The most inviting Moroccan hotels for a winter sun escape
There are gorgeous luxury hotels in Morocco for a memorable city break, with scintillating souks and medinas to explore in Marrakech, Fès, and the nation's capital, Rabat. But given the glorious climate and winter sun appeal, Morocco is also a superb option for a luxury beach break with coastlines on both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
While the likes of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Barbados are all top contenders for winter sun holidays, Morocco is closer, making it a great mini break, particularly as there are lots of daily flights departing from the UK. It’s just a three-and-a-half-hour flight from the UK to Marrakech, and you can use the city as a gateway to luxury hotels in the Atlas Mountains, like the new Eden Boutique Hotel.
For luxury hotels on Morocco's coast, you can fly direct with Royal Air Maroc to Casablanca or Tangier to reach the likes of the newly opened Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay and St Regis La Bahia Blanca Resort. Royal Air Maroc also flies direct from the UK to Fès if you fancy a cultural escape in a truly fabulous hotel, Dar Seffarine.
Overall, Morocco's luxury hotels feel more geared around romantic escapes than luxury family breaks – but scroll to number five for our favourite option if you plan on bringing children. Or, if you’re looking to escape on a trip with the girls, the new riads at Richard Branson’s Kasbah Tamadot are hard to beat, and it’s easy to get to from Marrakech. Naturally, our selection of luxury hotels in Morocco rightly includes the resplendent La Mamounia in Marrakech, which was listed as one of the top 50 hotels in the world in 2024.
And so, with a Moroccan escape firmly on our radar for a winter sun holiday in November, or (once Christmas is over) a warm weather holiday in January or February, we've compiled the ultimate shortlist of the very best luxury hotels in Morocco…
Best for a girls' getaway: Kasbah Tamadot, Asni
Richard Branson’s famous Kasbah Tamadot – a true luxury hotel in the Atlas Mountains – has stood the test of time. If you conjure a grand Moroccan retreat in your mind, chances are you might picture something a little like Kasbah Tamadot. Intricate details adorn russet-red walls, contrasted by verdant green trees and foliage. Plus, you get incredible views of Mount Toubkal, Morocco’s highest mountain.
In 2024, Kasbah Tamadot emerged from a year-long renovation, adding fabulous three-bedroom riads to the existing mix of hotel rooms and Berber tents — the perfect set-up if you want to escape with friends. Every bedroom is ensuite, and you can choose an option with a rooftop hot tub or a private swimming pool.
By day, explore the local area by bike, linger at Kasbah Tamadot for a private cooking lesson, or book yourselves at the gorgeous spa for an authentic hammam treatment. By night, join fellow guests for movie nights around the pool and under the stars.
Best for a far-flung escape: Eden Boutique Hotel, Tinghir
Castaway in the folds of the green Dades Valley and above the Route of a Thousand Kasbahs lies Eden Boutique Hotel. This 18-roomed independent luxury hotel opened in 2024, bringing exceptional design and a real sense of place to the High Atlas mountains.
Constructed across multiple levels to cling to its cliffside location, there’s an infinity pool and rooftop bar to maximise the mountain views of the Monkey’s Fingers rock formations. Everything about Eden feels special, from trying traditional hammam rituals and bobbing weightlessly in the pool to the fine dining experience in a lantern-lit and herb-scented garden with dishes expertly rustled up from seasonal produce plucked from the kitchen garden.
You could spend your days here in escapist bliss, but to miss delving even deeper into the local landscapes and Berber villages on a hike or a 4x4 car experience would seem criminal once you’ve made the six-hour journey from Marrakech to visit this enchanting part of Morocco.
Best for a luxury beach escape: Royal Mansour, Tamuda Bay
Royal Mansour is the name to know when it comes to luxury hotels in Morocco. First came the exceptional Royal Mansour Marrakech in 2010, then in 2024, two new outposts, including Royal Mansour Casablanca, which established itself as the best luxury hotel in Casablanca at record speed.
But it’s Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay, commanding a top location on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast, that catches our eye. The muted, earthy tones and tactile textures of the hotel bring a sense of effortless luxury. Nothing blingy, nothing showy, just utter elegance. Laid-back beach holidays don’t often require fine dining, but the experience at La Table is too good to miss.
On other nights, slightly more down-to-earth eating-out comes courtesy of a charming open-kitchen Italian and a Mediterranean option (with the type of comfy chairs where you feel invited to linger for hours) paying homage to the resort’s locale.
Best for a luxury city break: Four Seasons Rabat Kasr Al Bahr, Rabat
Moroccan cities are utterly captivating, and while Marrakech springs to mind first for many, the capital of Morocco, Rabat, shouldn’t be overlooked. There’s an ancient walled district and a medina selling spices and lanterns to explore while you’re not luxuriating in the decadent surroundings of the Four Seasons Rabat Kasr Al Bahr. Newly opened in 2024, it was once an 18th-century royal residence for the Sultan of Morocco and retained its palatial feel.
