Welcome to the second iteration of Vogue’s global spa guide, an index of the 100 best spas in the world, built from the expertise of our global editors and trusted contributors. There is a lot to choose from in the world of wellness, and no matter how far you’re planning to travel—from a subway ride to a trans-Atlantic flight—we want to make sure it’s worth the journey. Whatever your path, let us be your guide.

Why go here?

In April 2024, to the beguilement of the global travel elite, the Royal Mansour opened the doors to its second-ever property, in downtown Casablanca on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. Owned by King Mohammed VI, the hotel’s famed Marrakech OG location—with its exquisite Augustinus Bader spa—regularly ranks on the world’s best hotels lists. (We’d hoped to make it there this year, but didn’t quite get there—check back in future years.) So it was safe to say that anticipation for The Spa at Royal Mansour Casablanca—an ode to North African wellness and beautification eight years in the making, and housed on two stories and more than 2510 square meters—was sky-high.

Photo: The Spa Royal Mansour Casablanca

What’s the vibe?

Forget the trad urban hotel “subterranean” wellness experience (read: basement), with all the atmosphere (dimly lit) of a lavish parking garage. When it comes to The Spa Royal Mansour Casablanca, everything is elevated. Taking up the entirety of the hotel’s fourth and fifth floors, light pours into the treatment rooms, gym, pilates and yoga studio, salon, stunning mosaic outdoor plunge pool, and the post-massage relaxation booths (assorted dates and seeds to hand). Marble abounds, while wood tones, leather, and linen instantly make you sink into the comfort and quiet.

One of the most appealing elements for Western visitors is the sense of place. Casablanca has long been a crossroads of cultures, a port where locals mingle with visitors from the rest of Africa, the Middle East and Europe, and the spa is no exception. Perhaps its most winning quality is its ability to refract a sense of international luxury through Casablanca’s rich history, leaving visitors from around the world feeling rejuvenated, relaxed, and like they have experienced more that just one more stop on the merry-go-round of luxury travel.

Photo: The Spa Royal Mansour Casablanca Photo: The Spa Royal Mansour Casablanca

The history?

That said, this is not a resort experience. While the Marrakesh Mansour is a tourist haven, Casablanca (population in excess of six million in the Casablanca-Settat region) is one of Africa’s financial powerhouses, and Morocco’s business capital. The hotel has instantly become the fanciest spot in town, so spa-wise, expect a rolling roster of jet-set guests and well-heeled locals, as well as beauty addicts willing to travel from Fez, Rabat, and beyond for the region’s only Hydrafacial machine (the glow!) on top of an assortment of top-tier massages and treatments. The partnership with marocMaroc, the skin-care brand harnessing the allure of traditional Moroccan ingredients, is especially a winner.

Photo: The Spa Royal Mansour Casablanca

What should you try?

Hands down, the signature hammam experience. The process of being guided through deep exfoliation and black-soap cleansing, followed by argan oil application in their stunning marbled hammams, will leave your skin, mind, and perhaps even your soul experiencing a level of deep cleanse that will stay with you long after you’ve floated back into the real world. (It’s worth noting that all the work is floor-based, as is the tradition in Morocco.)

What else do we need to know?

“We are global, but it is Morocco through and through,” says spa director Hanane Selloum of North Africa’s hottest new beauty destination. “We have all the modern luxury our global guests expect, but we do everything here with a real sense of our history here in Casablanca and Morocco too.”

Who can go?

Hotel guests naturally have access to the gym, sauna, and pool, and treatments are available by appointment. Fitness memberships are also available to city dwellers.

Booking details for The Spa Royal Mansour

Address: Av. des FAR, Casablanca 20250, Morocco

Read more from Vogue’s Global Spa Guide. Read more about Royal Mansour Casablanca at the Conde Nast Traveler Hot List.

Millions watched on television in horror on April 15, 2019, as plumes of fire shot up from the Notre-Dame de Paris, one of the world’s oldest and most celebrated cathedrals. At first, the devastation seemed nearly total, with much of the roof and the iconic spire lost to flames. But, today, more than five years later, visitors once more pour into its sanctuary, eager to see how the $1 billion restoration work has progressed.

