Jnane Tamsna Archives - SHOPPE BLACK

Published on November 3, 2023November 12, 2023

4 mins read

Jnane Tamsna’s New Year’s House Party: A Cultural Extravaganza

Get ready for an extraordinary experience as Jnane Tamsna invites you to an African Heritage New Year’s House Party, set to take place in the captivating city of Marrakech from December 28, 2023, to January 2nd, 2024.

This curated event promises an enchanting journey deep into the heart of African heritage, offering a unique blend of cultural immersion and style.

Jnane Tamsna's

A Grand Welcome:

December 28th – Day 1

As guests arrive, they are greeted with a warm and breathtaking welcome. The festivities commence with a rooftop soirée featuring drinks and dinner, set against a backdrop of beautiful bonfires and a panoramic view of the palm tree canopy gracing the hotel’s grounds. Paying homage to the Senegalese roots of the hotel’s owner, Meryanne Loum Martin, the buffet menu and home-infused cocktails showcase rich Senegalese flavors and recipes.

Jnane Tamsna

Daily Delights

December 29th – Day 2:

The journey begins with a guided tour of the historic Medina, where guests explore iconic sites, including the Saadian Tombs and the newly opened architectural gem, the MAP. Afterward, a rooftop lunch at MAP provides breathtaking views. The afternoon offers free time for guests to discover the city, with personalized recommendations from the hotel’s Conciergerie. The day concludes with an exquisite dinner at Palais Soleiman, a 19th-century palace celebrating Moroccan craftsmanship.

December 30th – Day 3:

Day three is filled with adventure, starting early with a hot air balloon ride over the stunning Moroccan countryside. Lunch is served in the mountains at Kasbah Bab Ourika, followed by visits to Anima, a sculpture garden, and Nectarome, an aromatic farm offering a traditional bread baking class. As the sun sets, guests gather for drinks on the rooftop terrace of the Nobu Hotel, followed by a magical jungle dinner party set on an estate adorned with hundreds of plant varieties. The night continues with drinks and dancing at Bo Zin, a lively restaurant lounge.

December 31st – Day 4:

The morning is free, allowing guests to prepare for the grand New Year’s Eve celebration. A costume and accessory corner provides the essentials for extraordinary party outfits. After a delightful lunch at Jardin du Lotus, guests embark on a visit to the Medersa Ben Youssef, a 14th-century Koranic school, and the verdant Secret Garden. The evening brings a unique desert camp experience at the hotel, complete with a “1001 nights” theme, camel rides, live music, and more. The night culminates with a gala dinner featuring an iconic long candlelit table nestled amidst lush trees. The celebration continues with an after-party at the owner’s private residence, complete with DJ sets and surprise performances.

January 1st – Day 5:

New Year begins with a spectacular and festive garden brunch, BBQ, and a pool party with live jazz. Workshops and activities, including pottery, weaving, and henna, offer engaging experiences. The evening is left open for guests to explore the city, with the Conciergerie available for restaurant and activity recommendations.

January 2nd – Day 5:

The second day of 2024 starts with a serene breakfast in the hotel’s dining room, offering a moment of reflection on the incredible journey that has been experienced. Departures take place throughout the day, and the Conciergerie remains at guests’ disposal, providing recommendations for activities and spa treatments for those with later flights.

As the event concludes, the memories forged during these six days are sure to remain etched in the hearts and minds of all who attended, echoing the spirit of Jnane Tamsna’s commitment to celebrating the rich tapestry of African heritage.

For questions and to secure your spot, email requests@jnanetamsna.com. 🥂

Published on February 20, 2023February 20, 2023

4 mins read

Crafting Words and Connections: Join Jnane Tamsna’s 2nd Writing Retreat in Morocco

If you’re a writer looking for an opportunity to connect with other like-minded creatives and explore the beauty of Marrakech, Morocco, then the PhiloXenia Creative Writing Retreat: Writing as a Catalyst for Community is the perfect event for you.

The retreat will be held on the grounds of the luxurious Jnane Tamsna resort, the only Black woman-owned luxury hotel resort in Marrakech. Set in the lush date palm oasis, the resort offers a serene and inspiring setting for the creative process.

Held from March 28th to April 2nd, this event is a chance to participate in generative creative writing workshops led by esteemed authors, learn about the editorial and publishing world, and delve into the true life of a writer.

The retreat will be led by three renowned writing professionals: Glory Edim, founder of Well-Read Black Girl, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Tyehimba Jess, and Senior Editor Yahdon Israel. Together, they will guide participants through a series of workshops that explore how we can use writing to create strong community bonds.

