Outside the Walls

Morocco’s medinas and the riads within them are the stuff of travel legend. But outside of those ancient, walled quarters a whole world of lush, luxury hospitality awaits.

We’ve written breathlessly before about Morocco’s medinas. With their labyrinthine passages, hidden palaces, bustling markets — and of course, riad hotels — these fortified city centers are romance and mystery writ large. But, popular and appealing as medinas most deservedly are, they’re far from the only way to stay in this diverse North African country. In the deserts and mountains, by the ocean and the sea, in towns big and small, there are hotels and resorts providing everything from modern Moroccan design to Berber-inspired tents, ksars, and kasbahs, to even an Alpine retreat in a place called “Little Switzerland.”

Scroll down to see some of Morocco’s best hotels outside the medina walls. To see our entire selection of hotels in Morocco, go here.

Palais Hassoun

Marrakech, Morocco

Not far outside Marrakech, on the road leading to the Atlas Mountains, an elegant Indo-Moorish villa called Palais Hassoun rises up behind a row of palm trees. Keyhole-shaped doors lead past the coral-hued facade into a labyrinth of terracotta-lined passageways, cozy fireplace-warmed lounges, mosaic-lined dining rooms, and open-air courtyards — and then to magnificent gardens with a large olive tree-framed swimming pool and pond.

La Fiermontina Ocean

Larache, Morocco

Like the other La Fiermontina hotels in Lecce and Paris, this one has an elegant, worldly air inspired by the short but romantic life of Antonia Fiermonte, a painter and musician who modeled at Villa Medici, regularly attended Parisian salons, and traveled extensively in Morocco. La Fiermontina Ocean is in an off-the-beaten-path place, tucked away in a natural park near the fishing port of Larache, about an hour’s drive from Tangier.

Maison Brummell Majorelle

Marrakech, Morocco

Like the century-old Majorelle Gardens this neighborhood is known for, the eight-room Maison Brummell Majorelle’s is a bold tribute to Moroccan style, featuring a mix of Arab architectural elements, Moorish archways, and local artisan traditions. It rises up behind terrazzo walls like a modernist sandcastle, its interiors spare and sculptural with smooth stone flooring, tadelakt walls, brass details, and designer furnishings.

Michlifen Resort & Golf

Ifrane, Morocco

Set at 1,650 meters in Morocco’s Middle Atlas, Michlifen Resort is a mountain retreat with the bones of an Alpine lodge and the soul of a Moroccan palace. Just outside Ifrane, dubbed “Little Switzerland”, the property features timber interiors, roaring fires, and suites with roll-top baths and carved wood paneling. The spa spans 3,500 square meters, and the golf course looks out over forested slopes and far-off desert.

Amanjena

Marrakech, Morocco

Aman resorts meets Africa in the form of Marrakech’s Amanjena. Designed by the American architect Ed Tuttle to conform harmoniously to its surroundings, Amanjena bears a distinct Moorish influence. An understated contemporary luxury carries the day, both in the design and in the amenities. Tuttle’s Arabian fantasy is a pared-down one, true to the conventions of Islamic architecture yet avoiding the genre’s dense optical patterns in favor of a more uniform look.

Selman Marrakech

Marrakech, Morocco

If any hotel in Marrakech truly lives up to its billing as an oasis in the city, it’s the Selman. Spread across some fifteen acres to the south of the medina, it’s a splash of green amidst the arid desert landscape, its grounds dotted with sparkling pools and fountains — and as if it didn’t already seem like something of a mirage, there’s even a family of thoroughbred Arabian horses leading lives of extraordinary leisure as they roam the hotel’s pastures.

La Sultana Oualidia

Oualidia, Morocco

La Sultana Oualidia less than half the size of the Marrakech original, which suits this sleepy town just fine. And while that one lies in the bustling medina, this one is at the edge of Oualidia’s famous lagoon. The style is, in a way, exactly what you’d expect from a classic Moroccan seaside resort — stone, tadelakt, antique furnishings and original artworks. Colors are soft and sunny, and sunlight and space are both in plentiful supply.

Le Jardin des Douars

Essaouira, Morocco

If you’re making the effort to travel to the Maghreb, you may as well get out of town and head for the hills, checking into one of the grand old palaces now functioning as hotels. Something like Le Jardin des Douars. Located outside the coastal city of Essaouira, it’s a ksar — a castle, North African–style, consisting of a cluster of traditional earthen buildings surrounded by a high wall — repurposed as a boutique hotel.

Dar Azawad

M’Hamid, Morocco

Humans have long sought shelter from the hot Saharan sun in the palm oasis of M’Hamid El Ghizlane. Dar Azawad, a luxury hotel with low-lying adobe buildings blending in with the natural landscape, pays homage to generations of travelers, from nomads to sultans, who’ve passed through the desert. The simplest guest rooms are inspired by the cool comfort and simplicity of Berber tents, while others were designed to resemble modern casbahs.

Inara Camp

Agafay, Morocco

Inara Camp is a collection of impressively plush safari-style tents surrounding a swimming-pool oasis in the rocky Agafay desert at the foot of the Atlas Mountains. The aesthetic is tailored to its location and its Berber inspiration. But the concept, and the effect, is the same as any luxury tented camp: provide as much comfort as possible while still fully immersing guests in the natural environment.

Kasbah Tamadot

Asni, Morocco

The story of Kasbah Tamadot’s beginnings reads like something from a modern fairytale: Sir Richard Branson’s mother first spotted this majestic estate while her son was preparing one of his balloon expeditions. Previously the private retreat of an antiques dealer, its traditional Moorish architecture remains filled with treasures from both North Africa and the far East — today, though, it’s a luxury hotel operating under the Virgin Limited Edition banner.

Hotel Sahrai

Fes, Morocco

Perched on a hill between the Fes el Bali medina and the city’s more modern sector, Hotel Sahrai is a high-end boutique hotel mixing elements of traditional Moorish architecture with sleek contemporary design. The hotel has a practical concept. When you’re done exploring the bustling, unmarked streets of the medina, you might prefer to retreat to a modern boutique with ample space and comforts and tech-friendly amenities.

Fairmont Taghazout Bay

Taghazout, Morocco

For too long luxury travelers to Morocco have confined themselves to a small handful of cities. But less than an hour up the Atlantic coast from Agadir is Taghazout, a fishing village turned holiday destination, and the seaside Fairmont Taghazout Bay, a luxe and stylish village-like resort whose sandy-colored modern structures circle a wandering lagoon-style swimming pool, and whose back side looks straight out into the Atlantic over a vast expanse of beach.

Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay

M’diq, Morocco

Nicknamed the Moroccan Riviera, Tamuda Bay is home to several world-class resorts, including an ultra-luxurious retreat by the Royal Mansour Collection. Moroccan artisans were brought in to decorate the sleek seaside palace with intricate zellige tile, marble mosaics, and traditional woodwork, thousands of seashells adorn the walls of the striking lobby, and hand-crafted wooden chaise longues line the pool and private beach.

Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca

Casablanca, Morocco

Though it may lack some of the deep historical texture of a riad hotel, the Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca more than compensates via the brand’s signature luxury — and its architecture and design capture the romance of Morocco through a modern though no less authentic route. The best of its 157 rooms and suites face out to sea over the beach, and all of them are equipped with everything you expect from a proper modern luxury hotel.