I was lucky enough to visit on Easter Sunday 2025, a day filled with masses and special events. Thousands of families — tourists and locals alike — stood patiently in hours-long lines to get inside, to attend a mass or just have a chance to see the remarkable restoration.

The interior of the cathedral reopened to the public on Dec.8, although much restoration work still remains to be done. Giant cranes still hang over the building, but thousands of people a day line up to see the rebuilt interior.

Larger than a football field, the inside of the cathedral now glows with oatmeal-colored walls and cavernous vaulted ceilings, after the controversial decision to wash them with a latex solution, obscuring the old soot and candle smoke of the centuries. If you’re used to seeing gray, grimey walls in ancient buildings, you may be startled to walk in and see the light-filled interior.

The French government, which owns Notre-Dame, made the decision in 2019 to rebuild the cathedral as it was before the fire, and vowed to do it within five years — a deadline that was only exceeded by a few months. There have been some changes, including a modern bronze main altar, baptismal font and lectern. Some people would have preferred a more traditional style, but the new style is not jarring.

Fortunately for posterity, the cathedral’s three magnificent medieval rose windows, created in the 13th century, were saved from the inferno. The sanctuary is covered with stained glass, thanks to an architectural innovation of the time. The so-called flying buttresses pulled the weight of the roof outside the structure, meaning that the interior walls could be opened up for spectacular displays of leaded and stained glass. The ancient 8,000-pipe organ was also saved and restored, removing toxic dust that had settled there from the collapsed lead roof.

You could spend hours looking around at all the details, but I like to attend a service when I visit remarkable churches. That’s when they show their true selves, including the faith of the worshippers. If you can go to a high mass, also known as a Gregorian mass, you’ll see the worship at its finest.

No ancient European cathedral is complete without its holy relics, which are venerated by the faithful as sacred artifacts from various saints and the life of Jesus.

Notre-Dame offers its believers the following: The remnants of the “holy crown of thorns,” which Biblical accounts say was placed mockingly on Jesus’ head by Roman soldiers while he was being crucified. Also, a piece of the cross used for the crucifixion, and a nail from the cross.

The relics were rescued from the 2019 fire in dramatic fashion, involving a chain of police and firefighters, and moved temporarily to the Louvre. They were recently returned to Notre- Dame with pomp and ceremony, to be displayed in a newly built reliquary. At this writing, the public can see them on the first Friday of every month.

One thing that surprised me on my visit: Even though the cathedral was absolutely jammed with people, it was relatively quiet.

Visitors couldn’t help gasping when they entered and got their first looks, but otherwise seemed more solemn and respectful than is often the case.

Hopefully, they appreciated the five years of slavishly devoted work by some 2,000 sculptors, engineers, art restorers, stonemasons, carpenters, roofers, iron workers to bring this church back to life. And it still continues today.

Timeline of Notre-Dame de Paris:

1163: The cathedral was built between 1163 and 1260, in French Gothic style.

The cathedral was built between 1163 and 1260, in French Gothic style. 1789: During the French Revolution, many statues and decorative elements of the cathedral were destroyed and it was at one time used as a warehouse. The 28 statues of saints were beheaded, mistaken for French kings, and some of the bells were removed and melted down.

During the French Revolution, many statues and decorative elements of the cathedral were destroyed and it was at one time used as a warehouse. The 28 statues of saints were beheaded, mistaken for French kings, and some of the bells were removed and melted down. 1804: Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself emperor of France with the pope in attendance in Notre-Dame, and portions of the cathedral were restored. But the property continued to decay, and there was talk of demolishing it.

Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself emperor of France with the pope in attendance in Notre-Dame, and portions of the cathedral were restored. But the property continued to decay, and there was talk of demolishing it. 1831: “ The Hunchback of Notre Dame” by Victor Hugo is published and becomes a massive best-seller, sparking a campaign to restore the cathedral.

“ The Hunchback of Notre Dame” by Victor Hugo is published and becomes a massive best-seller, sparking a campaign to restore the cathedral. 1844: King Luis Phillippe orders that the cathedral be restored. A grander spire than the one destroyed during the French Revolution is constructed.

King Luis Phillippe orders that the cathedral be restored. A grander spire than the one destroyed during the French Revolution is constructed. 1991: For the 800th anniversary of the cathedral, a 10-year-long restoration project repaired decorative elements that had fallen off, gargoyles, turrets, and sculptures. The stone exterior was also cleaned of centuries of pollution.

