Where to stay in Marrakech

The areas in detail

First visit, in the thick of it

Around Jemaa el-Fna

Average hotel rating: 8.3/10

€80a night, mid-range

• On a budget
• First visit
• Short stopover

In the evening the square fills with grill stalls, Gnawa musicians and storytellers, and the show runs past midnight. The riads around it hear the hum: their rooms open onto an open courtyard that nothing insulates.

To sleep, move five minutes away, into the Riad Zitoun streets south-east of the square: you keep the square within walking distance, without its music at night.

Good for

• Jemaa el-Fna and the Koutoubia on foot
• Grill stalls in the evening
• Plenty of hostels and small riads

Worth knowing

• Noise from the square until after midnight
• Very busy lanes

Getting there: Taxis drop you at the edge of the square; the Koutoubia and the souks are on foot.

Well-rated hotels here

• Hotel & Riad Celia€58 a night · 9.3/10Check prices for your dates
• Riad Jamaique - Marrakech€112 a night · 9.7/10Check prices for your dates
• Riad Boussa€98 a night · 9.4/10Check prices for your dates

Culture and souks

Souks and Ben Youssef

Average hotel rating: 8.7/10

€77a night, mid-range

• Culture
• First visit
• No car needed

North of the square, the souks stretch up to the Ben Youssef medersa, a former Koranic school covered in carved stucco and cedar, and the Marrakech Museum. The shops open around ten and close in the evening; after that, the lanes empty.

On the first evening, have someone from the riad walk you in from the medina gate. After two days, you find your own way.

Good for

• The Ben Youssef medersa and the Marrakech Museum
• The souks on your doorstep
• Plenty of riads

Worth knowing

• Lanes that are hard to remember
• Busy with trade all day

Getting there: No cars in the souks: the taxi stops at the gates or the nearest car park.

Well-rated hotels here

• Riad Lalla Aicha€86 a night · 9.4/10Check prices for your dates
• Riyad Lion Rouge€187 a night · 9.6/10Check prices for your dates
• Riad Nejma Benyoussef€97 a night · 9.4/10Check prices for your dates

A restored riad, somewhere quiet

Mouassine and Bab Doukkala

Average hotel rating: 8.8/10

€96a night, mid-range

• Couples
• Quiet
• Long stay

West of the souks, around the Mouassine fountain and mosque, many riads have been carefully restored, and the Secret Garden, a former palace, has reopened its two gardens to the public. The lanes are quieter, a quarter of an hour from the great square.

Further west, towards Bab Doukkala, the district turns working-class again, with its food market and neighbourhood bakeries.

Good for

• Restored riads
• The Secret Garden
• Quiet lanes

Worth knowing

• The priciest part of the medina
• Few cheap places to stay

Getting there: Taxi to Bab Doukkala or to the square, ten minutes' walk away.

Well-rated hotels here

• Riad Aya€99 a night · 9.5/10Check prices for your dates
• The Little Hara€126 a night · 9.7/10Check prices for your dates
• Riad Gallery 49 & Spa€160 a night · 9.4/10Check prices for your dates

Families

Kasbah and Mellah

Average hotel rating: 8.6/10

€77a night, mid-range

• Quiet
• Culture
• Families

To the south, the Kasbah holds the Saadian Tombs and the Bab Agnaou gate, and the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, the Bahia Palace, the spice market and the Lazama synagogue.

The streets are wider than in the north, and a taxi can often drop you at the riad door, which matters with children or luggage.

Good for

• The Saadian Tombs and the Bahia Palace
• Streets a taxi can reach
• Quieter than the north of the medina

Worth knowing

• The souks a quarter of an hour's walk away

Getting there: Taxi to Bab Agnaou or outside the Bahia; Jemaa el-Fna is fifteen minutes on foot.

Well-rated hotels here

• Riad Le Bijou de Zahra Marrakech Kasbah€50 a night · 9.5/10Check prices for your dates
• Maison Joudia€55 a night · 9.5/10Check prices for your dates
• Riad du Rabbin€93 a night · 9.5/10Check prices for your dates

Low prices, a regular hotel

Guéliz and Hivernage

Average hotel rating: 7.7/10

€48a night, mid-range

• On a budget
• Remote work
• Families

The new town built under the French protectorate: tree-lined avenues, modern buildings, pavement cafés, and the restaurants and bars that serve alcohol, rare in the medina. The Majorelle Garden lies to the north-east. Hivernage, further south, is the district of big hotels and nightclubs.

Expect around €48 a night mid-range, well below a riad in the medina.

Good for

• Cheaper modern hotels
• Restaurants and bars that serve alcohol
• The Majorelle Garden and the train station

Worth knowing

• None of the medina's charm
• Twenty minutes' walk from Jemaa el-Fna

Getting there: The railway station is in the district; the medina is twenty minutes on foot along Avenue Mohammed V.

Well-rated hotels here

• Vittoria Guest House Marrakech€48 a night · 9.0/10Check prices for your dates
• Riad Villa Elgada€77 a night · 8.6/10Check prices for your dates
• Amani Hotel Suites & Spa€98 a night · 8.1/10Check prices for your dates

Getting to your riad

• The riad transfer

  Cars cannot enter most lanes. Let the riad send someone: they meet you at the taxi and carry your bags to the door.

• Taxi

  A quarter of an hour from the airport to the medina. Agree the fare before you get in.

• Bus 19

  It links the airport with Jemaa el-Fna and Guéliz. Handy for a hotel in the modern town.

Before booking a riad

• The courtyardRooms open onto a courtyard: sound travels from room to room, and some have no window onto the street.
• HeatingFrom December to February the nights are cold and old houses hold the damp. Check there is heating.
• The stairsUpper rooms are reached by narrow stairs, rarely by a lift.
• AlcoholMany riads do not serve any. Bars are mostly in Guéliz and Hivernage.
• Self-appointed guidesIn the souks, a passer-by insists the street is closed and offers to guide you: decline politely and follow your map.
• The tourist taxIt is often paid in cash, on site, per person per night.

Frequently asked questions

Is it better to stay in the medina or Guéliz?

The medina for a first trip: the riads, souks and great square are the reason to come, at around €77 a night mid-range. Guéliz suits you if you prefer a regular hotel, restaurants that serve alcohol and lower prices, around €48.

Where should you stay in Marrakech on a budget?

Near Jemaa el-Fna, home to most of the hostels and small riads: around €10 for a dorm bed and €28 for a basic room.

Where should you stay in Marrakech with a family?

In the Kasbah, south of the medina: the palaces are on foot, the streets are wider, and a taxi can often drop you at the riad. Check the stairs, and whether there is a railing around the courtyard and the roof terrace.

Is staying near Jemaa el-Fna noisy?

Yes, until after midnight, and a riad's courtyard does not keep the sound out. Five minutes from the square, in the Riad Zitoun streets or in Mouassine, the nights are far quieter.

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