If you are planning a stay in Marrakech, sleeping in a riad is a must. These traditional houses arranged around a patio, with their central fountain and roof terrace, are pure Moroccan architecture.
Marrakech and its region today have about 1,530 guest houses classified, including nearly 1,400 in the medina alone. Suffice to say that the choice is quickly a puzzle: modern or traditional riad, with swimming pool or with large garden, five minutes from Jemaa el-Fna or quiet off the walls, at 80 € or 800 € per night. We have therefore decided on the list of everything and have selected for you, by budget and by use, the Best Riads in Marrakech.
Our selection of the 10 Best Riads in Marrakech
Best value for money (80 – 150 € per night)
Riad Palais Sebban
Former palace of the 19th century transformed into a guest house, the Palais Sebban is one of the few addresses in the medina to combine the scale of a real palace with riad rates. You enter through a narrow alley in the Ksour district and you arrive at a succession of columned patios, painted cedar ceilings and zelliges that have nothing reconstituted
The 25 rooms and suites are distributed around these courtyards. The terrace is the real highlight of the house: it is vast, with a pool and a bar, and it opens onto the rooftops of the medina to the peaks of the Atlas on clear days. The riad’s restaurant has built a reputation that goes far beyond its customers—tangia and couscous attract people who stay elsewhere, and there is regular live music in the evenings.
The location is excellent: five minutes walk from Jemaa el-Fna and the Koutoubia, with the entrance to the souks just north. You are in the heart of the medina, without being on a noisy axis.
For whom: a first stay in Marrakech, a couple, or anyone who wants the decor of a palace without the corresponding budget. Good to know: the establishment is very lively in the evening because of the restaurant and the bar. Ask for a room away from the main patio if you are sensitive to noise. Not all rooms have a safe. Indicative budget: from around €110 per night, breakfast included.
Riad Kasbah & Spa
Be careful if you were looking for this address under its former name: the Riad Kasbah is now called Riad Kasbah & Spa, a hammam and a treatment area having been added since our first visit.
Located in the Kasbah district, close to the Saadian Tombs and the Bahia Palace, this riad plays a different card from that of the Sebban Palace: less spectacular, more peaceful. Large arcades, worked woodwork and a sober traditional decor set the tone. The suites are individually decorated, air-conditioned, and distributed around the central patio where the outdoor pool is located.
The rooms are spacious and with an assumed simplicity. The bathrooms, on the other hand, are remarkable: beautiful stones, old tiles, upgraded equipment without betraying the building. Breakfast is served on the terrace, facing the Atlas Mountains.
It takes about fifteen minutes to walk to Jemaa el-Fna—the Kasbah is a quiet and residential area, which is precisely its interest, but you are not in the bustle of souks.
For whom: those who want to sleep in peace and join the entertainment on foot rather than vice versa. Good choice with family. Indicative budget: from about 80 to 100 € per night depending on the season.
Riad Dar Anika
On Riad Zitoun Lakdim, one of the liveliest and most convenient arteries of the medina, Dar Anika enjoys a location hard to beat: five minutes walk from Jemaa el-Fna, as much from the Bahia Palace, and a street lined with cafes and shops where you can find everything.
It is one of the best rated addresses in its category, and especially one of the most tested: more than 570 Google reviews for a rating of 4.6, which says a lot about regularity. The service systematically returns in the returns—welcome at tea, organized transfers, French and English-speaking staff, luggage assistance from the taxi drop-off point, which is not a luxury in this maze.
The rooms are neat and impeccably kept, the generous breakfast, the pleasant terrace at the end of the day.
For whom: a short and efficient stay, where we want to minimize travel and maximize visits. Good to know: the sound insulation between the rooms and from the central patio can be improved. Ask for a room upstairs if you are a light sleeper. Indicative budget: from about €90 to €120 per night.
Riad BE Marrakech
A little to the north, near the Grand Mosque, Riad BE is the obvious choice if you want the pool without going into the upper tier. The house has two, including one on the ground floor in a planted patio—a rarity at this price level, and a considerable difference in July-August.