For the 800th anniversary of the cathedral, a 10-year-long restoration project repaired decorative elements that had fallen off, gargoyles, turrets, and sculptures. The stone exterior was also cleaned of centuries of pollution. 2019: On April 15, a fire broke out in the attic and spread across the roof and spire before firefighters were alerted. They prioritized saving the two towers, because their heavy bells could have destroyed the interior if they fell. But 750 tons of debris. including toxic lead dust, fell into the sanctuary from the roof and spire.

On April 15, a fire broke out in the attic and spread across the roof and spire before firefighters were alerted. They prioritized saving the two towers, because their heavy bells could have destroyed the interior if they fell. But 750 tons of debris. including toxic lead dust, fell into the sanctuary from the roof and spire. 2021: Two years of cleaning up from the fire and shoring up the structure meant that reconstruction could finally begin. Because the church is owned by the French government, the decision was to rebuild it as it was before.

Two years of cleaning up from the fire and shoring up the structure meant that reconstruction could finally begin. Because the church is owned by the French government, the decision was to rebuild it as it was before. 2024: The new roof is completed in March. In September, eight massive tower bells returned after cleaning, with three new bells added later. In December the church’s doors were symbolically reopened and the pipe organ’s 8,000 pipes could be heard for the first time since being covered with toxic dust, as the public ws allowed inside for the first ceremonies and masses.

The new roof is completed in March. In September, eight massive tower bells returned after cleaning, with three new bells added later. In December the church’s doors were symbolically reopened and the pipe organ’s 8,000 pipes could be heard for the first time since being covered with toxic dust, as the public ws allowed inside for the first ceremonies and masses. 2025: Construction continues on the massive project, hoped to be completed by 2027.

Construction continues on the massive project, hoped to be completed by 2027.

Things to know:

Dolly Parton isn’t a city founder of Pigeon Forge, Tenn. — that honor belongs to Euro-American settlers in the 1780s — but the superstar’s influence is so profound in this country-fried family vacation destination, it feels as if she is.

On highways and byways in and around town, Parton’s name and likeness are splashed on more roadside billboards than a self-promoting personal injury lawyer. She’s the face and joint owner of some of the region’s most popular attractions including world-famous Dollywood theme park. In Sevierville, the next city over, stands the Dolly Parton Statue, one of several landmarks in the country music legend’s hometown. To boot, which for her might be Western-style and beaded, the area’s largest medical center is not only home of the Dolly Parton Center for Women’s Services and the Dolly Parton Birthing Unit, but the hospital is located just off Dolly Parton Parkway.

So woven into the fabric of this gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains, Parton, who becomes an age-defying octogenarian in January, even has an animatronic chicken named after her at the most fowl and fun breakfast spot in these parts. You know you’ve made it when Frizzle Chicken Farmhouse Café immortalizes you as “Dolly PartHEN,” the headliner in a chorus of performing poultry that bursts out in song (“Y-M-C-Egg?”) several times an hour.

“Dream more, learn more, care more and be more” is one of PartHEN’s — check that — Parton’s more sage quotable quotes, and, clearly, the country music icon practices what she preaches, and it’s mutual. Besides living a life that has earned her tremendous love, praise and money (her net worth is estimated at over $650 million), the Tennessee native is celebrating Dollywood’s 40th anniversary this year.

When a certain travel writer from California asked Parton to expound on what the milestone anniversary means to her as one who wears the hat of a businesswoman, an entertainer and one born and raised in the backyard of where Dollywood stands today, she didn’t skip a beat showing off her signature sass.

“This is not a hat, it’s a wig,” she said to the laughter of season-opening guests within earshot. “But underneath it, I am very grateful to see that my dream came true. It means the world to me to do something here in my hometown and honor my own people, and I love that. As a businesswoman, I love being involved in all kinds of things because when they call it the ‘music business,’ I thought early on, I already know what to do about the music because that comes naturally; I gotta focus more on the business part of it. But I like getting involved. I like running around with the big boys out there. I’m so proud I was able to see this dream come true.”

