Kasbah du Toubkal: How a Pioneering Atlas Mountains Hotel Rose Stronger After the Earthquake
High in Morocco's Atlas Mountains, where jagged peaks meet terraced valleys and Berber villages cling to the hillsides, Kasbah du Toubkal rises like a guardian of the past and a quiet architect of the future.
Here, resilience is honored, hospitality is deeply intertwined with cultural preservation, and girls' education sits at the center of the camp's commitment to its community.
Berber Beginnings and a Vision for Regenerative Hospitality
Mike McHugo never set out to build a pioneering hotel. After university, he found himself running adventure holidays across North Africa. It was during these explorations that he fell in love with the Imlil Valley and formed a lasting friendship with local guide Hajj Maurice. Years later, along with his brother Chris, Mike returned with a vision to restore a crumbling kasbah in the village of Imlil — not as a luxury escape, but as a hub for meaningful, community-first hospitality.
Initially restored and run as a field centre for schools, the Kasbah gradually transformed into a boutique hotel, attracting hikers eager to explore the surrounding High Atlas Mountains from a comfortable base. But in 2023, a devastating 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit Morocco and parts of the Kasbah were destroyed. The property would need to be reimagined and rebuilt once again.
The rebuilding process was no easy feat. With the support of the local community and a commitment to traditional Berber design, however, Kasbah du Toubkal was reborn. Today, its 18 rooms welcome guests from around the world, but the real impact lies in the valley below.
The old kasbah, which was built on the original foundations, came down. It was sufficiently damaged that it was obvious we would have to demolish it.
The entire process had to be done by hand, an immense task that took months. McHugo views it through an optimistic lens. "The earthquake gave us the chance to build back better," he says. "The whole kasbah was redesigned with more arches and more light."
The result: 18 en-suite rooms and a swimming pool suspended on the edge of the hillside.
The swimming pool needed civil engineering to be built, because it's hanging off the edge of the hillside. It consists of sand, cement and metal reinforcing bars, all of which is very, very heavy and comes in by mule or man. When you see it, it's incredible really.
The 5% Promise: Tourism That Gives Back
From the start, Kasbah du Toubkal introduced a simple but powerful concept: a 5% levy on each guest's stay, directed toward community projects. This regenerative model funds everything from rubbish removal to emergency ambulance services and infrastructure improvements.
But perhaps the most profound impact of that commitment is found in the lives of young girls.
Empowering Girls, Uplifting Generations
In rural Morocco, many girls face steep barriers to education beyond primary school. Secondary schools are often far from home, and cultural norms and safety concerns prevent many families from allowing girls to travel or board away.
To address this, McHugo co-founded Education For All (EFA), a Moroccan NGO that provides safe, supportive boarding houses for girls from remote mountain villages. These homes allow girls to pursue their studies — often becoming the first in their families, or even their villages, to do so.
Over the past 17 years, access to education for girls in the Imlil region has grown significantly and early marriage rates have dropped. EFA has become a beacon of hope and transformation, supported in large part by steady contributions from the Kasbah and its guests.
A Culture of Care and Connection
Nearly all staff are locals. Food is sourced nearby. Goods are transported by a mule rotation system designed to share the workload and income across families. Even during the pandemic and after the earthquake, the Kasbah remained committed to reinvesting in its community.
That commitment extends to preserving traditional Berber culture. Architecture throughout the property reflects local building methods, using natural materials and traditional craftsmanship. Meals showcase Berber culinary heritage, with ingredients sourced from nearby farms and recipes passed down through generations. Staff share their knowledge and customs with guests — whether through guided treks into the High Atlas or over tea by the fire. Local traditions, from hammam rituals to artisanal textiles, are woven into the guest experience, providing both cultural continuity and economic opportunity.
One guest, preparing for an important presentation, experienced the warmth of the team when several staff members — unaware of each other's actions — each brought him candles to read by as night fell. It's a small story, but it says a lot about the place.
Building for the Future, One Guest at a Time
The local community has to benefit from tourism, and not just the people who are employed, either directly or indirectly. The people who have absolutely nothing, nothing to do with tourism, ought to gain.
Today, the Kasbah attracts a wider audience: trekkers and adventurers, yes, but also families, domestic travelers, and impact-minded tourists seeking something more than a view. Through guided walks, shared meals, and honest conversation, visitors engage with the heart of Berber life — not as outsiders, but as respectful guests.
McHugo hopes the Kasbah's model will inspire broader change: an industry where community levies become the norm, where governments support grassroots regenerative initiatives, and where travel becomes a positive force in even the most remote corners of the world.
A Regenerative Legacy
Though he now lives in France, McHugo remains deeply connected to Imlil. He visits often, respected and welcomed by the community he has helped build.
If something ever happened, I know the village would protect the Kasbah.
In a world where tourism can so easily exploit, Kasbah du Toubkal offers another way: one where tradition is honored, women are uplifted, and every traveler becomes part of something larger than themselves.
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A regenerative mountain sanctuary above Imlil — 18 Berber-style rooms, a hammam, and a hillside infinity pool, with 5% of every stay reinvested in the surrounding community.