Best Independent Style Hotels in Morocco

Designed in a traditional style, Amanjena’s architecture features arches, courtyards and gardens. Guests are accommodated in regal pavilions and maisons, with carved wooden doors, zellij tilework and Berber carpets. All have a private garden or courtyard, some have private pools. There are several dining options, including one by the pool and there’s a cigar bar. Amanjena has a strong focus on wellness and attracts experts from across the globe who lead retreats. The spa offers a range of therapies inspired by Moroccan traditions, a hammam, and a yoga studio. Other leisure amenities include a heated outdoor pool and two clay tennis courts, with an academy for coaching.

Set beside the lagoon and backing onto the seafront, La Sultana is an opulent five-star hotel. The charming traditional stone building is reminiscent of a kasbah and sets the scene for a chic family-friendly resort. Its 12 rooms are decorated in a natural palette that echoes the sandy and aquamarine colours seen on Oualidia’s coast and the spa has a gleaming glass roof. Outside, a protected reserve provides up-close bird watching opportunities, while the adjacent water enables watersports and sailing excursions. There’s a barefoot feel here – guests can eat oysters on the jetty and the restaurant has an aquarium wall (unsurprisingly fish is a speciality here).

Set on the edge of a stretch of sand that runs alongside the ocean for more than five miles, the Mazagan Beach Resort is set with five hundred guestrooms and suites to choose from. Stunning views of the ocean can be enjoyed from many of the guestrooms and suites as well as other parts of the hotel. This establishment is famous for its excellent amenities, which include a full golf course, three clubs for children of all ages to take part in, a casino and several great restaurants.

Celebrating its centenary in 2023, the Mamounia is a timeless and truly palatial property. Celebrating Moroccan craftsmanship, along with gleaming modern design, the hotel offers rooms, suites and riads. The facilities are exceptional; a games room has a pool table, pinball machines and table football, while the private cinema offers movie screenings and a Grand Casino provides 140 slot machines and 20 table games for those fancying a flutter. There are multiple tea rooms, bars, restaurants (L’Italien par Jean-Georges, Le Pavillon de la Piscine, L’Asiatique par Jean-Georges and Le Marocain), a wine cellar and eight hectares of awe-inspiring gardens.

Here’s a hotel dripping with luxury where you can enjoy the stunning La Jardin with its verdant olive and palm groves providing pleasant shade and seclusion in and around the pool area and bespoke pavilions. Guests may also enjoy exclusive spa treatments that promise to rejuvenate the skin and prepare it for an enviable tan under the Moroccan sun. Nighttime dining is a delight, too, and you have 3 restaurants from which to choose your gourmet dining experience. The Royal Mansour truly has a touch of oriental magic to it that you will not forget in a hurry.

A luxurious romantic hideaway within a walled medina of Marrakech, La Sultana is moments away from the royal palaces, museums and souks of this magical city. This is a small, luxury hotel that knows how to spoil its guests, especially in the spa. From almonds to dates, prickly pears to Damask roses, the alchemist-like therapists make the most of Morocco’s natural treasures. There’s a Jacuzzi, two hammams and a sauna here too – not to mention candlelit pools. Each of La Sultana’s evocatively named Riad houses retains its own identity but shares attention to outstanding craftsmanship that is a celebration of Moroccan artisan creativity. Think intricately carved cedar wood ceilings and beams, ornamental plasterwork, striking tiles and extravagant lamps – but without the pastiche or cliché of themed interiors.

The ultimate home from home in Marrakech, the five-star Riad Farnatchi is a lovingly converted collection of private houses located in the heart of the oldest part of the Medina. International hoteliers Jonathan and James Wix have created a characterful, luxurious hideaway where ten exquisitely decorated bedroom suites sit alongside five-star service and facilities. Staff outnumber guests, service is slick and discreet, and the new spa in the hotel is worth booking in for. Riad Farnatchi will feel more like your home for a stay in the city than a hotel.

Situated at the foot of the Atlas Mountains the Selman oozes luxury at every turn with grandiose chandeliers and Arabian decor fit for royalty. During the day you can simply unwind by the impressively huge 80-metre pool seeking shade under sleepy palms. The Selman also offers spacious villas for further privacy replete with their own private pools. The 3 restaurants, the Le Selman, the La Pavilion and Assys offer something for all pallets from fine dining to Mediterranean to classical Moroccan style. Eating in the Pavillion affords views of the hotel’s delightful Arabian horses that truly complete the look of all things romantic and oriental. For the ultimate in relaxation, avail yourself of the hotel’s luxury spa facilities that will truly rejuvenate you during your stay.

30 bedrooms at this Relais and Chateaux property, including a private Riad suite with its own swimming pool and patio. Villa des Orangers is a place to immerse in the finest of local culture. Take mint tea on the patio surrounded by plants and nightcaps in the cigar cellar; enjoy locally inspired treatments at the Nuxe beauty salon; get a taste of the terroir at the restaurant, with food by Chef Abdelilah Ighiri; and cool off in the rooftop pool (one of three swimming pools in the hotel) as you gaze across to the Koutoubia and Atlas mountains.

If you like to be at the heart of the action, this hotel in the heart of the Medina is for you. Les Jardins de La Koutoubia is a 13th-century building, close to Jemaâ el Fna Square. The traditional riad incorporates 108 rooms (30 Mini Suites, 22 Junior Suites and two Royal Suites). There are heated indoor and outdoor pools, a Spa by Carita, patios and gardens to unwind. Guests have several dining options; the panoramic Les Jardins de Bala, the Relais de Paris Restaurant, a snack bar and a piano bar for evening entertainment.

Situated in the heart of Fez, this family-run property features 21 beautifully appointed rooms and suites, each showcasing intricate zellige tilework and plush furnishings. Guests can indulge in a variety of experiences, including culinary classes at the Fez Cooking School, traditional hammam treatments at Les Bains Amani, and immersive cultural activities such as calligraphy and henna workshops. Dining at Palais Amani is a gastronomic delight, with a menu that highlights local ingredients and traditional Moroccan cuisine. The lush gardens, rooftop terrace with panoramic views, and personalised service ensure a serene and memorable stay.

This luxury retreat has the unmistakable touch of master craftsmen everywhere with ornate patios, gloriously spacious rooms, silk sofas and classy embroidered curtains all working together to create a magical experience. With rooms decked out in the finest Moroccan artwork, gossamer curtains, cedarwood screens and marble bathrooms, you will be left feeling you’re in the lap of luxury while staying at the Riad. The courtyard is a delightful place to dine in true Moroccan style as the evening descends. Try the sumptuous multiple-course evening spread while being serenaded by the haunting music of the desert. Situated in one of the Medina’s main gates, the Riad is ideally located to get the most out of Marrakech.