‘Everyone looks beautiful in Marrakech’, Talitha Getty told Vogue in 1970, and she’s not wrong. Basking in the Red City’s youthful soul – not to mention its 300-plus days of annual sunshine – is a foolproof route to glowing good looks. But feeling your best? Well, getting waist-deep in a large body of water works well for us. We’ve scoured the piscine-scene for Marrakech‘s best riads with pools; each one them worth splashing out for…
RIAD ANTARA
Medina
Cool, calm and collected, Riad Antara has all the hallmarks of a chic Parisian play pad. That said, its Moroccan roots are strong; once a residence of the Saadian dynasty, its modern iteration is just as regal with soaring ceilings, a grand courtyard and terracotta rooftop terrace from which to top-up your tan by day and stargaze by night.
It’s hard to believe you’re just a stone’s throw away from the bustling souks of Medina, such is the pin-drop peace you’ll encounter in each of Antaras’ beguiling boudoirs where Pantone-approved palettes of sage cosy up alongside bold dashes of red or yellow, funky zellige flooring and oversized, statement artworks to strike the perfect balance between the pared-back and un peu trop.
And – swimsuits at the ready – the solar-heated pool looks like something straight from a Hockney painting, with a mirrored wall which gives the impression of endless space, as well as being (we know you were thinking it too) a jolly good opportunity for a mid-splash selfie.
PALAIS RONSARD
Palmeraie
While Palmeraie’s five-mile stretch of palm trees (planted by the Almoravid dynasty in the 12th century, don’t you know) may be woo-worthy, it’s also incredibly dry. Not so at Palais Ronsard, though, where you’ll never be far from a pleasingly large body of water.
The lengthy outdoor pool sits within rose-scented gardens, with paired-up loungers and, crucially, parasols (the city might be red but you don’t have to be); the satisfying symmetry of the 1930s art-deco mansion is amplified with the addition of a decorative circular pond and – good news for those who can’t say no to a bath – come with a sizeable marble or freestanding tub.
Interiors are a Neo-Moorish-Italianate mash-up straight from the imagination of French designer Gil Dez, who’s gone full-throttle with hanging lanterns, potted plants, rich textures and whimsical objets d’art.
The duet of restaurants are each a triumph of all-Moroccan fare, with alfresco seating under colonnaded galleries and seasonal produce plucked straight from the gardens, which, with centuries-strong olive trees and views to the Atlas Mountains, make a fine, and fragrant, spot for a post-plunge potter.
THE OBEROI MARRAKECH
Annakhil
Arches! Tassels! Patterns! Marble! The Oberoi Marrakech does not hold back when it comes to decor, and frankly we’re glad of it, after all, there’s nothing like a tad of unfettered opulence to dust off life’s proverbial cobwebs. A decade in the making, the kingly hotel is set on an old citrus and olive farm at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, giving it the monopoly on food-for-the-soul views of those jagged, snow-capped peaks.
For all Oberoi’s giddy excess, it’s superb display of the country’s finest craftsmen; mashrabiya latticework, hand-painted zellige tiles and a palatial courtyard with intricately carved wall details that echo those of the 14th-century Ben Yousseff Medersa.
Superlative though it may be – we don’t say that lightly when there’s a 790-foot-long canal that cuts through the Madison Cox-designed gardens like an aquatic runway, and an Ayurvedic spa set on its own private island – here, modest thrills win out (well, as modest as you can be in a mammoth marble palace), namely splashing away in the palm-flanked pool as the sun puts on a show.
P’TIT HABIBI
Medina
It’s fair to say P’tit Habibi feels less like a hotel and more like a house. The house of, say, a style-conscious Swedish couple plucked straight from the 1960s with a penchant for all things swinging.
Brimming with mod-orange florals, mirrored tables and vintage French film posters, the design of this pint-sized boutique stay is chock-full with bohemian appeal and leans discerningly into the mythology of Sixties Marrakech, where rock’n’roll heavyweights like the Beatles and the Stones, exiled scribes such as Burroughs and Bowles and a whole flock of jet-set gypsies were lured in by the city’s ‘anything-goes’ attitude.
Speaking of ‘anything goes’, have you ever brushed your teeth in front of an alien? Because you can here, if you book the Wangarata room with a Space Invaders mirror.
Thankfully, it’s not all so far out; the riad’s traditional streak prevails among the zellige-tiled floors and headboards, Boujad rugs, classic central courtyard (where movies are screened on outdoor projector), and up on the rooftop where one can enjoy the other cinematic moments of the Red City from the bubblegum-pink poolside.