Parton’s vision of building a “fantasy mountain park” was announced in 1983 and it became real two years later when she partnered with Silver Dollar City Tennessee, the 125-acre sister to the original Silver Dollar City still operating in Branson, Mo. The Pigeon Forge park reopened the following year freshly expanded, rebranded and metamorphosed like a beautiful butterfly, which, as Dollyites know, is their idol’s personal “emblem.” In fact, the “w” in the omnipresent Dollywood logo is replaced with an open-winged butterfly.

The self-deprecating, yet self-confident “Queen of Country Music” is enjoying Dollywood’s 40th season with extra swagger. For the third time in a row, her now-165-acre Southern Shangri-la was named by the National Amusement Park Historical Association as America’s favorite theme park, a distinction that may contribute to Dollywood (dollywood.com) being one of the most-visited theme parks in North America.

Attractions aplenty

Parton’s wild success in bringing country charm, thrill rides and live entertainment to a single gated attraction, in addition to sprouting two stunning resorts, big-production dinner shows, a world-class water park and more in which she has a significant ownership stake, has enabled a glut of amusement operations to ride on her rhinestone-studded coattails.

Dollywood’s Lightning Rod, hailed as one of the best roller-coasters in the world, doesn’t come close to making one as dizzy as when counting all the mountain coasters, wacky mini-golf courses, go-kart tracks, themed dinner shows, ziplines, carnival rides, indoor snow-tubing and novelty museums along the main drags of Pigeon Forge, let alone all the attractions dotting nearby Gatlinburg and Sevierville.

Looking at the two most vibrant family-friendly vacation destinations in America’s Heartland, it’s safe to say that what Branson is to the Ozarks, Pigeon Forge is to the Smokies. Whereas the Missouri entry is known for its live entertainment backdropped by majestic beauty, its kissing cousin in Tennessee has that and a whole lot more. So, in that respect, Pigeon Forge may have the edge even without factoring in a world-famous theme park.

That said, with the greater variety of attractions comes more tourist traps interspersed with quality establishments. So, let’s not waste our time and your money on such idle amusements as the Jurassic Jungle Boat Ride ($22 per person for 10 cheesy minutes), Lost Mine Mountain Coaster ($19 gets the area’s longest ride, but way too much automatic slowing and braking) or Earthquake the Ride (OK, so it’s over the hill in Gatlinburg, but $15 for three minutes of lame effects registers 8.2 on the Rip-off Scale).

The Titanic Museum and Comedy Barn, both Dolly’s, and the Alcatraz East Crime Museum are solid nice-to-do’s. If beauty blended with brawn is what you crave, Pink Jeep Tours is a winner, (pinkadventuretours.com) offering six exciting experiences that take folks in and around Smoky Mountain National Park, by far the most-visited among the 63. Bear sightings aren’t guaranteed, but thrills are as tours include some off-roading on steep terrain at the hands of a driver-guide who’s an expert on the area and behind the wheel.

From axles to axes, Paula Dean’s Lumberjack Feud (lumberjackfeud.com) is as corny as Kansas in August, even though the celebrity chef prefers serving guests her famous creamy mac and cheese instead of a buttery cob. For an affordable $58 for adults and $29 for kids, you get a hearty all-you-can-eat buffet, world-class professional lumberjacks giving their all, and G-rated comedy.

For an “Arrr”-rated show, shiver your timbers at Pirates Voyage (piratesvoyage.com), a feast for the eyes thanks to an odd mix of buccaneers doing battle in and around a 15-foot-deep indoor lagoon, fetching mermaids, trained animals and, for the 2025 season, a spirited Polynesian act with fire dancing. The experience is also a feast for the stomach with a delicious fully served meal featuring fried chicken, ham and apple pie. Epic as Pirates Voyage is, if your travel budget only allows for one dinner show in Pigeon Forge, Dolly Parton’s Stampede is the ticket. Speaking of which, regular admission starts at $82 for guests 10 and over, same over at the swashbuckling sister spectacle up the road.

Stampede (dpstampede.com) satisfies with a four-course dinner (rotisserie chicken and pulled pork are the proteins) and dazzles with impressive horse-riding stunts, hillbilly humor and a star-spangled finale featuring Parton’s original song, “Color Me America.” A recent addition to the show is a segment called “Butterfly Dreams,” during which two- and four-legged cast members perform to the owner’s soft and gentle “Love is Like a Butterfly.” The new act is downright mesmerizing.

