Marrakech- where to stay?

[RockingMyFiftiesNot]

Looking at a short break to Marrakech in the spring. There seem to be a lot of very nice hotels to choose from! If you know Marrakech, can you suggest best areas to stay in for easy access to main things to see, and/or areas to avoid?
That’s a key factor for us, if you can recommend hotels or again hotels to avoid that would also be very helpful. Thanks!

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MNHQ update: If you’re short on time, here’s a summary of the best hotels Mumsnetters are recommending on this thread:

😎Riad Lapis-Lazuli

😎Riad Anjar

😎Riad Dar One

😎TUI BLUE Medina Gardens

😎Les Jardins De La Koutoubia

😎La Maison Arabe Hotel

😎Riad Magellan Yoga and Spa

😎Les Jardins De La Médina

😎Les Jardins De La Médina

😎Riad Kniza

😎Riad Noos Noos

😎Royal Mansour

😎Riad Berbere

😎Riad Signature

For more inspo, check out our guide to the best family hotels in Marrakech, featuring more recommendations from Mumsnetters.

We stayed on a riad a few years ago in the old town. It was called the lapis lazuli I think. We loved it, it felt very authentic. Mint tea and tagline on arrival, plunge pool and roof terrace. It was quite hard to find though, I'd recommend a taxi there. The owner showed us the way to the main square. We were a young couple at the time, I think a hotel in the new town would have been better if we'd had children with us.

If it was adults I’d stay in a riad. Truely amazing. Think I stayed in Anjar? Totally recommend

It was several years ago now, but we stayed in the Riad Dar One and it was absolutely gorgeous. Run by a French man with two beautiful big dogs and very, very romantic. It may have changed since but I would definitely recommend it as it was!

Thank you, definitely looking at riads now!

Are you taking kids? If not then the Medina Gardens hotel is amazing, but adults only.
It's right in the centre, you walk 3-5 mins round the corner and you're right in Jemaa el-Fnaa which is so worth a visit. But you wouldn't believe you were in a hotel smack bang in the centre of all that when you're there. It really is an oasis of calm and quiet right in the middle of all that hustle and bustle.

You have to visit the Majorelle Gardens too. So gorgeous.

I want to go back now!

Would recommend Les Jardins De La Koutoubia, very central but an absolute oasis in the mayhem that is Marrkech, choice of restaurants and fabulous spa.

I agree with SummerRoberts - the Medina Gardens is a lovely hotel in perfect location. It has gated security with a manned lodge if you’re worried about terrorism. It has beautiful grounds with palms, roses, huge poinsettia trees, a couple of swimming pools, and a whole family of tortoises who wander around the gardens. It’s surprisjngly peaceful despite being in the centre of the old town. You can walk to all the sights, or get a horse drawn carriage just outside the front door. The maids scatter fresh rose petals on your bed each day. My daughter and I loved it.

Medina gardens is £1779 - £1999 for 3 nights, outside our budget

Ditto Jardins de la Koutoubia, way more than we want to pay.

La maison arabe,
La mamounia, its showing way way much less£££ in spring than what we paid for in new year! My absolute favourite!
Friends stayed at jasper Conran hotel and they loved it,
There are many beautiful hotels at the palmarie area ,cheaper than the touristic areas of the old town, but I wouldn't say its a big deal,as you probably need a day or two to wander around the old souks,and then probably do the madersa, Bahia palace and the truly amazing majorelle gardens and the YSL museum , the rest of the time you can lounge by the pool ,go on day trips to the Atlas Mountains and essouira . A must visit! So it really depends on your preference,
Marrakech is my happy place, so in love with it, its like no other place ive been to, would love to own a property there some day!

Thank you all, lots of great info

We are going soon and have booked 2 Ciels boutique hotel. Riads are lovely but not many have pools for swimming lengths in. We love swimming so a plunge pool isn't any good for us. We booked 2ciels as it was walking distance from the centre (lots of big hotels have shuttle buses as its too far to walk). We have Villa Denari on the list as second choice but decided it was too far out for us. Great reviews though!

We stayed in Riad Magellan a few years ago. Very lovely, very good quiet location in the Medina, very good value. But I think there are a few that are quite similar. For us it made all the difference staying in the heart of the medina. I don't think it would have been the same at all staying in a bigger hotel further out. We had children with us and it worked well for them too.

When in spring are you thinking? Unsurprisingly Marrakech gets warm quite early so any time past mid April you might really want somewhere with a pool, which tend to be hard to find in traditional riads (other than plunge pools)

Despite what the others say, I think it was ideal with children. First because we could easily pop back - no long distances. Second because it was small and contained they could have the run of the place very safely. And we could afford and felt safe with two adjacent double rooms. I think they were Yr 5 and Yr 3 at the time.

We stayed at Les Jardins De La Medina in December and it was fantastic. You can walk to all the main sights and souks from the hotel, gorgeous pool and gardens. We had 15 month old DD with us and the staff couldn't have been more accommodating and lovely to her.

OP, where did you get that price for Medina Gardens? If you go with Tui as a package, it’s only £430 per person for a week in March, including flights from Gatwick.

Booking.com, just for hotel. We are tied to dates in April (but we are avoiding Easter), and we can’t fly from London

We’ve stayed at the Riad Noos Noos (am still heartbroken that the direct flights from Glasgow to Marrakech were discontinued!). It’s in a great location in the spice market and if you do have children, they were one of the few riads I found that had a room with separate sleeping places for the children (split level room).

It is absolutely beautiful! No pool but good air conditioning and fabulous roof top terrace. Great breakfasts. Was very reasonable priced as well, I thought.

Op...

I love marrakech website, two, three and so on star riads

Look at some of you like in budget.. Read reviews.

You can't go far wrong that way... They are all mostly gorgeous I have stayed in four in medina at different times.. All lovely in their own way.

We stayed at Riad Kniza , it was wonderful , staff very helpful, food amazing breakfast especially and evening meal but also very happy to book other restaurants for us and to recommend .

Thank you for so many great suggestions, appreciated

Thanks to rosettesforjill ( going to where you suggested ) and everyone on here for all your advice, me and DP have now booked our first holiday together to Marrakech thanks to this thread, so excited!! 😀

I stayed at the royal mansour before..... amazing. Quite pricey though 😬

When are you going @Destinysdaughter ?