KSAR FAWZ & SPA
Medina
Crouched down a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Medina backstreet, from the outside, Ksar Fawz & Spa is nothing to write home about: a unremarkable wooden door among other wooden doors. But, as the age-old adage goes, it’s the inside that counts, and behind this wooden door Ksar does not disappoint.
Just ask the hotel’s cooler-than-thou clientele who you’ll find filling up their Instagram feed with snaps of the rainbow-coloured stained-glass windows and fluffy homemade pancakes. Rooms keep things simple, but are replete with one-off flea-market finds like Berber rugs and Tuareg mats that give them an air of authenticity.
Ksar’s communal spaces are what really get us ticking, though. Take the rooftop lounge, where dusk-coloured kilim cushions make the perfect perch from which to soak up the sights (Medina’s terracotta rooftops) and sounds (the sunset call to prayer) of the city from above, or the lush green courtyard where the pretty tiled pool is positively splashing.
RIAD SAKKAN
Medina
Talk about bringing sexy back; Riad Sakkan is a red hot stay in the hot Red City that’s got us feeling, well, a little flushed if we’re honest. Don’t worry, though, in the courtyard garden’s enticing oasis (checkerboard floors, cloudy dust-blue day-beds, and climbing plants snaking up the walls) there’s a generous pool where you can cool off – provided you avert your eyes away from Marc Lagrange’s provocative black-and-white photos of brooding, bouffant-sporting models seductively scowling into the camera.
Though intimate, rooms smoulder with sex appeal; some painted defiant tones of charcoal and crimson, some with equally smouldering fireplaces, or luxe leather floors.
Some even have portraits of old snake-hips himself framed above the bed (hey, Mick). What unites them is drama, and you’ll find plenty more of that up on the rooftop, where aphrodisiacs like candied apricots are dished out amid magnificent city views. Architecturally traditional but delightfully avante-garde, this is one Moroccan temptress that keeps us coming back for more.
Villa des Orangers
Medina
Set deferentially at the foot of Koutoubia mosque, near pretty much anything you’d want to see in Marrakech, Villa des Orangers is certainly a juicy tip for a weekend city break. It’s very much Morocco of old, spackled with glittering tiles, enriched with dark woods and leather, and dazzling with zellige patterns, colour-casting lanterns and carved columns.
Rooms run a little more modern, with museum-worthy installations of African art – some hanging from the ceiling or ensconced in glass showcases. But, elsewhere timelessness abounds, with mint tea in courtyard gardens to the sound of a trickling fountain, French-Morrocan meals and a pearlescent hammam to relax in.
And, swim bunnies, your cup (or pool) runs over, with two swimming spots: one long catwalk of a pool in a leafy courtyard, one view-blessed up on the roof.
Izza Marrakech
Medina
In the swinging Sixties and Seventies, you’d find beat poets and rock stars mingling at the Marrakech home of aesthete Bill Willis, where decadent parties rolled into the early hours like the unfurling of a Berber rug. Inspired by Willis’ iconic style, Izza Marrakech is a boutique Medina stay that reimagines those days of abandon with its blend of modern minimalism and traditional Moroccan elements. Cloud-like tadelakt plaster walls form a perfectly neutral backdrop for keyhole arches and intricate zellige tiles, all carefully crafted by local artisans.
But despite multiple nods to the hotel’s bohemian history, Izza Marrakech has its eyes firmly on the future, with a world-class contemporary art collection showcased through digital exhibitions. And though the legacy of Willis’ superlative soireés can still be felt, today, it’s a new wave of movers and shakers that are causing a stir in the Medina. Join their ranks on Izza’s rooftop for stylish small plates and stellar sundowners.
This Time Tomorrow in Marrakech
Medina
Forget the Kinks song, it’s this revamped riad in the ancient heart of the Medina that’s making us groove. Tucked amid the souks and fondouks of Kaat Benahid, This Time Tomorrow in Marrakech is a petite five-residence stay that encourages guests to live for the moment with its tech-free suites, open kitchen, traditional hammam and panoramic rooftop. Restless souls can count on in-housecurator Youssef to fill the gaps between steam baths with a medley of cultural experiences: discover the city’s craftsmen in backstreet ateliers, don your chef’s cap for a couscous-making course, or head into the Medina for meet-and-greets with Marrakech’s spice merchants.
Back at the riad – known locally as Dar Al Dall, or House of Shadows in Arabic – cosy, apartment-style rooms host a melange of visual delights (ornate zellige tiles, elegant archways, intricate plasterwork and colourful mosaics); marble hammams with homemade scrubs and fluffy robes await; and clay pots of slow-cooked tagine are served on the hotel’s rooftop to the spirited tunes of local musicians.
Feeling refreshed? Dip your toe into all of our other hotels with swimming pools and read our rundown of the best hotels in Marrakech