For a city hotel, this one is supremely relaxing. It’s more akin to a beach resort than a city bolthole with outdoor pools and seven places to eat and drink. Start and end your day refining your poses on the outdoor yoga terrace before slipping away to the surreally beautiful spa. Indulge in one of the treatments, but don’t hurry off too quickly – the glassy indoor pool will tempt you to linger longer.
Best for a luxury family holiday: Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay, Fnideq
Ninety-two all-pool villas are scattered across a pristine beachfront at Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast, around 90 minutes south of Tangier. They’re little white abodes topped with turquoise roofs, a nod to the Andalucian and Moorish styles that characterise this area.
Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay is an absolute haven for family holidays without budging on an ounce of opulence. Splurge on one of the vast two-bedroom pool villas and get a separate bedroom from the kids. They can start the day with a dip in the private pool while you sip your first coffee.
When the spa beckons (as it inevitably will), they can get stuck into the activities at the kids’ club. Then, join back together for an early supper at Azura, the beachfront restaurant.
Best for sea views: St Regis La Bahia Blanca Resort, Tamuda Bay
The St Regis La Bahia Blanca has a distinctive Andalucian style, although the overall feel is one of polished and contemporary elegance and a smart, put-together look. Set on Tamuda Bay, a ribbon of immaculate beach, this location is on the rise, with a few of the best luxury hotels in Morocco jostling for your attention along this stretch of coast.
All the high-spec rooms have balconies facing the sea, and inside, they’re tastefully finished in a palette of white with accents of blue, said to be inspired by the Blue Pearl city of Chefchaouen, which is an easy day trip from the resort.
If you’re familiar with the brand, you’ll know that you’ll get the attention of private butlers when you stay, who’ll be happy to help you unpack or make any arrangements from sightseeing to spa and restaurant reservations.
Best for understated luxury: La Sultana, Oualidia
The surf village of Oualidia on Morocco’s Atlantic coast feels a world away from the earthy Atlas Mountains and the sensory Moroccan cities. Set on a flamingo lagoon with salt marshes and oyster beds, this pocket of the country commands an atmosphere all of its own.
It's made even more special by the presence of La Sultana Oualidia, a tiny hotel with just 12 rooms – although you’ll still benefit from a small spa, an infinity pool, and a beachfront restaurant. Although it’s set in a classic Moorish mansion, the overall feel is one of pared-back chicness.
Parts of Morocco are renowned for excellent surfing (Anchor Point near Taghazout is considered one of the best locations), but Oualidia is a great place to try it for the first time or refine your skills.
Best for delving into Moroccan history: Dar Seffarine, Fès
Set in a Moorish building over 600 years old and created with exquisitely beautiful detail, history abounds in the fabulous Dar Seffarine before you even venture out to explore the historic city of Fès (or Fez). You’re welcomed through a cavernous door leading to a courtyard and then shown to a simply extraordinary room entirely Moroccan in style, with delicate tiling and beautifully carved furniture.
Days in Fès begin with breakfast on Dar Seffarine’s roof terrace overlooking this 13th-century city before venturing out to get wonderfully lost in souks and shopping for pottery and ceramics. The Medina is just a short stroll from Dar Seffarine.
Best for a city and beach break: Four Seasons, Casablanca
Immortalised by its namesake movie, this romantic-sounding (yet very busy) metropolis can sometimes be a little lacklustre compared to other Moroccan cities like Marrakech. Thankfully, one of the best luxury hotels in Casablanca, the Four Seasons Casablanca, elevates the city into the realms of the super special.
Four Seasons Casablanca is a beachfront resort (although just ten minutes from the city centre when you’re ready to search out its cultural highlights). You won’t want to miss the hammam ritual in the spa. After a deep purification, expect to be drawn to the private poolside cabanas for yet more relaxation. Then, enjoy the Atlantic Ocean views from the fifth-floor Mediterranean restaurant for dinner.
Best for exceptional luxury: La Mamounia, Marrakech
And finally, a collection of Morocco’s finest hotels couldn’t possibly be complete without the simply extraordinary La Mamounia. Marrakech has a lot of super-luxe hotels, so it can be tricky to pick when you want la crème de la crème, yet La Mamounia is undoubtedly the best luxury hotel in Morocco.
Named one of the top 50 hotels in the world in 2024, judges described it as a ‘paragon of palatial luxury redesigned for the future’, with hospitality going truly above and beyond. No detail is overlooked – if you make a return visit to La Mamounia, expect staff to remember the finer details of your personal preferences: the temperature you like your room set at, your favourite drink and the like. Because while many hotels can deliver superb design and flawless facilities, true luxury hotel aficionados know it’s the attention to detail that really elevates a stay.
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