3 luxury hotels you need to visit in Marrakech

There are few cities like Marrakech: a bustling metropolis of ochre-and-rose hued riads, kaleidoscopic souks, scorching temperatures and one-of-a-kind craft heritage.

But the fashionable crowd head to Marrakech for more than just a winter tan and antique finds. The historic city boasts some of the finest boutique hotels in Europe - many of which are travel destinations in their own right.

Not sure where to start? We’ve rounded up four of the best to visit this year.

This five-star bolthole is tucked away at the foot of the Atlas, five minutes from the Medina and a short drive from the airport. A veritable haven for those keen on holing themselves up at the hotel for an entire week, inside you’ll find indulgently-sized suites designed by Jacques Garcia and furnished with lavishly decadent velvet sofas, smart mosaic tiles and art nouveaux fixtures. If you can pull yourself away from the king-sized bed, it’s crowning glory is an Olympic-size, palm-tree-flanked pool, lined with Guatemalan marble and perfect for whiling away several hours with a good book. Here you can enjoy the spoils of the climate, lazily enjoy breakfast or enjoy an Arabian horse show with 16 purebred prancing ponies. There’s also a Henri Chenot Wellness Spa on site for every treatment under the sun, as well as a personal butler service that will make sure you’re well stocked up on champagne and nibbles throughout the day.

Rooms from £194. selman-marrakech.com

If romance is on your itinerary, head to Amanjena - located 12 kilometres south of Marrakech on the road to Ouarzazate. At this peaceful, red-walled resort on the outskirts of Marrakech, you’ll feel like you’re staying in a sultan's palace rather than a luxury resort - with a royal service to-boot. Walk through its handcrafted double oak doors and you’ll find paradise lined with palms and olive trees, colonnaded walkways and majestic fountains, as well as the most spectacular views of the Atlas mountains. There’s also access to the 18-hole Amelkis Championship golf course, a luxury spa, restaurant and two clay tennis courts floodlit for night play

Rooms from £532. aman.com

This luxurious retreat offers serene wellness and zen surroundings with a little bit of rock’n’roll thrown in for good measure. There’s a room for every mood, with suites artfully decked out enormous Berber L-shaped sofas, wow-factor ornaments and open log-fires. Its outside space - and there’s a lot of it - boasts a huge pool area flanked by swish pool-house which turns into a nightclub after-dark, while there’s also a recording studio for sun-seeking musicians in the works. Watch this space for A-listers penning their next studio album poolside.

Rooms from £121. thesourcemarrakech.com

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