AWARD-WINNING SPEAKERS

Author and activist Glory Edim founded Well-Read Black Girl, a nationwide book club-turned-literacy non-profit that celebrates literature’s life-changing power. Well-Read Black Girl advocates and empowers through storytelling. Glory received the 2017 Los Angeles Times Book Prizes Innovator’s Award and the Hurston/Wright Foundation Madam C.J. Walker Award for her literary advocacy.

Yahdon Israel, a senior editor at Simon Schuster, founded Literaryswag to make books accessible through fashion and literature. He writes for The New Inquiry, LitHub, Poets and Writers, Vanity Fair, and The Atlantic. He founded the Literaryswag Book Club, a Brooklyn subscription service and book club that meets every last Wednesday of the month, and teaches Creative Writing at City College’s MFA Program.

Tyehimba Jess is the author of two books of poetry, Leadbelly and Olio. Olio won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, The Midland Society Author’s Award in Poetry, and received an Outstanding Contribution to Publishing Citation from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. It was also nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award, the PEN Jean Stein Book Award, and the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. Leadbelly was a winner of the 2004 National Poetry Series. The Library Journal and Black Issues Book Review both named it one of the “Best Poetry Books of 2005.”

jnane tamsna

But the retreat isn’t just about writing. It’s an opportunity to discover Marrakech and its surrounding areas with private tours of the city’s majestic medina and sojourns to secret gardens and the Atlas Mountains.

Throughout the retreat, participants will have the chance to engage in cultural activities and develop relationships with people from different backgrounds, cultures, and countries. This is a space to connect, create, and reflect on the craft of writing in a supportive and inspiring environment.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced writer, this is an incredible opportunity to hone your craft, connect with fellow writers, and experience the vibrant culture of Marrakech.

Please contact jnanedesign@gmail.com for more information.

RSVP TODAY

Published on November 21, 2022November 21, 2022

5 mins read

Black Owned Luxury Hotel, Jnane Tamsna Hosting Writers Retreat in Morocco for Black Authors

Jnane Tamsna is the only Black woman-owned luxury hotel resort located in the lush date palm forest of Marrakech, Morocco.

In partnership with Parea Books, Jnane Tamsna is launching the Philoxenia retreats, an Immersive Literature & Writing Retreat for four esteemed authors in a series of generative creative writing workshops that explore themes of self-expansion, societal revolution, cultural presence, and embodiment.

Jnane Tamsna

The workshops ( January 6th to 11th 2023) will be complemented by cultural activities, including private tours of the city’s majestic medina and sojourns to secret gardens within the city’s walls.

This will be a space to discover, create, reflect, and develop relationships with people across borders, cultures, and backgrounds.

AWARD-WINNING AUTHORS

Cleyvis Natera is an essayist, short fiction writer, critic and novelist. Her debut novel Neruda on the Park was an anticipated book of 2022 by TIME, the Today Show, Good Morning America’s Zibby Owens, ELLE. Upon publication, Neruda on the Park was selected as a May 2022 New York Times Editor’s Choice.

Camille T. Dungy is an author, poet and scholar. Author of four collections of poetry, most recently Trophic Cascade (Wesleyan UP, 2017), winner of the Colorado Book Award. Her debut collection of personal essays is Guidebook to Relative Strangers (W. W. Norton, 2017), a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Dungy is currently a Professor in the English Department at Colorado State University.

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah is the New York Times-bestselling author of Friday Black. Originally from Spring Valley, New York, he graduated from SUNY Albany and received his MFA from Syracuse University. His work has appeared or is forthcoming from numerous publications, including the New York Times Book Review, Literary Hub, the Paris Review. He is the winner of the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award.

Tanaïs is the author of In Sensorium: Notes for My People, a finalist for the 2022 Kirkus Prize, and the critically acclaimed novel Bright Lines, which was a finalist for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, the Edmund White Debut Fiction Award, and the Brooklyn Eagles Literary Prize. TANAÏS is based in New York City.

THE HOST

Meryanne Loum-Martin is the owner of Jnane Tamsna. We caught up with her to find out more about this exciting cultural experience.

Why is this retreat important to you?

In a world where so many deserve to be seen but still are not, in a corporate space where to reach the same level, we are expected to stand out: we need our voice.

Curated by our mind, customized by our uniqueness, and enriched by our experience, our voice is our personal tool for change, growth, and impact.

With our Philoxenia retreats, we want to learn from prominent storytellers and writers of color.

Jnane Tamsna is a space in which energy, style, and architecture have “ de facto” been a catalyst for transformative experiences. It favors a remarkable connection between people.

It is important for me to bring this efficient and educational tool to the immense construction site which is diversity, inclusion, and equity.

