Fabulous view from Dar Najmat, Marabout beach, Mirleft, Morocco
Fabulous view from Dar Najmat, Marabout beach, Mirleft

The hotel

I don’t think we’ve ever stayed anywhere more serene than Dar Najmat. The quiet yet refined ambience and the soothing crashing of waves on the beach immediately sets the tone for a day or two of pure relaxation.

Although the hotel has a distinct European feel, there are subtle Moroccan influences, such as the imposing Berber entrance door, and the little hexagonal wooden tables that hubbie refuses to let me buy from the souks! I often feel designers shouldn’t fuse opposing styles like this, but at Dar Najmat they’ve got it just right. Modern luxury with a local flavour.

Dar Najmat, Mirleft, Morocco
Looking forward to being pampered at Dar Najmat. Oh, and a cool door!

Dar Najmat is Arabic for ‘House of the Stars’. A fitting name given that at night the sky is a ceiling of twinkling lights, un-obscured by light pollution. A celestial heaven for budding astronomers or those who, in ignorance, like to make up constellation names in the hope that hubbie won’t known any different.

The main house at Dar Najmat is where you’ll find the double rooms, restaurant and bar. There is also an annex next door with the reception area, and further rooms which can be made into an apartment for families. There is plenty of space so we hardly saw the other guests during our stay.

Dar Najmat, Mirleft, Morocco
The salon and bar at Dar Najmat, perfect for a bit of lounging.

The Arrival

The only thing missing from our relaxingly informal welcome was the traditional mint tea, but considering Dar Najmat is as much European as it is Moroccan I actually think mint tea might have felt a little incongruous, and anyway we’d certainly had our fill of it during the preceding week.

Dar Najmat, Mirleft, Morocco
Even the corridors at Dar Najmat are classy!

The Rooms

Rooms at Dar Najmat are either on the ground floor of the main house, or tucked away in an annex around the side. If you have a choice, definitely ask for house rooms 1, 2 or 3 as these all have views of the sea and private terraces overlooking the beach. Room 3 has a dual aspect towards both the sea and the pool, but we felt our room 1 was more private. Just watch out for the gardener watering the veranda plants in the evening if you’re getting changed in the room with the curtains open!

Dar Najmat, Mirleft, Morocco
Our room – number 1 – at Dar Najmat, complete with private terrace overlooking the beach!

Although it wasn’t stiflingly hot like it had been in the interior of Morocco, I prefer to sleep with the air con on as it helps with my hayfever (I often can’t breathe properly at night, damn the pollen). Unfortunately the unit in our room kept tripping the electrics but although we only discovered this late in the evening when we went to bed, it wasn’t long before two staff members as well as owner Eric came down to try to sort it out. It worked for a short while but then tripped again, and in the end we just opened our patio doors to allow the sea breeze into the room. Turns out this was much preferable to the air con, and keeping the external wooden slatted shutters fastened meant we still felt very safe despite being on the ground floor.

Dar Najmat, Mirleft, Morocco
Super comfy bed!

The bathroom was eye-catchingly tiled, with the best water pressure of the trip, as well as consistent temperatures (honestly this is a rarity in Morocco!). There was shampoo and soap, although no conditioner which would have been appreciated, especially in a ‘luxury’ hotel. The heated towel rail was great for drying our swim stuff overnight, and there were thoughtfully provided pool towels, water and tissues as well as a bin in the bedroom (hayfever means lots of tissues!). I also liked that the toilet was separate from the bathroom for extra privacy.

Dar Najmat, Mirleft, Morocco
Plenty of room, and look…even our suitcases match the bed cover…love a bit of colour harmony.

Beauty is more than skin deep here at Dar Najmat, and looking closely at the decor it is noticeable that the finishes are all of a high standard. Again something quite unusual in the country. I’m a huge fan of Tadelakt floors, the feel of them under our feet was divine.

Double rooms cost E145 per night for half board. 

The Grounds

Ok, so there’s no denying the real pièce de résistance is the infinity pool. Long enough for proper length swimming, it’s also heated so even when the sea breezes blow a little cool, you can still comfortably take a dip. Genius. Both the pool and decking area were immaculate, this is clearly a place that is taken care of, just like the guests.

Infinity pool at Dar Najmat, Mirleft, Morocco
Another pool picture? Oh, go on then…

See if you can spot the baby tortoises on the lawn, and enjoy watching waves crashing on the rocks below whilst knocking back a glass of red from the comfort of a sun-lounger.

Baby tortoises at Dar Najmat, Mirleft, Morocco
Checking out the baby tortoises at Dar Najmat…the foot is for scale not accidental photography (honest)

Dar Najmat has private access down to the beach, and they’ve even placed large stepping stones across the gravel at the bottom so you can walk down barefoot to the sand. It’s the little things that make a difference! The beach is great for a stroll although the sea isn’t suitable for swimming. But that’s what the pool is for!

The Food

Half board is included in the room rate and there really is nowhere better to spend your evening than right here at Dar Najmat. The restaurant is for hotel guests only, so the refined experience continues with dinner.

Dar Najmat, Mirleft, Morocco
Enjoying pondering the wine list…first one we’ve seen in a couple of weeks!

