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The mutual admiration between kids and Marrakech is obvious. Kids will gaze in wonderment at fairytale souks; thrill at the sensory overload of the nightly drama in the Djemaa el-Fna where storytellers, snake charmers and gnaoua trance dancers congregate; and, whoop in delight as they leap in a cool pool or climb aboard a camel. But Marrakech is also a deeply unfamiliar destination to many. It can be hectic, overwhelming and dedicated family-friendly facilities aren’t always available. In such an environment, choosing the right hotel is vital to ensure you can balance all that adventure with a relaxing and safe environment when you’re all in need of some downtime.
Most family-focused hotels are located outside the medina as historic riads (courtyard houses) aren’t ideal due to their steep steps and unguarded pools. As such, many of them also have a minimum age rule. So look to Gueliz, known as ‘Ville Nouvelle’ (New Town), the Palmeraie (palm grove) and the surrounding countryside for the best family accommodation and facilities.
The best family-friendly hotels in Marrakech
At a glance
1. Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech hotel
Probably the best family-friendly all-rounder in Marrakech, the Fairmont is fabulously stylish, fun and sporty with the largest pool in the city and an 18-hole Campbell B-designed golf course which operates a serious academy. All the 134 rooms and suites have balconies or private gardens with views of the Atlas mountains and are wonderfully spacious and well-designed.
Standards everywhere are impressive, from the beautiful kids’ club facilities and professionally-trained carers, to the ex-athlete tennis, golf and fitness coaches. There are four restaurants serving crowd-pleasing modern Middle Eastern, Italian and Mediterranean food and the resort can arrange any excursion you can think up – or you can just nip into the medina on the free shuttle for a change of scene. But, honestly, once settled most guests don’t want to leave.
Address: Km12, Route d’Amizmiz, Marrakech
Price: From £390 for a junior suite with a garden view
Read more: The best riads in Marrakech to stay in for winter sun
2. Club Med Marrakech La Palmeraie hotel
This pioneering all-inclusive resort opened in 2004 on a piece of posh real-estate in the Palmeraie, Marrakech’s suburban palm grove. It’s a vast site – over 30 acres – shaded by 12,000 palms within which there is a dedicated Family Oasis of comfortable interconnecting rooms and villas with their own pool with a paddling areas, games and slides. Beyond, endless activities abound from tennis, horseriding, archery and circus activities to more mature interests such as golf, basketball, jewellery making and yoga.
Different kids’ clubs cater to age groups between two and 17 and are run by experienced professionals. Plus, there are excursions beyond the resort for camel rides, quad biking and hot air balloon trips. It’s also only 15 minutes from the Medina and free shuttles run every 30 minutes, so you can nip into town whenever you like.
Address: Sidi Yahya, Palmeraie, Marrakech
Price: From £581 per person, including flights, based on two adults staying for three nights
Read more: Why you should swap hectic Marrakech for authentic and laidback Rabat
3. Es Saadi Marrakech Resort hotel
Moroccans grow up in large families so it’s not surprising that this excellent resort welcomes children with open arms. It also has a creative approach to kids’ club activities providing imaginative immersive Moroccan experiences such as learning calligraphy, exploring Moroccan music and dancing, jewellery painting and cooking.
There’s also a great range of accommodation here, from interconnected rooms in the more affordable hotel to luxury suites in the palace hotel and several independent serviced villas for the ultimate home-from-home pad. The location, at the edge of the medina near La Mamounia, is also excellent and the drive is lined with horse-drawn carriages which will whisk you around the ramparts for a sunset tour.
Address: Rue Hafid Ibrahim, Hivernage, Marrakech
Price: From £185 for a poolside bungalow sleeping three people
Read more: The Oberoi, Marrakech hotel review
4. Four Seasons Marrakech hotel
The Four Seasons has a well-deserved reputation for top-notch service and this Marrakech resort shines for its genuinely family-friendly attitude. Of course they have a beautifully designed kids’ club with a smart seasonal programme, a theatre, play kitchen, outdoor play zone and paddle pool, as well as a Young Adult Centre with games, movies and sports facilities. But it is the unprompted, thoughtful touches that really stand out.
