Fathom Favorites: Marrakech
There's almost too much to love and see in the Red City.
If you are a romantic, a color junkie, a garden obsessive, and/or a serious shopper, Marrakech will woo you with the scents of jasmine, honey, and orange, the Majorelle blues and dusty pink hues, and the tiled and verdant desert oases — terraces, courtyards, gardens, and rooftops where winter sun is guaranteed.
Fathom Favorites are designed as easy-to-use, tightly edited lists. For Marrakech, we’re spotlighting our favorite riads, tiled spas, palm-fringed courtyards, and artisanal shops.
Rock the kasbah when you’re looking for:
a blow-your-mind hammam experience
a gorgeous cup of tea in a 300-year-old riad
our go-to apothecary
a beautiful bedroom for $80 a night
Hotels
Your first consideration: location. Do you want to be in or near the medina in a luxury hotel or a riad (former private homes with courtyards) or do you want to stay in a palace hotel outside the city (which requires a 20-30 minute taxi ride to the medina)? Both are excellent options; it just depends what you want.
In the City
Royal Mansour — when you want to live like the king. (Literally: It’s his.)
La Mamounia — is this a garden-filled resort, or are you living in a movie?
Villa des Orangers — a Relais & Châteaux riad in a serene setting.
Tarabel — a discreet stunner with painted walls, candelabra, and antiques.
Dar Rhizlane — walk on rose petals to your bourgeois villa.
La Sultana — an elegant, feminine complex of riads.
La Maison Arabe — absolutely charming courtyards, cookery, location.
Riad Farnatchi — high-end hospitality and design in the traditional style.
Riad Mena & Beyond — mid-century minimal house run by chic Londoner.
El Fenn — colorful, boutiquey choice for fashiony girls.
Rosemary — LRNCE designers’ intimate riad celebrating local crafts.
Riad Jardin Secret — artists-in-residence love the beauty in its simplicity.
Riad Romeo — Romeo Gigli’s fashiony fever dream of Byzantine details.
Maison Brummell Majorelle — cozy, high design near YSL gardens.
Dar Kawa — black and white palette makes for a striking effect.
Dar Rbaa Laroub — petite bang-for-your-buck beauty starts at $80 per night.
MORO Boutique Hotel — funky ten-roomer in the spirit of its namesake shop.
Outside the City
The Oberoi, Marrakech — Indian opulence + Moroccan design. Killer spa.
Beldi Country Club — more funky village than resort; great for families.
Selman — oversized pool; top-notch stables and equestrian facilities.
Amanjena — splurge-y Aman resort en route to the desert.
Jnane Tamsna — blooms with elegant houses, pools, tennis courts.
Berber Lodge — traditional romantic architecture and old olive trees.
Farasha Farmhouse — a serene stay on a regenerative farm.