So you probably realise by now that we really enjoyed our time at Dar Najmat, but please bear with me whilst I wax lyrical about the food which was possibly the best of the entire trip (with the exception of Kasbah Ellouze down near Ouarzazate!). Freshly grilled and perfectly seasoned sea bass caught only that morning, and a delicious spiced quiche that had even hubbie (who normally doesn’t like quiche) singing its praises.

Dar Najmat, Mirleft, Morocco
A delicious and welcome respite from tagine…freshly grilled fish so tasty we didn’t even need the sauce!

The crème caramel for dessert was a bit of a disappointment, mainly because his lordship can’t stand it yet has to endure it almost everywhere in a country that really doesn’t know how to do desserts! But this is a reflection on Morocco rather than Dar Najmat. If it isn’t crème caramel it will be slices of orange sprinkled with cinnamon. Oh well, can’t win them all, and to be fair I’m sure we could have asked in advance for something different.

Dar Najmat, Mirleft, Morocco
The tasteful dining room at Dar Najmat, perfect for a romantic evening meal with views of the sea.

After dinner we lounged around in the bar and hubbie tried his first ever nous-nous (a famous Moroccan tipple, half coffee, half milk). It was clearly acceptable because since he’s been searching for it on cafe menus ever since!

Dar Najmat, Mirleft, Morocco
Hubbie tries his first nous nous (half milk half coffee), and the verdict…does the job!

Breakfast next morning was a decent spread too, lots of variety, including our choice of eggs, and even some cornflakes in case we felt we were missing home a bit!

The Staff

Owner Eric was a hands on manager, and often around to check guests were happy, especially at meal times. Yet the contact wasn’t stifling, and we were left to enjoy the house without intrusion, just how we like it. Equally as important was communication prior to our visit. Emails were always answered promptly, something that doesn’t always happen in Morocco. The staff team were all really friendly and welcoming, and when they discovered we had picked up a bit of the Berber language over the years they were keen to teach us some new words.

What we loved

Falling asleep to the sound of crashing waves, feeling safe, and the fact the property has a no smoking policy (a lot of hotels in Morocco still allow smoking in public areas).

Luxury v local...feeling guilty but still enjoying the experience! Dar Najmat, Mirleft, Morocco
Enjoying the infinity pool

The Verdict

I’m head over heels in love with riads, and am always slightly (and unreasonably!) suspicious of any other type of accommodation in Morocco. Yet it turns out I can in fact live without patio dipping pools, scented candles in every alcove and roof terraces from which to admire next door’s washing lines and satellite dishes. It is safe to say both hubbie and I are well and truly besotted with Dar Najmat. It just worked. The cliff-side location, the contemporary décor, the top-notch service and of course a pool to die for. We wished we could stay longer as it’s the sort of place you could easily while away a few days without venturing any further than the beach. Although for us Mirleft wasn’t really a destination in itself, I think Dar Najmat was, and would urge any traveller passing by to make a stop here…you certainly won’t regret it!


We received a partially complimentary stay at Dar Najmat. All words and opinions, as always, remain my own.

Enjoyed this post? Why not save it for later…

Dar Najmat - A luxury seaside retreat in Mirleft

More from Heather Cole
A luxury weekend at Yorkshire’s Crab and Lobster
Hubbie and I don’t do Valentines Day as we’re quite capable of...
Read More
Join the Conversation

15 Comments

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. says: Monica Barnett

    This looks like paradise! I never knew there were options like this in Morocco, when I think of the coast it’s all horrid resorts and nothing to see. I’m taking my family there next year and can easily see us fitting this in to our trip. Would they accept families do you think (our kids are 13 and 9).

  2. says: christine

    OMG!!! Is that view for real!!?? That is amazing. The entire place is stunning. I am sooooo jealous you got to stay here.. wowwww 😛

  3. says: Lindsay Nieminen

    THAT POOL!!! WOW!!! i don’t know if i would be able to get out and stop staring at the beautiful landscape!

  4. says: Michele

    Falling asleep to the sound of the sea is always something I enjoy! Looks like you had a wonderful stay, and thanks for the recommendations.

  5. says: Simone

    Oh my! This hotel is STUNNING! I love the pool & beach views! Definently adding it to my luxury hotel list to visit!
    Simone x

  6. says: Aileen

    This is an amazing hotel! I love the play with colors and the surrounding terrain is amazing. I haven’t been to this part of the world so this really hits my wanderlust 😉

  7. says: Milosz Zak

    Wow! It is like something out of a dream! I really like the closet doors, and those patterns and colours, there was definitely a talented designer at work here. Happy to see that you can be comfortable in both modern and authentic, local settings.

    1. says: Heather Cole

      It’s a great blend, the modern and the traditional, really quite a unique and refreshing place to stay.

  8. says: Eric

    For the “guilty”part you shouldn’t worry.
    Most houses of “the local village at the end of the beach” are the summer houses of moroccans living in Europe, who can afford to travel to Morocco every year and spend a few weeks in their summer houses.
    Most of these houses are closed for the rest of the year.

    1. says: Heather Cole

      I guess as Europeans we compare the ‘luxuriousness’ of houses to those back home, and even though many of those houses are holiday homes, I think it’s still natural to feel a little guilty at enjoying such luxury on the doorstep.

  9. says: Victoria

    Heather,
    the place looks absolutely gorgeous and you guys are clearly relaxed and enjoying each other and the surroundings (although I agree with you on the guilt part). Love your photography!