Incidentally, Parton also has brought her Stampede dinner show to Branson, and with her expansion of the Pirates Voyage concept, she’s discovered treasure in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and, as of June 6, Panama City Beach, Fla.

Hitting the hay

If Parton can bring her Tennessee magic to Florida, then it’s only fair that another entrepreneurial singer-songwriter has done the same, but in reverse. The laid-back tropical spirit of adopted Floridian son Jimmy Buffett is alive and well in the Smokies two years after his passing. Pigeon Forge is where four of the region’s five Margaritaville hotels and resorts (margaritavilleresorts.com) are located, and two of those are anchors of a vibrant mixed-use destination called The Island. You can’t miss it thanks to a 200-foot-high observation wheel that offers spectacular views of this picturesque place.

Margaritaville Island Hotel, not to be confused with Margaritaville Island Inn next door, has 134 upscale rooms and a restaurant-bar with killer coconut shrimp and frozen concoctions that help you hang on. The hotel’s signature blend of mountain latitude and island attitude benefits the more modestly priced, 104-room “Inn” mere steps away.

Mere minutes away, by car or trailer, is Camp Margaritaville RV Resort & Lodge. A chill island vibe in the foothills can be enjoyed two distinct ways: Stay in a clean, comfortable 79-room lodge with rustic décor, or park your rig, rented or otherwise, on one of 157 full-hookup sites with equal access to such amenities as a lazy river, pickleball court, dog park and all-indoor entertainment center.

As many Pigeon Forge visitors delight in wasting away again in a Margaritaville, others relish not working 9 to 5 by booking one of Parton’s two resorts in town. As sure as fresh-baked cinnamon bread is Dollywood’s most famous treat, Parton has a major stake in the 307-room DreamMore Resort and Spa and newer 302-unit HeartSong Lodge & Resort, both a free shuttle ride away from her two gated parks, the other being the wet and wild Dollywood’s Splash Country.

Even in the off-season, which is early-January through mid-March for Dollywood and mid-September through mid-May for Splash Country, bunking at either resort could be a vacation all to itself. DreamMore’s homey elegance and HeartSong’s “upscale lodge” atmosphere are in season any time of year. Of course, going when the parks are dark means missing out on TimeSaver ride passes, package shipment to the hotel (no lugging around bulky souvenirs!), preferred parking and other perks of being a Dollywood resort guest.

Now, if only they offered a free loaf of that to-die-for cinnamon bread at check-in.

By BRIDGET BROWN, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — The deadline to get a REAL ID is fast approaching after years of postponements and delays.

Starting May 7, your license or identification card will need to be REAL ID-compliant to fly domestically in the U.S.

Update: Homeland Security chief says travelers with no REAL ID can fly for now, but with likely extra steps

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like there will be another delay in the deadline this time. So, if you’re confused about how to get a REAL ID, why you even need one in the first place, and what happens if you don’t have one by May 7, here are some things to know:

What is a REAL ID?

It’s a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that the DHS says is a more secure form of identification. Besides needing a REAL ID to fly domestically, you will also need one to access certain federal buildings and facilities.

Why is this happening?

When the REAL ID Act was signed into law in 2005, it enacted a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission that the government set security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and IDs.

“REAL ID is a coordinated effort by the federal government to improve the reliability and accuracy of driver’s licenses and identification cards,” John Essig, the Transportation Security Administration’s Security Director for airports in the New York City region said in a press release on April 3. “The improvements are intended to inhibit terrorists’ ability to evade detection by using fraudulent identification.”

The REAL ID Act was supposed to begin rolling out in 2008, “but has faced repeated delays due to state implementation challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Nina Ruggiero, senior editorial director for Travel + Leisure. “The combination of varying state processes and shifting deadlines has added to the overall confusion around REAL IDs and likely led some travelers to take the deadlines less seriously.”

How do I know if I already have a REAL ID?

If you’ve gotten a new ID in the last few years, it could already be REAL ID-compliant.

“I also hear from travelers who are confused as to whether or not they already have a REAL ID,” Ruggiero said. “Some people who have recently renewed their license may already have a compliant ID and not know it,” so you may want to double-check yours before starting the process.

