9 Best Hotels in Ouarzazate, The Great Oasis Valleys

This restored pisé home maintains an aura of authenticity thanks to typical architectural features, like carved Berber motifs and ceilings woven from reeds and date palms. Clean, cozy, en suite rooms are simply decorated, and most have a private terrace overlooking the valley with the kasbah in the distance. The warmth of the French-Moroccan hosts makes up for the lack of heating in winter. Book the half-board option as the guesthouse is outside the village.

A rustic farmhouse about 7 km (4½ miles) outside Skoura, Chez Talout is worth the trek for its warm welcome, wonderful food, and roof-terrace views across the palmery to Skoura's kasbahs. The rooms are rustic in style, with traditional Amazigh clay and fossil sinks. Excursions to learn more about village crafts, such as pottery and basket weaving, are also available.

Poised on the outskirts of town, Dar Chamaa is a boutique riad that offers a contemporary take on traditional design. Rather small but spotlessly clean rooms are arranged around a cool, central courtyard; their neutral decor palette is punctuated by dark polished tadelakt walls, bright cushions, and modern furnishings. The on-site restaurant is renowned for its excellent food. Outdoors you'll find a gorgeous pool and a garden that overlooks the palm groves flanking the riverbed.

For anyone seduced by tales of Glaoui wealth and influence, this 17th-century pasha's courthouse has magisterial appeal. Filled with artifacts from all over Africa, the dark, lantern-lighted courtyard envelops with its dusky grandeur. Rooms are effortlessly chic, with wrought-iron beds, Amazigh rugs, inventive lanterns, and bathrooms as smooth and polished as the service. The hotel can also arrange a variety of excursions, including four-wheel drives, quad biking, mountain biking, camel riding, trekking, and overnight bivouacs.

Next to the old kasbah of Tamdaght, the rustic Kasbah Ellouze (Kasbah of Almonds) is brimming with character, though rooms are a bit dated. To find it you have to walk into the heart of this tiny village, which overlooks the Ounila Valley and the almond orchards below—a delight to behold in the spring. Rooms are scattered between terraces and turrets; all have tiled floors, Amazigh rugs, earthen walls, and en suite bathrooms. The inviting restaurant and “Jazz” salon are decorated with photos of the French owner's musical heroes. The property also has a small pool (heated March to October) and several sun terraces.

Teetering on the edge of a precipice with stupendous views over the Valley of Roses, Kasbah Itran offers quirky, colorful accommodation inside its high stone walls; tasteful rooms all have open fireplaces (recently modernized to reduce fumes) and are suffused with incense and cinnamon from the kitchen. With its dramatic mountain location and rustic charm, this spot could be compared to the High Atlas's luxe Kasbah du Toubkal—but the similarity ends there: Kasbah Itran is a far more affordable option that attracts arty, independent travelers, yoga groups, and trekkers. The Taghda brothers, whose knowledge of the Rose Valley is legendary, can organize all manner of tours, on foot, four legs, or four wheels. Rates include half-board meal plan.

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.

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.