My trip to Marrakesh was very short and since I wanted to experience as much of it as possible I stayed in 3 different hotels during my short trip. At the time my instagram was just starting to take off and I had about 10k followers so I wanted to keep growing by getting the best content I could. That meant splurging a little on the hotels and riads (don’t tell my husband)!!
I’m sure you are wondering what’s the difference between a hotel and a riad. A riad is a traditional Arabic home or palace that has been turned into a place to stay. Riads are usually smaller than hotels and don’t have some of the modern amenities (like an air conditioned gym) but make up for that with traditional arabic charm. In my opinion, if you are heading to Marrakech and truly want to dive into the culture then stay at a riad. It may not have the splashy gym but you will get enough exercise walking around and exploring the markets.
Riad Yasmine
I can’t recommend Riad Yasmine enough – it’s one of the places I would recommend most in Marrakech!! It is in the perfect location right next to the medina so you are right in the heart of Marrakech. The riad has 8 rooms so it has a very intimate feel and all the rooms surround a pool in the middle of the riad. When I went, I hadn’t seen a ton of pictures of it but since then it’s absolutely exploded on Instagram (with good reason) so the rooms book up really quickly. The rooms are very spacious (which means a lot coming from me since I don’t pack lightly) and each has its own unique charm. To complete the experience, Riad Yasmine is run by an adorable French couple who will help make your stay perfect!!
La Mamounia
I was super excited to stay at La Mamounia since it’s the top rated property not just in Marrakech but in all of Morocco!! It’s known for being the place where all the celebrities who visit Marrakech stay. The hotel is absolutely spectacular and the service is outstanding but it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. Unlike many of the other places in Morocco, the interior was pretty dark and it was much more formal than any of the other places we stayed – all the restaurants had dress codes and you couldn’t even take pictures at the pool!! If you’re looking for top notch service, are willing to spend for a hotel and don’t really care about getting great photos, La Mamounia is perfect, but for me it didn’t hit the mark.
If you just want to check out La Mamounia, you can buy a day pass for the spa which will give you access to the property and let you look around and explore!
La Sultana Hotel
La Sultana is unlike any hotel I have ever stayed at; it is 5 riads combined into one!!! As you walk through the property you get to experience all 5 of the riads each with its own unique charm! It is a 5-star hotel with ALL of the traditional arabic charm you could ask for! But don’t just take it from me this hotel was featured in ELLE Decor magazine. It is the kind of place that when I walked in I almost regretted getting married in Ravello since it would’ve been the perfect place to get married! The hotel is located right in the middle of the medina so it’s a perfect 5-star hotel in a perfect location. I loved the rooftop terrace where I was able to enjoy a cocktail with 5-star service and have a great view of the hustle and bustle of the medina below. When I head back to Marrakech, I’m definitely going to be staying here again!