The decoration is clearly more elaborate than the average in its category: bold color palette, materials, contemporary craftsmanship. It is a riad that photographs well, which explains its popularity, but the background follows—fresh and well-executed cuisine, breakfast served on the roof, hammam and massages on site. The address also regularly hosts yoga retreats.
For whom: a summer stay, or a trip with friends where the pool counts as much as the visits. Indicative budget: from about 120 to 160 € per night.
Charm, design and value (150 – 300 € per night)
This is the stage where Marrakech is probably unbeatable in the world. For the price of a decent hotel room in a European capital, you get here a particular home, personalized service and an experience that has no standardized equivalent.
Riad Kheirredine
If only one were to be included in this category, it would be that one. With an average of 4.9 out of nearly 500 Google reviews, the Riad Kheirredine has the best reputation/satisfaction ratio in the entire medina—a level that very few establishments maintain over this period and volume.
The house, in the Sidi Ben Slimane district north of the medina, is a sober elegance: planted patios, rooms named after essences and spices, terrace on several levels, spa. But what comes up in absolutely every feedback is the team. Escort to the riad from the drop-off point, phone loaned to find your way in the alleys, someone sent to pick you up at the restaurant in the evening, transfers organized without us having to ask. This is a level of coverage that can normally only be found at much higher rates.
For whom: an occasion—honeymoon, anniversary—or a first trip to Morocco where you want to be guided without being infantilized. If it’s full: try the Riad le Jardin des Sens & Spa (4.9 out of 320 reviews), in a very close register, further south from the medina.
Riad Kniza
An 18th-century property restored with remarkable care, Riad Kniza is a 11-room retreat in the heart of the old town, just inside the Bab Doukkala gate—halfway between Jemaa el-Qassem.Fna and the Ville Nouvelle where the Jardin Majorelle and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum are located.
The house has been owned by the Bouskri family for over two centuries. It is managed by Mohammed Bouskri, a renowned antique dealer, and has been restored by some of the best craftsmen in Morocco—which can be seen in every detail of carved plaster and painted wood. This is not a hotel decor inspired by Morocco: it is a Moroccan house, run by a Moroccan family.
The rooms are spacious, with fireplaces and many Moorish details. The riad has a spa with hammam, jacuzzi, sauna and massage room, a nice small swimming pool, two open patios and a terrace-solarium with lounge areas, perfect in summer. In winter, the lounges and their fireplaces become the ideal place for a mint tea or a private dinner.
For whom: those who seek authenticity and family hospitality rather than design. Good to know: many stairs, as in most old riads. To be avoided in case of reduced mobility.
72 Riad
On Arset Aouzal, west of the medina, 72 Riad is one of the most successful addresses in the design segment. The spirit is Mediterranean as much as Moroccan: clean lines, modest materials highlighted, generous volumes, and an accumulation of corners where to sit that makes you end up not going out.
Several rooms have their own terrace, some with a private jacuzzi or bathtub in the room. The common terrace offers a clear view of the city, spectacular at nightfall. The riad features a swimming pool and spa, and serves on-site dinner—one of the best in its category.
Allow about fifteen minutes on foot to the Majorelle Garden, as much towards the heart of the souks.
For whom: a couple, or travelers sensitive to architecture and contemporary design.
Riad Yasmine
Impossible to talk about the riads of Marrakech without him: the Riad Yasmine is probably the most photographed house in the medina, thanks to its patio at the swimming pool framed by banana trees which has made the rounds on Instagram.
Behind the image, the house keeps its promises. Seven Moorish rooms and suites, all individually decorated, are arranged around this central courtyard and its lounge on the ground floor. From the terrace, the view extends over the medina, the Koutoubia, the Medersa Ben Youssef and, on a clear day, the snowy peaks of the Atlas—this is one of the best observation posts in the city for sunset. In the morning, breakfast (squeezed juices, fresh pastries) is served.
Authentic charm, discreet luxury, contemporary atmosphere: the Riad Yasmine is a refuge on a human scale in the middle of the bustle.
