Amanjena vs Mandarin Oriental

Our editorial take

Both sit outside the medina in wide, garden-heavy grounds, and the difference is temperament rather than quality. Amanjena is austere and meditative: muted colours, reflecting pools, silence used as a design element. The Mandarin Oriental is polished resort luxury, with immaculate lawns, a serious spa and five-star service that runs to time. For weddings the Mandarin is the more flexible of the two, with several event spaces, strong AV infrastructure and a team used to large productions. Amanjena is more atmospheric, and its pavilions around the central bassin give guests a natural place to gather. The Mandarin's 54 villas swallow an overflow guest list that Amanjena's 150-person ceiling cannot. Think of Amanjena as a retreat you happen to marry in, and the Mandarin as a resort that runs your wedding properly.