A REAL ID-compliant driver’s license has a symbol ( in most states, a star ) in the top corner of the card.

If you live in Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont or Washington, it’s possible you could have an “enhanced″ ID card instead, which permits you to both fly domestically and cross land and sea borders into Mexico and Canada from the U.S. It does not, however, allow you to fly into either of those countries.

Enhanced IDs will have an American flag icon, as well as the word “enhanced” at the top of the card.

If I don’t have a REAL ID, how do I get one?

The requirements vary by state, so you will need to visit the website of your state’s driver’s licensing agency to find out the specific steps, including whether you’ll need to make an appointment at a DMV and what documentation you’ll need when you get there.

What happens on May 7? What if I don’t have a REAL ID by then?

If you don’t have a REAL ID by the deadline and you’re planning to board a domestic flight, you will need to bring your passport or another TSA-approved form of identification when you travel.

Otherwise, you could face “delays, additional screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint,” warns TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein.

The deadline has already been pushed back so many times. Could it be delayed again?

In mid-April, a group of state senators from Kentucky asked the agency to delay implementing the new requirements yet again. They said the state has limited appointments available to people seeking the new cards and that there has been a rush to meet the May 7 deadline.

However, TSA spokesperson Dan Velez told the AP that the agency does not intend to delay the REAL ID deadline again.

As of late April, 81% of travelers at TSA checkpoints were presenting acceptable identification, including a state-issued REAL ID, according to DHS.

Here’s looking at you, kid. I mean, Your Majesty.

In the real Casablanca — not the acclaimed 1942 Oscar-winning movie — I soaked like a queen in a rose petal-strewn warm bath at the Art Deco glamorous Royal Mansour hotel owned by, ahem … Morocco’s King Mohammed VI.

Earlier in my same regal suite, I nobly nibbled a gratis inches-tall M-shaped chocolate (etched with “Royal Mansour”) and watched apricot skies envelope a distant iconic mosque. The interior of the 24-story hotel opulently shone with 70 different kinds of polished marble, and the air (along with everything from complimentary SPF 15 hand cream to provided pashmina shawls) whiffed of the signature Royal Mansour scent fleur d’ oranger, the favorite of another monarch, Louis XIV.

However, the five-star haven was not stuck-up at all. From the general manger to the multiple uniformed doormen (the bellhop looked fab in a retro cherry-red outfit), everyone invariably touched one hand to their chest as a cultural goodwill gesture while brightly smiling and greeting guests by name. Every time I alighted from the hotel’s chauffeured electric Mercedes-Benz to a welcoming chorus, I felt like I was entering a super-classy “Cheers,” although this hangout had 600 Bohemian crystal fish twirling from the vaulted ceiling of the gilded lobby.

My stay was just the first aristocratic accommodation. After Casablanca, I traveled by train to the coast of this Islamic North African nation and the Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay, also owned by Morocco’s crowned head and right next door to his guarded, expansive summer digs. From my beachfront resort, I’d set off to explore the twisted alleys of two historic medinas, including the UNESCO-listed Tetouan where present-day tunic-cloaked shoppers perused mounds of produce and butchers slit live chickens’ throats.

Starring in Casablanca

With the stated aim of boosting tourism, Morocco’s 61-year-old sovereign opened both of my zellige-tiled Royal Mansour lodgings last year. The billionaire lords over a vast personal business empire but his only other hotel, the exquisite Royal Mansour Marrakech, debuted back in 2010. (FYI, Mansour means “victorious” in Arabic.) As for the country, King Mohammed VI governs alongside an elected parliament but wields enormous power.

“He is known as the ‘King of the Poor,’” my Casablanca guide Naima Boussaid explained. “He does a lot for education and single mothers and helping the underprivileged so people love him.”

Naima, a dynamo Muslim mom of two adult daughters, wore lime green hightop Converse (“I have all the colors”), a lime green hijab scarf over her hair, a red baseball cap emblazoned, “Morocco,” a rainbow-toned hooded long djellaba, and a hefty Hand of Fatima silver pendant “that protects against the evil eye.” We strolled through the gargantuan, ornate Hassan II Mosque erected by the king’s late father and completed in 1993. “Three daily shifts each of 5,000 artisans spent six years round-the-clock working on it,” Naima said with awe. The 60-story minaret (second tallest in the world) is topped by a laser that beams 18 miles over the Atlantic towards Mecca and assists ships in the dark.