Good to know: only seven rooms, and a considerable notoriety. The riad is fully booked at least two nights a good part of the year. Book well in advance, or switch to an alternative. If it’s complete: the Riad Botanica (4.9 out of more than 260 reviews), a few streets away, offers the same care in a more plant-based and confidential register.
La Maison Arabe
Institution marrakchie opened in 1946, La Maison Arabe is the link between the riad and the hotel: we find there the patio, the zelliges and stained glass windows of a traditional house, but with the logistics, size and reliability of a hotel establishment. With more than 1,500 reviews for a rating of 4.5, it is also the most proven address in this selection.
Two advantages clearly distinguish it. First its country club, a quarter of an hour’s drive away, served by a shuttle: large swimming pool, gardens, restaurant, a real breath of fresh air when the medina becomes stifling. Then his cooking classes, among the most famous in Morocco—several hours alongside a hobby horse in a spectacularly equipped kitchen, then the meal shared at the table. Many travelers book the stay for that.
The property is located near Bab Doukkala, reachable by car up to a few meters from the entrance.
For whom: a first trip to Morocco, a family holiday, or anyone for whom the logistics of the medina are a hindrance.
Dar Rhizlane
If you want the riad spirit without the medina, it’s here. Dar Rhizlane is located on Avenue du Président Kennedy, in the district of Hivernage: wooded, quiet, ten minutes by car from Jemaa el-Fna and a quarter of an hour from the airport, with direct access and parking.
The house was designed as a balance between the riad and the garden villa: patios and traditional crafts on one side, but also gardens maintained by cord, a large swimming pool, terraces and rooms much larger than what allows the building of the medina. The spa is excellent, breakfast served in the garden or by the pool.
For whom: those who come by car, who follow with an excursion in the Atlas or Essaouira, or who dread the intensity of the medina. Good to know: you are outside the walls. That’s the goal, but every outing in the medina requires a taxi.
Exception addresses
These four establishments escape the usual logic of rankings. They are not comparable to the previous ones: they move into another category, with rates that match.
El Fenn—The most famous riad in Marrakech after the Royal Mansour, and a notable absence in most selections. Twenty-one rooms, three swimming pools, a collection of contemporary art displayed throughout the house, and a rooftop bar that has become an institution, offering stunning views of the Koutoubia mosque. Five minutes walk from the Jemaa el-Fna square. From about 300 € per night. Note: the bar and restaurant are open to the public, which explains why El Fenn’s Google reviews—which mix hotel guests with passing customers—are harsher than his very high booking ratings. See for yourself by checking out customer reviews.
Villa des Orangers—A Relais & Châteaux property in the heart of Marrakech, built around open courtyards lined with carved moldings and fountains. Two swimming pools, one on the roof with a view of the Koutoubia mosque and the Atlas mountains, a spa, a hammam and a Mediterranean restaurant. Ten minutes walk from the Jemaa el-Fna square, the Bahia palace and the Kasbah, and fifteen minutes drive from the airport. The rate includes lunch and part of the laundry service, which makes it more competitive than it looks.
La Sultana—Located in the royal district of the Kasbah, between the Royal Palace and the Saadian Tombs. Five riads combined in a single establishment, each decorated in a style evoking a different historical period. Marble bathrooms, jacuzzi, two hammams, sauna, candlelit swimming pools, rooftop bar and a renowned restaurant. A five-star experience on the scale of a private residence.
Royal Mansour—Owned by King Mohammed VI, designed as a city within a city: guests do not stay in a room, but in one of 53 private riads spread over five hectares of Moorish gardens, each with its own patio, lounges, kitchen and private pool. The spa extends over about 2,500 square meters. The culinary direction is provided by Hélène Darroze, who succeeded Yannick Alléno in 2023, with « La Grande Table Marocaine » and « La Table », in addition to « La Grande Brasserie ». « Sesamo » remains the signature of Massimiliano Alajmo. It is, without exaggeration, one of the most beautiful hotels in the world—and the prices bear witness to this.