How can people support this event?

There are 3 ways:

Individuals can book the retreat.
Corporations can send employees. The unique bond of this shared experience will impact the conversation back in the office.
Donations to The Global Diversity Foundation will pay for their airfare and a small stipend of up to 10 young writers. Most of them coming from HBCUs. Jnane Tamsna will offer them room and board.

Please contact jnanedesign@gmail.com for more information.

RSVP NOW

Published on July 14, 2020November 3, 2023

7 mins read

The Only Black Woman Hotel Owner In Morocco Is Planning Her Next Moves

Meryanne Loum-Martin is the owner of Jnane Tamsna, a 24-room boutique hotel located in Marrakech, Morroco. She has operated this business for over 20 years. During the last few months, she has had to pivot and figure out how to keep the business afloat while rebranding her enterprise and launching new ventures.

We caught up with her to find out how things going now and what she has in store for us next.

What inspired you to step into the hotel business?

I used to be a lawyer in Paris but I was always passionate about architecture and design. I discovered Marrakech in 1985 and immediately fell in love with it: diversity, cultural heritage, the mother continent, and a cosmopolitan and creative social life.

I also had the intuition that boutique experience was the future of travel, so in 1989 I launched two neighboring private residences and turned them into a hospitality business. This later won the “Best Villa to rent in the World” award from Harper’s and Queen magazine.

My work was published in the New York Times, WSJ, Town and Country, Architecture Digest, and almost 60 other magazines worldwide.

At one point in time, there was a waiting list to find a slot and Tom Cruise had to try four times before we could find availability. Brad Pitt had told him that it was the place to stay in Marrakech.

We’ve hosted Fortune 500 CEOs to public figures like Giorgio Armani, Donna Karan, Peter Lindberg, David Bowie and Iman, Mick Jagger, Princess Caroline of Monaco, and many other royals. They described the villa as “very famous to very few” and was always full.

The enormous success of this boutique villa concept led me to create Jnane Tamsna in 2001. In a nutshell, I love designing, and I have to turn it into a business to make a living, hence hospitality.

The travel and hospitality industry has been hit hard in the past few months. How have you been able to pivot or leverage your brand in other ways?

It has been very hard as of late February. I had just sponsored, hosted, and conceived a cultural pop-up called AFREECulture Salon to celebrate the creativity of our diaspora in film, literature, and entrepreneurship.

It was a great success and was counting on the very high rate of occupancy of the high season to follow, to absorb the expenses and suddenly there was nothing.

But such is life, as the world was going through a major pandemic. Because I am a connector, cultural entrepreneur, and creative, I want to use my platform to host events that will enrich the conversation about our diaspora. AFREECulture salon will launch for Labor Day 2021.

Since I have non-profit status that can benefit corporate sponsors, I would like them to support events such as fascinating retreats with amazing speakers, films, documentaries, and music connected to our cause.

What upcoming projects can we expect from you?

I am launching a special offer for the Shoppe Black audience. Please contact requests@jnanetamsna.com and ask about “Meryanne’s Shoppe Black special deal.”

My book, “Inside Marrakech” published by Rizzoli NY is coming out in October. It is my personal journey through the most beautiful private houses and gardens of Marrakech. I am looking for Black-owned bookstores where we could organize festive zoom launch parties, all over the country.

I am also working on a fabulous new resort concept and hopefully, we are ready to submit to planning consent in the Fall. This is the project of my life.

The architect and project partner is a multi-award winning icon in the 5-star hospitality industry, and I could not be more humbled that he shared my vision and suggested to partner.

Black Woman Hotel Owner

I am developing my e-commerce lifestyle brand starting with beautiful tableware and luminaries. Although our website will not be up before fall, we have started selling. So please contact me!

Black Woman Hotel Owner

Where do you see the business in 5 years?

In an ideal world…

My two hotels are doing well with the most diverse clientele ever. I will own four restaurants, one cultural special events venue, and a small museum space celebrating the impact of diasporas on culture.

For the museum space, I am working with an amazing architect who is redoing the Rockefeller wing of the MET. Kulapat Yantrasast.

I see AFREECulture salon having a yearly rendezvous in Marrakech. My e-commerce lifestyle and interiors line is a success.

I would also like all of my enterprises to mentor young interior designers and hospitality creatives so that our diaspora has more and more placers connected to our narrative while open to all.

What advice do you have for those interested in the hospitality industry?

It is a tough world. Don’t start your own business unless you know your market and future clients, have identified a niche and have direct access to it. Have very strong unique selling points so the competition is less harsh. Be unique, don’t be afraid of being generous and human.

Tony O. Lawson

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