Before day’s end, Naima had given me her secret tagine stew recipe, brought me to buy the Moroccan 35-spice blend ras el hanout, and dramatically pantomimed over her clothes how I should vigorously scrub myself in a hammam with gooey black soap. Plus, in the newer whitewashed medina, she complimented a stranger in Arabic, and in a snap he had invited us into his traditional family home to sit among customary piles of beautiful pillows covered in vibrant textiles. (Moroccans are extremely hospitable.)

Beautiful outside grounds of the Hassan II Mosque provide plenty of photo ops. (Photo by Norma Meyer)

The landmark Hassan II Mosque allows non-Muslims to visit with guides and is a popular tourist attraction in Casablanca. (Photo by Norma Meyer)

Off-limits to the public, the Royal Palace in Tetouan is just one of multiple palaces owned by the Moroccan monarchy. It’s used both as a residence and for official business. (Photo by Norma Meyer)

The sprawling, hillside Muslim cemetery in Tetouan overlooks the North African city. (Photo by Norma Meyer).

Time seems to stand still in the centuries-old walled medina of Tangier, Morocco. (Photo by Norma Meyer)

One of many skinny, winding alleys of Tetouan’s medina hasn’t changed for centuries. (Photo by Norma Meyer) Show Caption 1 of 6 Beautiful outside grounds of the Hassan II Mosque provide plenty of photo ops. (Photo by Norma Meyer) Expand

“You know the No. 1 one reason why people know Casablanca?” Naima later asked referring to Morocco’s frenetic financial capital. “The movie. Although it was all filmed in Hollywood.” She chuckled. (“Casablanca” was entirely shot on a Warner Bros. backlot in Burbank, except for one scene filmed at nearby Van Nuys Airport).

Of course, in the city Casablanca, I had to visit Rick’s Cafe, founded in 2004 by an American woman who retired as a counselor for the U.S. Embassy in Morocco and adored the Humphrey Bogart-Ingrid Bergman romantic drama. When I walked up to Rick’s early afternoon, a stern suited doorman wearing blue-mirrored sunglasses conferred with someone through his two-way earpiece radio, before I was led inside to an upstairs alcove of the film-fond restaurant. In this cozy room, the black-and-white “Casablanca” played on a screen, a vintage roulette table took center stage, and nostalgic Bogie and Bergman posters adorned the walls. I had it all to myself — including the only three barstools — until a congenial waiter in a red fez hat materialized to take my chardonnay order.

(Note that drinking alcohol is forbidden in the Islam religion so only certain licensed establishments can serve booze, mainly hotels and tourist restaurants.)

The Royal Mansour offers various curated excursions, should you tire of cocooning in the hotel spa swaddled in “red gold” saffron harvested from Moroccan hinterlands or being hypnotized by the lobby’s aquarium-terrarium housing over 1,000 darting fish from the Amazon and Asia. (Surprisingly, room rates aren’t a king’s ransom — they start at $590 and include a full breakfast with round pats of butter embellished with the Royal Mansour’s “M” logo that also resembles a crenellated casbah gate.)

Besides my tour with Naima, the concierge arranged an outing with a very cool dreadlocked nonprofit rep to admire more than 30 vivid street art murals throughout the metropolis. If you hear both French and Arabic spoken, that’s because Mohammed V, the king’s monarch grandfather, successfully fought to achieve Morocco’s independence in 1956 after it had been a protectorate of France for over 40 years. Incidentally, current King Mohammed VI — who holds a doctorate in law and ascended to the throne in 1999 — was the first Moroccan ruler to present his princess wife to the public and, in addition, tout her charitable activities. The couple have two now-grown children and divorced in 2018.

That evening I fell under the spell of Royal Mansour’s piece de resistance — the 23rd-floor tantalizing Mediterranean restaurant, Le Rooftop, where on the wrap-around panoramic outdoor deck I savored asparagus-mushroom-black truffle polenta while feasting on a blazing neon sunset transforming the sprawling, legendary “White City” below. Meanwhile, in the ground-level 1950s-chic cocktail lounge, a bartender crafted chunky Royal Mansour M-shaped ice cubes to put in nightcaps.

