42 Best Hotels in The Great Oasis Valleys, Morocco

Another of the Xaluca luxury hotels, this rather ostentatious faux kasbah rises from the sand like a mirage; crenulated turrets and inner corridors lead to attractive, air-conditioned rooms with huge en suite bathrooms finished in colored tadlak. The property gets a lot of complaints for being big and noisy, but the fact is that the facilities here are excellent. Desert outings depart right from the door—including camel rides, quad-bike trips, and nights in private bivouacs. The huge pool is popular with nonguests, as is the restaurant, which serves passable buffet-style meals. Rates include breakfast and dinner. To find the hotel, look for the sign with two enormous kissing camels.

In a desert town that lacks any character-filled boutique accommodations, the rambling Kasbah Xaluca is the best choice available and offers a sense of authenticity combined with luxury facilities. Constructed using traditional methods, the hotel possesses rustic charm—picture wood-framed four-poster beds, earthen walls, zellij-tiled bathrooms, and wash basins made from 350-million-year-old fossilized marble. The evening buffet has a tempting range of Moroccan and international dishes. In addition to camel treks and four-wheel-drive journeys into the desert dunes, you can rent quad bikes and motorbikes here.

The most upmarket accommodation in the village, Ksar Ighnda stands on the grounds of an old mud-built ksar—though only the original olive trees remain in the garden near the pool. The hotel has excellent facilities including a hammam and spa, a funkily designed bar (also open to the public), a restaurant, and a huge function room. The rooms and suites all combine traditional features, such as date-palm ceilings and tadelakt walls, with modern Moroccan furnishings.

Between Kelaâ M'Gouna and Boumalne du Dadès, this restored riverside kasbah is an ideal base for exploring both the Valley of Roses and the Dadès Gorge. Rooms are individually decorated with paintings, textiles, masks, and furniture collected by the owners during their years of traveling in West Africa; a Mongolian yurt and bewitching underground cave rooms (hacked from the rocky crags where nomads once lived) offer unique alternatives. Ample outdoor space, a pool, plus a broad range of games and activities give this spot family appeal.

Hidden in the palm groves of Bounou, this guesthouse has simple en suite rooms set around a central patio, plus nomad-style tents and self-contained pisé bungalows in the garden. Meals are served in the small Moroccan salon or outside on the canopied terrace, which doubles as a spot for relaxing and stargazing. Le Drom' Blanc has a traditional tiled hammam for guests to use; camel trekking through the palmery can be arranged, too. Price includes breakfast and dinner.

Styling itself as a "maison de repos" (house of rest), this restored farmhouse casts such a spell over guests that many of them find it difficult to leave, staying on for days in its warm, lazy embrace. The laid-back feel disguises an incredible attention to detail; each room and suite was individually designed. All have heating/cooling systems, and suites have fireplaces as well. Extensive gardens, dotted with the odd hammock and Amazigh tent, offer unlimited distraction for younger visitors, while for adults doing nothing has rarely felt so good. The rate includes breakfast; delicious evening meals are also available.

One of the higher-end hotels in the area, Oz Palace has stunning Moroccan architecture, lush gardens, and a large pool. During the day, sunlight streams through rainbow-hued glass windows to give the entire space a magical feel. The polite staff go above and beyond to make you feel at home.

Influenced by the fashionable interiors of Marrakesh's hip riads, Riad Caravane has stylish rooms, a roof terrace looking out to the kasbah, and a small dipping pool. There is plenty of local charm in the traditional furnishings and architecture, yet features like beige tadelakt flooring, quality bed linens in neutral tones, and woven basket lampshades lend a welcome air of casual elegance.

Run by an English-Moroccan couple, this guesthouse in a residential neighborhood on the outskirts of Ouarzazate has huge rooms with traditional decor, air-conditioning and heating, and en suite bathrooms that could use some updating. A lovely roof terrace, overlooking the palm groves, is where dinner is usually enjoyed in summer; in winter, meals are served in a typical Moroccan salon with an open fire. The food is good and you’re far from any other restaurants, so book the half-board option.

Originally built as a family home, this rambling three-story riad is full of over-the-top Moroccan decor, with stucco plasterwork, colorful mosaic tiling, ornate ceilings, and antique furnishings competing for attention. Ten spacious, air-conditioned guest rooms have wrought-iron beds topped with quality linens; some have a private terrace overlooking the pretty pool and garden. There are plenty of communal spaces for relaxing, including a bar.

Opened in 2013 by the Annam brothers from Merzouga, Riad Madu is a cut above the other Saharan inns dotting the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes, showcasing the brothers’ experience in the European tourism and hospitality sectors—good English is spoken, guests are greeted warmly, and attention to detail is evident throughout. Thanks to features such as woven ceilings, arched doorways, and earth-built pisé walls, the riad's aesthetic is tastefully traditional; however, the warm shades chosen for the tadelakt interiors and touches like recessed lighting in the stairwells add contemporary flair. The property also includes a pool, a library, and a Moroccan salon with a restaurant.

This desert oasis is decorated in the style of Saharan kasbahs and adorned with stunning tilework and handwoven carpets. There's also a pool on-site. Many guests opt to book a night at Riad Serai's camp, Caravanserai, in order to experience both the desert village and the dunes. Transfer between the two is provided free of charge.