Marrakech : Sleep
No other city on earth offers as many intoxicating accommodation options as Marrakech. From the tiny and intimate to the vast and ridiculously opulent, the city’s sleeperies span snug maisons d'hôte, snazzy designer riads, pseudo-corporate hotels, sumptuous villas and super-reclusive mansions. In other words, whatever your accommodation requirements, you’ll find them met here.If you’re looking to stay in the Medina, you need to know about riads: traditional Moroccan houses arranged around an attractive central courtyard and/or garden. In the last few decades an ever-increasing number of ex-pats – mostly European, many of them artists and designers – have bought their own (as well as dars, which have a slightly different structure, are often larger and don’t necessarily have a courtyard), and transformed them into visions of chic elegance.
The Medina’s dusty doors conceal a whole range of decorative themes: traditional Moroccan interiors at Riad Ifoulki and Riad Kniza; subtle mixes of the traditional and the trendy at Dar Saria, Riad Farnatchi, Riad Tchaikana, Riad W and Riad Azzar; and grand designer statements at current hotspots such as Riad Perle Lotus, Riad El Fenn or the fabled Riad Enija.
Because riads are usually of a relatively small size – most have between four and eight rooms – they offer an intimate maison d’hôte experience: burbling fountains, soothing salons, isolated roof terraces and great home cooking (although many are thoroughly equipped with a range of unobtrusive mod-cons, too). These places are thus the perfect choice for those seeking romance and solitude within the hubbub of the ancient city.
Those who wish for a more reclusive experience should look to the Palmeraie. A scruffy, palm-filled area that is home to secluded private residences, luxury villas and grand mansions, it’s Marrakech’s somewhat sandy and surreal answer to Beverly Hills. It’s here, 15 minutes away from the Medina by car, that you’ll find the kind of high-end accommodation that attracts the famous and the wealthy.
Ayniwen, Dar Zemora, Palais Rhoul and Jnane Tamsna are among the more established places to stay in the Palmeraie, and are all fine examples of the standards one can expect from the accommodation here. Hidden away behind high walls and gated entrances, they all offer expansive gardens, azure swimming pools, architectural flourishes and, more often than not, a full-blown design aesthetic aimed at reawakening dulled senses.
Similar options exist along various routes in and out of the city, some of them up to 45 minutes away. Some of the very finest accommodation lies on these rural fringes: rustic retreats such as Caravanserai and Tigmi, both set in local villages; the charming Kasbah du Toubkal at the foot of the Atlas Mountains; the impressive Ksar Char Bagh; and the notoriously swish Kasbah Agafay. All of these are completely different from each other, yet unparalleled in their own unique way. Staying in any of these places will guarantee you stunning surroundings, impeccable service and a first-class holiday that will leave you fully rejuvenated. Please note that although the remoter places have been given a fairly low score in the ‘Location’ category, this is because their distance (more than 15 minutes by car/taxi) from the centre of the city. It is of course no reflection upon their setting – on the contrary, most offer unbeatable landscapes and surroundings.
There’s also a range of corporate hotels in Marrakech, mostly located in Gueliz/Hivernage. Of these, we have included here only the hotels that offer a certain level of charm and style. Places such as La Sultana, Les Jardins de la Koutoubia and La Maison Arabe are all set in the heart of the Medina and offer full corporate hospitality in stylized settings. Visitors with a bigger expense account can try the ultra-luxurious Amanjena resort (just a short ride from town).
It’s worth noting that, wherever you stay, you should book ahead in peak seasons – especially if you are opting for the smaller places, which get full quickly and are often rented in their entirety to families or groups. Also, rates change according to season. Since places have their own interpretations of these seasonal periods (and some recognize seasons that others don’t, such as a ‘middle season’), we have listed the lowest ‘low-season’ price for a standard double room up to the highest ‘high-season’ price for a suite.
