La Mamounia

Character and identity

Set inside the medina walls on 20 acres of orange, olive and palm groves once owned by 18th-century Prince Mamoun, this 210-room grande dame is Marrakech's most storied address. The 2009 Jacques Garcia redesign layered Moorish theatre onto an already palatial bones: zellige-tiled lobby, fountains and ponds, silk-draped ceilings, soft greens and pinks against dark woods. Dining spans Moroccan (tagines, pastillas, pigeon soup in the theatrical main restaurant), Italian, French, and a Sunday brunch that draws locals. Add an Olympic-sized pool, a serious spa, a Pierre Hermé pastry counter, the Churchill Bar, and an all-night casino. Service is warm, multilingual and ceremonial.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What you're paying for is sense of place: few hotels anywhere are this woven into their city's history, and the Garcia interiors, gardens and pool deliver on the fantasy. Book a garden-facing room rather than relying on the base category, plan around Sunday brunch, and budget for a spa half-day. Couples and design pilgrims get the most from it.