8 Best Hotels in The Great Oasis Valleys, Morocco

Hidden within the Drâa Valley oasis, the Azalai Desert Lodge is a luxurious retreat with secluded gardens, creative cuisine, and an interior that has been featured in several prestigious design magazines. French artist Régis Delene Bartholdi was tasked with creating a romantic space inspired by famous authors, artists, and travelers of the 20th century; as a result, each impeccably finished room has a decorative theme built around figures like Saint-Exupéry, Matisse, and Lawrence of Arabia. The common areas and library have a retro-colonial feel. Outdoors, the gardens are planted with olive trees, palms, hibiscus, and cacti, plus there are shaded hammocks to swing in near the swimming pool. Rates include dinner and breakfast.

Movie stars and magnates tend to stay at Ouarzazate's only five-star hotel when working on location. The pool, the gardens, the public rooms—everything about it is impeccable. The elegantly furnished rooms and bungalows, the personal service, and the level of poolside chic are the best in town. The Moroccan cuisine served on-site is on a par with the hotel's high standards. It has stunning gardens where you can spend a happy half hour lounging under the trees.

True to its name, this new camp in the dunes offers a stunning, unimpeded view of the stars, enjoyed from luxurious tents with hot power showers, plush beds, elegant decor, and lovely touches like flowers scattered on the bed and pom-pommed hats to guard against the sun. The camp prides itself on its mix of modern and traditional, blending traditional elements like an Amazigh party around the campfire with less cliché touches like cold, homemade lemonade on arrival (rather than the ubiquitous mint tea) and fusion cuisine, which, for many guests, is a welcome break from tagine. Prices include camel or buggy ride in, dinner, bed and breakfast, and party around the campfire.

You can only reach this camp by 4x4 or camel with the owners. They will collect and guide you here.

The sister property of Riad Serai, this desert camp doesn't expect guests to give up comfort for a remote experience. The beds are super comfy and there's a wakeup service to ensure you don't miss the sunrise. Afterward, you can even post about your morning on social media: the camp has Wi-Fi in all the tents and encourages you to share about your desert adventures.

This is a place to see stars—literally. With five latest-edition telescopes, from manageable to huge ("it costs the price of a car," says German owner Fritz Koring), the rooftop observatory puts 180,000 stars within reach. With not another building in sight, there's no light pollution, and both amateur and professional stargazers make the trek with glee. Non-residents can also stargaze between 10 pm and midnight if they come for dinner (250 DH). Other than that, the rooms are merely adequate and the facilities rather graceless. There's a well-stocked bar on the premises and a reading room with an astronomical library; guided stargazing is offered for 100 DH per person.

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.

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.