Lazib Inn: Fayoum's Most Beautiful Hotel

I’ve often been taught that it’s important to share; you know, sharing is caring and all that. It is tantamount for the very progression of humanity – the moral evolution of mankind, if you will – that you share the bounty that has been bestowed upon you with your fellow man. Then there are times when you’re like ‘fuck everyone; mine’! Like when it’s the last slice of pizza and the cheese is still gooey. Or the last stale donut. Or the last few crumbs in a box of donuts that has been left on the floor of the car overnight. You know, whatever. All kidding – and dysfunctional relationship with food – aside, there are times a weekend getaway at an incredible hotel is offered to you, and you make no pretense whatsoever of offering that proverbial slice to anyone. That was exactly the case when we were invited to a weekend retreat at Lazib Inn, a gorgeous, newly opened boutique hotel in Fayoum.We head out to the hotel on a Friday morning and, driving up to Fayoum, I had all these grand plans of discovering the place, exploring nature and all that. I did. I really did. None of that materialised, though, because the hotel turned out to be so transfixing that leaving it at any point stopped being an option about 18 seconds after we walked in.Nestled behind a large green wooden gate along a dirt road, you walk through the gates and find yourself transported to a mini wonderland. Lazib Inn is a study in eclectic charm, all brightly hued with old school doors straight out of the Bohemian guidebook, and stained glass windows set into rose-hued buildings. Lush greenery abounds and eclectic sculptures dot the property.Olivier Masson greets us in the dining hall; the Swiss owner has been at the forefront of the hospitality industry for decades, and has been working on Lazib Inn for the past 15 years. It opened last October and, true to its boutique name, features a total of eight rooms. It is essentially the carefully curated culmination of years of travel; most of the pieces featured at the hotel, whether it be the artwork or the vintage tables, the casual throws or the delicate chandeliers, are ones Masson collected on his travels throughout the world, infusing the place with the sense of a microcosm of a global village.

We are led to our suites, which come complete with a fireplace, oversized windows, and wooden beams lining the ceiling, creating the perfect collision between rustic and refined. Each room is wholly unique and dotted with elements that reflect Masson’s years of wanderlusting through the world. Mattresses set atop a raised marble platform, a bathroom the size of a stadium, and a spacious terrace with a view of Lake Qarun in the distance solidified my firm decision to never leave the room. Except I realised they might think I was some kind of weird hermit and it’s best not to have people catch on to this for a while, so I decided to venture outside the drop dead gorgeous room and explore the place.
The hotel is so Instagrammable it’s painful; quite literally an Instagrammer's wet dream. Lunch is had on a sun-soaked table on the grounds – may we call them the grounds? – overlooking their second infinity pool and, after a peek at the glorious spa, we are led to a field behind the hotel. Eventually, Lazib Inn hopes to implement a complete farm-to-table concept and, en route to getting there, they already have their own mini organic farm; cabbage grows in leafy parallel arrangements and cauliflower sprouts from the ground - and they have a sunflower field. They have a goddamn sunflower field. I instantly wanted to relive every flower child fantasy I’d ever had (I do own an inordinate amount of flower crowns) and frolic though the field, tossing my hair around like I was in an ad for a brand that would be called ‘Children of the Sun’ or ‘Spirit of the Earth’ or something like that, where they all wear see-through sundresses and run in fields. Maybe there’s even a horse. Except, I had very clear visions of myself tripping over my own feet and trampling half the sunflowers, and then I’d just be the asshole who ruined the sunflower field and had mud on their face. And so I refrained from the frolics.Later that night, I discovered that on the edge of the property was a hot tub, wedged behind a little four-poster-bed-esque structure. What is this sheer wonder and magic that the Lord above has given us? I gave myself a mental pat on the back for remembering to bring a swimsuit. Or not so much remembering as being so incredibly lazy that it was still in my travel bag from the last time it had been left unworn there, along with a chocolate bar from 2008. But well done me for my laziness because I got to chill in a hot tub under the stars and eat pizza; which, really, life goals.The next morning, after a breakfast feast on the terrace fit for all the noble houses of Westeros, it was time to leave. After crying a little into my spiked orange juice, I reluctantly packed up and got in the car, staring out the window and watching that green gate that opens up into the portal that is Lazib Inn get smaller and smaller in the distance. Sigh. I have high hopes of being invited back since I didn't trample their sunflower field.You can check out Lazib Inn Resort & Spa on Facebook page here, or follow them on Instagram @lazib_inn.

Photography by @MO4Network's #MO4Productions.