Of all the gin joints, in all the towns …

Transported in Tamuda Bay

In the buzzing ancient Tetouan medina, donkey carts squeezed through tangled alleys crowded with indigenous Berber women selling palm leaf-wrapped Jben cheese, fishmongers hawking slippery sardines, and live squawking chickens crammed into cages. Locals selected their feathery dinner, then its throat was slit and body plucked clean.

‘They don’t get fresher than that,” commented my guide, Nuri Abdelkhalek. Indeed the walled UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tetouan is most authentic.

Back at my king-owned Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay, guests preferred grazing on beluga sturgeon caviar and amlou pastries designed like flowers and encrusted with edible gold. After all, we were on the Moroccan Riviera.

To get to this north coast from Casablanca, I journeyed on a two-hour high-speed train to Tangier, situated on the Strait of Gibraltar. My interesting seat mate told me he was a prayer-leading imam at a mosque in Saudi Arabia’s Mecca and for half the trip he politely tried to convert me to Islam. Although unsuccessful, he later WhatsApped me 710 pages of the Quran.

A Royal Mansour driver met me at the Tangier station and after a 90-minute ride, I glided into the Tamuda Bay lobby only to be shell-shocked. The patterned walls were totally concocted of 95,000 seashells, supposedly all handpicked from the shore in front. I wondered about the origin claim but then outside I discovered the private half-mile stretch of beach literally blanketed, actually layered, with shells washed up from the sapphire Alboran Sea. Employees raked areas clean to make walking easier. (Continuing the marine theme, the pool bar, lamps and artwork are comprised of shells.)

The revered king, whose portrait graces the main foyer, has long vacationed in his security-patrolled compound next door. I’m told his VIP friends and extended family have bunked at the Royal Mansour, which sits on 25 lush acres and consists of individual low-key tan-colored blocky buildings, with 55 superb contemporary suites and villas, three restaurants helmed by Michelin-starred chefs and an elaborate network of underground tunnels for personnel, such as butlers, to scurry through. (Rooms breakfast-inclusive from $682. If you want to splurge, book the hotel’s $27,000 a night, 18,000-square-foot Royal Villa, complete with its own white Steinway baby grand and a movie theater.)

“We always see the king jet-skiing and sailing his black boat,” said local hiking enthusiast Zaid Habssaid, who accompanied me on a jaunt in the nearby mountains. Zaid was referring to Baldi 1, the king’s $100-million, 230-foot yacht.

I’d been to Morocco twice before, but never to this area, generally off the foreign tourist map. The Andalusian-inspired labyrinth maze of Tetouan, just 20 minutes from Tamuda Bay, was a refuge for Jews and Muslims who fled the Spanish Inquisition in the 15th century. My hotel-provided guide Nuri said the mellah quarters that once shielded thousands of Sephardic Jews is now home to just several Jewish families who reside among Muslim neighbors. (You may see street signs in Hebrew, Arabic and Spanish — for over four decades, until 1956, Tetouan served as the capital of the Spanish protectorate in north Morocco.)

At one point, Nuri stopped at a placard denoting a communal oven built in the 19th century for Jews to bake bread or matzoh. Inside, the friendly Muslim owner roasted nuts to sell and insisted on giving me a handful of warm cashews. Down another narrow corridor, shopkeeper Barrack Abderazeke beckoned: “Come in. We love everyone. We are one big family.” Then, unsolicited, one by one, he unfurled 15 oversized colorful Moroccan Berber carpets, some woven from camel hair.

Another day, Nuri escorted me around Tangier — to the meeting point of the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, past Africa’s first pet cemetery, and on to Tangier’s centuries-old energizing medina and its casbah fortress. Behind stone ramparts, souk merchants touted items from argan oil to beldi olives to bejeweled caftans.

Returning to the Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay, I again soaked like a queen. Only this night, I was alone in the hotel’s calming, dim-lit celestial indoor “quiet pool.” A massive, hanging moon-mimicking sphere subtly glowed overhead, and somehow sparkly stars reflected on surface waters all around me, submerging my body in a magical galaxy.

This was my kingdom — for now.