Globalista

Exotic, romantic and breathtakingly seductive, Marrakech is the coolest city in Africa. In the 1960s, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Yves Saint Laurent came to Marrakech to rock the medina and the kasbah, as did John Paul and Talitha Getty who were the poster couple of the city’s jetset expat scene. Famously photographed by Patrick Lichfield lounging on a rooftop overlooking the city, they inspired countless fashion collections and an image of Marrakech as a bohemian paradise.

These days, as our guide shows, the city is hotter than ever, with smart visitors seduced by its beguiling mix of North African culture and tradition and European sophistication and contemporary style. Alongside the history, architecture and buzz of daily life in the medina, we’ve found the best beautiful hotels and riads for rent, fantastic secret agents to help you haggle in the souks (and where to shop in quieter surroundings) and new restaurants with a vibrant atmosphere. Against a backdrop of deserts and the snow-capped Atlas mountains, you can party to your heart’s content with a recommended party planner or just search for peace in the surrounding wilderness with our escapes out of town. Sunny, sophisticated and for European travellers only a short flight away, Marrakech is one of the most exciting long weekend destinations.

You can preview the Best Hotels featured in our Globalista Report below. Or buy the full Globalista Report for this destination, available at the bottom of the page.

The trick to a long weekend in Marrakech is to spend two nights in the madness and magic of the medina before heading to the Palmeraie for peace perfect peace, full-size swimming-pools and gardens full of herbs. Many second-timers skip the medina completely – they know a short cab ride will take them there from their hotel, and Marrakech is bursting with good hotels. We’ve stayed in and assessed most of them: here are our favourites.

Best Hotels in the Medina

for stylish elegance

Riad Farnatchi is a ravishing riad designed by British hotelier Jonathan Wix who spent two years transforming what was his home into a nine-suite baby hotel. The result is crisp and comfortable and there is nothing manager Lynn Perez cannot sort.

for fashionistas

If you like joining fashion and film insiders, Riad el Fenn is the trendier option and the whole place is dotted with wonderful contemporary art from owner Vanessa Branson’s collection. The rooftop pools are lovely and there are turtles munching in the garden.

for romantics

With nine charming rooms around a courtyard garden, an indoor pool and a gorgeous courtyard restaurant, Riad Noir D’Ivoire is one of the prettiest and most romantic riads in Marrakech. Book one of the three suites for your own Jacuzzi and private roof terrace.

for art lovers

New in 2008, Riad Ana Yela is a master-class in restoration and romance. More than 100 Moroccan artisans worked on the restoration of this 300-year old palace in the centre of the medina. During the work, an old Arabic manuscript was found written by Yela, a 16-year-old girl on the eve of her wedding telling of her love for the man she’s about to marry. One of the most renowned Koranic calligraphers painstakingly hammered her story in silver on the doors of the palace, which then took her name in memory of her. It’s quite simply stunning.

for house parties

Stylish, exclusive and wonderfully relaxed, the new Riad Tarabel is a sanctuary of peace and quiet in the madness of the medina. With only two rooms and one suite, it is the perfect place to take over with friends. Owned by Princess Letizia Ruspoli (who also owns the divine La Residenza Napoleone III in Rome), Dar Seven is a beautiful four-bedroom house in the medina. Unlike many Moroccan riads, Dar Seven has a sleek, contemporary feel with a sophisticated cream, brown and white colour palette and chic furnishings such as a draped white four-poster bed and beautiful black candlesticks. You can rent an individual suite or the fully staffed riad in its entirety.

for those who want a full service hotel

With its recent additions, La Maison Arabe is an even better choice for those who want a medina location but the feeling of a full scale hotel (and the location is more convenient than most, with a very short walk to an exterior street, for dropoff by car). The 26 rooms and suites are decorated in handsome local style by owner Fabrizio Ruspoli; there’s an atmospheric spa, hammam, and sizeable swimming pool, topnotch Moroccan and Thai restaurants and a cooking school on site.

Best Hotels outside the Medina

for relaxation

Dar Zemora remains a little-known secret, with just five bedrooms, a garden filled with lemon trees, wonderfully caring staff and sensational food. This is one of our favourite hotels anywhere. Small, atmospheric, stylish.

for luxury

If you prefer something less intimate, Ksar Char Bagh is a knock-out palace in the Palmeraie: a younger, prettier version of Amanjena which, though still going strong, is regarded by some as a little soulless and tired (although one can’t fault the service). Ksar Char Bagh has 13 huge suites, library, hammam, tennis court and two swimming-pools. Wonderfully, they will pick you up from the airport or the medina in a London black cab.

for garden lovers

Jnane Tamsna is a luxurious 24-room retreat spread over an 8-acre estate. Owned by formidable designer Meryanne Loum-Martin and her ethno-botanist husband Gary, the decor is exquisite. The gardens are a stunning mix of lemon trees, olive groves, date-palms and flowers such as jasmine, bougainvillea and gardenia. There are five pools and one tennis court. Cookery classes are offered as are ‘Diversity Excursions’ led by local guides off the beaten track. It is a truly wonderful place that feels like a private home, but one slight niggle is the lack of room service. If having a morning coffee in your room or service on tap is a must, then stay elsewhere. The whole property is on occasion available for rent.

For more quality travel information on this destination, simply buy the full Globalista Report (£15) for Marrakech:

Globalista’s Pick of the Press

20 June 2009 - The Times - Morocco: camels, kasbahs and kids
09 May 2009 - The Guardian - Funky Medina
04 April 2009 - The Independent - Souk star: Trade secrets in Marraceck
14 March 2009 - The Financial Times - Feasting in Morocco
25 February 2009 - The Times - Mountaineering in Morocco

See the full archive of travel press articles for Marrakech.


Visit our Travel Journal for a recent article on Jnane Tamsna

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