8 Best Hotels in Medina, Marrakesh

Since 1923, Morocco's most prestigious hotel has achieved legendary status for its opulence, grandeur, celebrity guest list, and hefty price tag. Famed also for its elegant interiors, magnificent mature gardens, and immaculate service, La Mamounia occupies 20 acres of fragrant gardens that once belonged to 18th-century Prince Mamoun and is a glowing example of Moroccan Arab–Andalusian fine arts. As you enter the main foyer, doormen glide to your assistance as you're greeted by a waft of orange blossoms. The marble sculptures, velvet armchairs, antique furniture, and spacious lounges hung with Asian paintings ooze elegance. Animal lovers will be delighted to see that despite its five-star standing, La Mamounia welcomes furry friends—a rarity in Morocco. It also has its own colony of rescue cats and a friendly donkey wandering the grounds.

Riad Tarabel is an enchanting hideaway that exudes old-world charm. Antique maps, peacock chairs, taxidermy birds, and sparkling chandeliers all have a place here, as do lush paintings that were shipped from the enigmatic owner’s family château in France. For those who love travel-inspired nostalgia and treasures, a stay at Tarabel is an absolute must. Pay close attention to the gilt mirrors that decorate Tarabel’s sitting areas. One of them is actually a secret door that leads to a spa—all you have to do is find and press the button.

English entrepreneur Vanessa Branson created this riad "adventure" in 2002, and since then it has been reworked and extended into a palace of individually conceived rooms designed with a stylish modern aesthetic. The property appeals to fashionable sophisticates although families with children are equally welcome. The atmosphere is chic, relaxed, and trendy, but it's expensive compared to other properties in the same category. There are three pools, a hammam spa, restaurant, spacious bar with lounge, exclusive designer boutique, library, and shaded garden patios. The roof terrace is huge and attracts outside guests for evening cocktails, as does the restaurant. Hardly any wonder that most guests stay four to five days—some even two weeks. 

Opened by celebrated British designer Jasper Conran, peace and tranquility reign supreme at this stylish riad set within a former 19th-century Ciadal palace. L'Hotel has six spacious suites, including Agadir, its newest and largest suite, which comes with its own private courtyard and fountain. Conran furnished all the rooms and common spaces with antiques and artworks from his private collection, which makes staying here feel like you're visiting a well-off friend's lush Marrakesh villa. Four-poster beds are made up with hand-finished Egyptian cotton linen surrounded by billowing white voile drapes. While all suites overlook the garden courtyard, request one with a private balcony or terrace. The on-site restaurant serves Moroccan cuisine either in the elegant dining room or on your own private terrace. There are no TVs and children are not accepted unless the entire riad is booked for private use. The sun-drenched roof terrace is ideal for afternoon tea or sunset cocktails.

There's a certain over-the-top charm to this series of five interconnected riads of palatial proportions, each with a different decorative theme inspired by previous ruling dynasties. The hotel concierge offers all services and comforts associated with a small luxury hotel and there's a Romanesque underground spa and massage suite, as well as on-site cooking classes. There are also salon areas and lounges in each of the different riads, plus a billiards room and other spaces for meeting, greeting, or relaxing. A nighttime aperitif beside the patio pool amid rows of man-size lanterns is hard to beat. The very pleasant terrace restaurant is open to nonguests and has both French and Moroccan menus.

Take your breakfast or lunch here, but head elsewhere for dinner.

On the souk's northern tip is this lavish riad spread across five adjoining properties, known for its fabulous decor and elite clientele (Angelina Jolie and Russell Crowe have stayed here). Its location in the heart of the busy El Mok'f neighborhood may be a bit more on the edgy side, but once you've reached the riad, you may never want to leave. TVs are hidden behind carved moucharabia screens and iPod docks are filled with cool tunes. Hidden alcoves and salons are great places to grab a meal, but don't miss the terrace for sunset. 

Built and owned by King Mohammed VI of Morocco, the Royal Mansour is an ultraluxurious private medina within the medina, comprising 55 individual three-story riads complete with a private patio, sitting room, rooftop plunge pool, fireplace, and personal butler. Master artisans from across the Kingdom finished each with zellij tiles, hand-sculpted plaster details, and polished tadlak. It's here that visiting heads of state and the super-elite will be housed during state visits or celebrity events; the rest of the time it's open to anybody with pockets deep enough to pay the rates. From the riads, pathways lined with 100-year-old olive trees transplanted from the King's own Agdal Gardens lead to the reception and the various fine-dining restaurants, while there is a stunning garden with massive outdoor pool and the "Le Jardin'" restaurant pavilion, overseen by Michelin-starred chef, Yannick Alléno. The luxurious hotel spa, with white wrought-iron atrium, resembles a birdcage and reputedly has one of the best (and possibly most expensive) hammams in Marrakesh. 

Formerly the private residence of a Marrakesh judge, this exquisite 1930s property has all the understated glamour and class you'd expect from a Relais & Chateaux hotel, with unobtrusive service, libraries to hide away in, and guest rooms with enormous bathrooms. The street outside is a busy thoroughfare, but when inside you are hardly aware of it. Dine in the excellent contemporary Mediterranean and Moroccan restaurant, or take your meals by the heated garden pool, terrace pool, or fireside on a private, orange-tree–filled patio.