Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakesh

20 Gorgeous Hotels in Marrakech

"Around a 30-minute drive from the medina, this sprawling desert oasis offers an elevated take on barefoot luxury, with modern, palatial architecture, a vast outdoor swimming pool, a hammam-inspired spa, and even a golf course (the largest in Marrakech). Rooms here come with expansive bathrooms and dressing areas, as well as private balconies or gardens for the ground-floor suites, each facing the Atlas Mountains. The heart of the hotel is its outdoor water area, a series of glass-clear tiered ponds that cascade down to meet the 492-foot swimming pool, shaded by palm trees and peppered with sleek sun loungers and smart, Breton-clad waiters (a nod to Marrakech’s French-speaking side). Casting an eye towards the mountains, you’ll notice the difference between the sandy desert and the hotel’s bright green lawns; the resort cleverly found a type of grass that needs less water to thrive, one of the hotel’s many ingenious blends of sustainability and beauty. There are enough restaurants here to keep you sated all week, from the relaxed poolside lunch spot L’Olivier for fresh tabbouleh salads and sunshine-filled carpaccios, to chic La Sabra, part of the hotel’s country club. The jewel in the hotel’s crown is Italian restaurant Le Caravane, a sophisticated setting with low lighting and dark, carved wood paneling, serving the best Italian food outside of Italy—expect simple plates cooked to perfection (the lamb rack is really something special). The real hidden gem is Al Ain, a secluded, ornate dining room covered in jewel-tone zellij tiles with fabulously authentic Marrakech cuisine. Children get the star treatment with its kids' club, with one huge playroom (that includes an actual tree house), and to-scale fluffy sheep, as well as one very-petted llama. There are areas for arts and crafts, a reading corner, a connecting room for cooking classes, as well as a trampoline, heated pool, and slides outside. If that’s not enough, book a trip to the on-site farm which also has a tortoise zone. —Charlotte Davey"