Best hotels in Marrakech: riads, palaces and gardens worth the trip

A riad of your own

Royal Mansour is not a hotel with rooms but a small medina of riads behind its own wall, just inside the city walls. Every guest has a private house over three floors, with a sitting room, bedrooms and a roof terrace with its own plunge pool, and staff move through underground passages so you rarely see them arrive.

It is one of the most extravagant hotels in the world and priced accordingly. Come for a honeymoon or a landmark birthday, and expect the gardens, the spa and the craftsmanship to justify the bill. Not the place for anyone counting dirhams.

A garden older than the hotel

La Mamounia sits just inside the walls by Bab Jdid, with the Koutoubia minaret close by and gardens of olive and orange trees stretching away from the pool. The gardens came long before the hotel, and they are what you remember: breakfast under the trees, a swim with the Atlas Mountains on the horizon on clear days.

It is a legendary address, glamorous and polished, and a short walk or taxi from Jemaa el-Fnaa. Rooms facing the gardens are the ones to ask for. If you want the intimacy of a riad, this is a grand hotel, not a house.

Art, a rooftop and the Koutoubia on the skyline

El Fenn is several old townhouses joined into one rambling riad, a few minutes' walk from the Koutoubia. It is full of contemporary art, saturated colour and furniture no catalogue would ever put together. The roof is a world of its own, with a pool, a bar and a view across the medina at sunset.

This is our design pick and a favourite with creative types and friends travelling together. The layout is a delightful labyrinth, so do not expect lifts or straight corridors. Families with small children may find the stairs and plunge pools hard work.

A family house in Bab Doukkala

Riad Kniza is in the Bab Doukkala district in the north-west of the medina, a little away from the main tourist flow, and is run by a Marrakchi family who have dealt in antiques for generations. You notice it in the furniture, the rugs and the carved doors, and in the way the staff talk about the city.

For a first visit, it strikes the balance between authenticity and comfort. The family's guides can show you the souks without the stress, and taxis can drop you near the door. It is small and traditional, so it suits travellers who want the medina, not a pool to swim lengths in.

The Kasbah and the Saadian Tombs

La Sultana is in the Kasbah, the southern part of the medina where the sultans' palaces once stood. Its nearest neighbour is the Saadian Tombs, the sixteenth-century mausoleums that draw queues every morning. The hotel is several riads joined together, with a heated pool, a spa and a large roof terrace.

It is a good fit for travellers who want riad atmosphere with more facilities than a small guesthouse offers, and a quieter part of the medina than the streets around the square. It is a longer walk to Jemaa el-Fnaa, about twenty minutes, so taxis help at night.

A garden with room for families

Four Seasons stands in Hivernage, across the road from the Menara Gardens, and is laid out like a Moroccan garden with low pavilions, pools and paths between olive trees. One pool is for adults, another for families, and the children's club keeps younger guests busy while parents take turns at the spa.

It is our pick for families and for anyone who wants space and reliability. The medina is a ten-minute taxi ride away, close enough for an afternoon in the souks and a quiet night back at the hotel. Purists may find it less local than a riad.

Guéliz with a rooftop pool

2Ciels is in Guéliz, on the streets behind Avenue Mohammed V, where the cafés and modern boutiques are. The hotel is new, built in a modern Moroccan style with muted colours, and the rooftop pool looks across the district to the mountains on clear days.

It is good value for Marrakech and a calm base for exploring the new town's galleries and the Jardin Majorelle, a short walk away. You give up the drama of the medina in return, but you gain easy taxis and a quiet night.

Reflecting pools and villas with their own pool

Palais Namaskar is built around water: canals, reflecting pools and ponds link the low buildings, and most rooms are suites or villas with their own garden and pool. The Atlas Mountains rise in the background, and the only sounds are fountains and birds.

It is made for honeymooners and couples who want privacy and space. You will need the hotel's shuttle or a taxi to reach the medina, which makes it a place to retreat to rather than a base for exploring every day.

An old garden in the Palmeraie

Les Deux Tours is one of the oldest hotels in the Palmeraie, built as a cluster of villas in red earth tones around several pools, in a garden that has been allowed to grow for decades. You walk under bougainvillea and palms from your room to breakfast.

It has a gentle, lived-in charm and is quieter and less formal than the big resorts. Rooms vary in style and age, so ask for one of the renovated villas. A good choice for couples who want a garden and a slower pace.