Part 1 – Staying at the Luxury Sofitel Hotel at Gatwick

We had been preparing for our luxury Moroccan adventure since March but the moment had finally arrived to begin our holiday of a lifetime. Our plan was to visit three very different places in Morocco including the bustling city of Marrakech, The Atlas Mountains in Imlil and finishing in the timeless coastal city of Essaouira.

But even prior to our takeoff we checked into the newly refurbished Sofitel London Gatwick linked conveniently to Gatwick`s North Terminal. The superbly situated hotel makes for the perfect stopover for travellers and more importantly allows you to begin your holiday a day early … brilliant!

It`s also the perfect venue for business executives to hold meetings and conferences with being so close to both airport terminals means worldwide travellers have easy access to all its facilities. We decided upon the Park and Fly package, which comes highly recommended, ensuring easy and safe parking throughout the entire duration of any short break or long holiday – this venue combines luxury, comfort and a completely hassle free experience.

Within the hotel complex there are two luxury restaurants to choose from including the popular Ken Hom restaurant Gatwick Oriental and La Brasserie where we enjoyed a starter of seared scallops and pork belly in a honey ginger sauce and 21-aged rib eye steak accompanied with pepper and brandy sauce. However, if seafood tickles your taste buds the lobster, seabass, oyster and scallop bisque made for a mouth-watering alternative.

There are also two bars decorated in totally different styles; Le Café a café style terrace in a vibrant informal setting and Kuá a glamorous cocktail bar in a unique balcony setting where there`s an option to enjoy pre or after dinner drinks and nibbles – two fabulous choices depending on your mood.

Up at the crack of dawn we set off for our ‘nice and easy’ 5 minute trek into the terminal, it couldn’t have been easier. A walkway from the hotel takes you directly into the North Terminal and the direct (and very regular) train takes you into the heart of the South Terminal.