Marrakech’s most beautiful boutique hotels

1. Hôtel Les Deux Tours, charming hotel in Marrakech

As soon as you step through the doors of the hotel Les Deux Tours, you feel as if you've entered a quasi-real world. Over more than three hectares, palm trees, bougainvilleas, water lily ponds and quivering canals create a picture worthy of the most beautiful Arab-Andalusian tales. Designed by architect Charles Boccara, this charming Marrakech hotel resembles a small village: intimate patios, shaded terraces, arches and vaults follow one another, hidden beneath exuberant vegetation. Along the way, you'll come across astonishing barber chairs - still in use - welcoming four-poster beds and even an organic vegetable garden, the precious larder of La Pergola restaurant. It's precisely here that you can enjoy lunch under a woven wooden ceiling, while at Le Salammbô, the large vaulted dining room reveals a different culinary facet.

The 28-metre-long swimming pool, heated by a biomass boiler fuelled by olive pomace, plays the starring role in this unusual setting: it is lined with meridiennes, benches and cosy nooks and crannies, conducive to absolute relaxation. The 41 rooms and suites hide behind soft ochre facades, punctuated by Moroccan motifs and vintage inspirations. Some are distinguished by their private pools, tataoui ceilings or fifties furniture, a successful blend that lends a singular identity to each space. Notes of jazz, birdsong and the omnipresence of water create a delightfully indolent atmosphere, quickly adopted by those who settle in.

The spa, with its hammam and ultra-cosy lounge, adds to this resolutely hedonistic experience. Between two escapades in the gardens, treat yourself to a massage or a treatment, followed by a drink at the cocktail bar or, for the more epicurean, a tasting of sushi heralded as among the best in town. The address stretches out like a world apart, conducive to long siestas and wild evenings. It would be wrong to keep your phone on: the desire to disconnect is self-evident in this setting where gourmet pleasure becomes a virtue and laziness an art of living.

Hôtel Les Deux Tours
41 rooms and suites. Prices from 287 euros
Circuit de la Palmeraie, Douar Abiad, 40000, Marrakech

2. Olinto, in the foothills of the Atlas mountains

This estate was designed by Prince Fabrizio Ruspoli di Poggio Suasa to celebrate beauty in all its forms. Set in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, less than an hour from the hustle and bustle of Marrakech, it stretches across a vast olive grove where ochre pavilions topped with green tiles emerge among pools and pergolas. Inside, the Italian prince's passion for Moroccan architecture and craftsmanship is evident in every detail of this charming hotel: leather-covered wardrobes, precious fabrics, vaulted brick ceilings, Orientalist paintings. While three of the nine pavilions have their own swimming pools, all have private gardens and flat roofs transformed into terraces, allowing guests to enjoy views of the red Atlas Mountains from their VIP seats.

The restaurant and bar, with their ochre brickwork and stained glass windows, give the impression of sitting in a mystical setting, extended by a terrace shaded by wisteria. Ideal for relaxing alone or as a couple, as children are only allowed from the age of 16.

Olinto Atlas Mountain Retreat
9 rooms and suites Prices from 997 euros
Douar Marigha, 42152, Marrakech

3. La Villa des Orangers, a charming 5-star hotel

La Villa des Orangers is one of those 5-star hotels that won't leave you indifferent, that takes you in its arms and makes you forget the hustle and bustle. A 1930s building, transformed into a charming adress under the aegis of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux label, where every nook and cranny hides a delicate detail. In this charming hotel in Marrakech, a series of three patios bathed in light, a lush garden planted with orange trees and warm lounges open onto a hushed universe, where everything, from the carpets to the fibers of the fabrics, from objects found throughout Africa to the chiseled stucco on the walls, has been designed to prolong a certain idea of well-being. Just a stone's throw from Place Jemaa El-Fna, you'll find yourself in a discreet oasis, out of sight.

The impeccable service makes you feel right at home, from the subtly French cuisine enriched with Moroccan touches, to the two heated pools (one of which is 18 meters long) where laps can be enjoyed in soothing silence. What's more, an ultra-intimate cinema and spa complete this unique experience. When you're not getting lost in the lounges or patios, you can relax on one of the private terraces, flirting with the sky and feeling as though time is stretching out. 31 rooms and suites, some of which open onto a private terrace, and an exclusive four-bedroom riad with pool, offering the perfect refuge for those who aspire to an even more confidential stay.

La Villa des Orangers
32 rooms and suites. Prices from 470 euros
6 rue Sidi Mimoun, Medina. 40000 Marrakech

4. El Fenn, in the medina

Born of the passion of Vanessa Branson (sister of Virgin founder Richard) and Howell James for an old, dilapidated riad, El Fenn was soon transformed into an extraordinary boutique hotel. After intensive renovations, six rooms were opened in 2004, before enthusiasm drove the owners to buy out neighboring houses, until they reached a total of forty keys. The soul of this charming Marrakech hotel lies in a collection of carefully chosen works (Fred Pollock and Antony Gormley) from the owner's private collection, set in a maze of staircases, flower-filled patios and intimate pools. The generously proportioned rooms feature cheerful tones, marble floors, 23-carat gold-leaf headboards and copper-covered fireplaces. Here, time seems to flow differently: you can curl up in the cosy nooks and crannies without worrying about the time with a book left there by a visitor.

El Fenn's recently redesigned roof terrace attracts lovers of long afternoons and fiery sunsets. It features a 13-metre swimming pool - one of the few in the medina - lined with large sunbeds, perfect for sipping a cocktail while gazing at the Koutoubia and the Atlas Mountains in the background. Between two mint teas, you can pop into the boutique, a giant cabinet of curiosities dedicated to genuine Moroccan designers and carefully selected decorative objects. Here you'll find pieces - sometimes rare or exclusive - that extend the hotel's colorful, arty spirit. It's a place where the notion of souvenirs takes on a whole new dimension: far from the usual trinkets, you'll leave with a touch of the bohemian chic atmosphere that's everywhere at El Fenn.

El Fenn
41 rooms and suites. Prices from 707 euros
Derb Moulay Abdullah Ben Hezzian, 2.40000, Marrakech

5. Beldi Country Club, a charming hotel on the edge of town

Roses as far as the eye can see, avenues of centuries-old olive trees and cactus gardens: this is the setting that welcomes travelers to the Beldi Country Club. Designed like a typical Moroccan village, this six-hectare estate is home to dozens of suites with private terraces, three swimming pools - one of which is heated in winter - and three restaurants set under pergolas overgrown with bright pink bougainvillea. A spa, laid out like a small douar, offers relaxation and beauty rituals based on plants from the property's aromatic garden. As an added bonus, a mini souk and its artisanal boutiques, scattered among the flowering groves, allow you to bring back some authentic finds: Beldi glassware, embroidered linen or Berber rugs. Another face of Marrakech, a world away from the dust and chaos of the medina.

Beldi Country Club
82 rooms and suites. Prices from 262 euros
Km 6, Route de Barrage "Cherifia" Marrakech