Names and preferences are quickly noted, fun milkshakes make surprise appearances at the pool and colouring sheets at the restaurants where there are kids’ menus feature familiar favourites with smart local twists. Even the spa offers children’s treatments, while rooms come equipped with everything from baby baths to bottle sterilisers.
Address: Avenue de la Menara, Marrakech
Price: From £560 for a poolside suite
Read more: Where to go on holiday in Morocco, from Marrakech to Fes
5. Beldi Country Club hotel
The Beldi is a bucolic haven just 15 minutes from the medina where relaxation is the order of the day. It feels like you’ve stumbled into a charming Berber village with a cute cottage set amid 35 acres of olive groves, bamboo alleys, lily ponds, cactus gardens and beds of fragrant roses.
Nothing is too precious here so families can relax around one of the six pools (three of which are heated and two of which are dedicated to kids), in the greenhouse restaurant or in a fragrant corner of the garden. Apart from the pools and tennis courts, there are lots of engaging country pursuits such as baking bread in a traditional oven, messing around with clay in the pottery, cooking lessons with local chefs, quad-biking and horse riding, and in the evening a home cinema.
Address: Km6, Route de Barrage, Cherifia, Marrakech
Price: From £325 for a family suite
Read more: Meet the women blazing a trail through the majestic mountains of Morocco
6. Les Deux Tours hotel
One of Marrakech’s best-kept secrets, Les Deux Tours is an collection of artfully arranged suites and villas in a lush garden in the Palmeraie. Despite its tranquil atmosphere it is an excellent option for creative families who seek simple holiday pleasures such as watching their children play in the gorgeous garden where peacocks roam and paddle in the large, shaded pool (heated in cold weather) in between excursions to the mad-cap medina (a 15-minute drive away).
Accommodation is ingeniously designed in constellations of villas, many of which have their own enclosed garden and private pool, making this a great place for multi-generational family travel. There isn’t a kids’ club or any specialised activities, but the hotel concierge can design family-friendly excursions in and around Marrakech.
Address: Douar Abiad, Circuit de la Palmeraie, Marrakech
Price: From £450 for a family suite
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7. Le Jardins de la Medina hotel
Finding suitable accommodation in the Marrakech medina can be a challenge for families as most traditional riads are a warren of staircases and unguarded pools, and typically have a policy of not accepting children under 12. This makes Les Jardins a fabulous find in the quieter Kasbah neighbourhood.
Fashioned from an old palace, it has 36 rooms and enough space to accommodate families comfortably. Those with young families should opt for garden-side rooms which accommodate four, while the interconnecting patio-facing rooms will work for those with older children. There’s also a large pool in the patio screened by a mature, verdant garden, which tamps down noise, and babysitting can be arranged on request.
Address: 21 Derb Chtouka, Marrakech
Price: From £273 for a triple room
Read more: Morocco earthquake one year on – can tourism support recovery in the Atlas Mountains?
8. Riad Momo
An exclusive whole riad rental, Riad Momo is the perfect size for a family with three spacious double-bedrooms each with their own bathroom. It is suited to those with an adventurous temperament as well as those with older children, as equipment and gear for younger kids is not available and the house isn’t toddler-proof. Otherwise this is a perfect bolthole with a sunny, flower-filled terrace situated in the south of the medina close to the main Djemaa el-Fna square and major sites like the Bahia Palace and Saadian Tombs.
A chef is on hand to provide breakfast and dinner, should you want it, although the rental is well situated for nipping out to brunch at Mandala Society or dinner at Naranj. A list of recommendations is available when you book, but you’ll need to feel confident navigating the souks without assistance.
Address: Derb Dar Si Said, Marrakech
Price: From £160 per night with a two-night minimum stay
Watch more: Why North Africa is our destination top pick
9. Jnane Tamsna
This is a classy country house retreat with accommodation in five villas, each of which has its own pool. As the gardens are left semi-wild and the pools are unguarded, the property will suit families with either tiny tots who aren’t mobile or older children who can enjoy the independence of playing in the 15-acre garden, taking a cookery course under the wing of the house chef or creating magic shows for their parents.
Bikes are available, as is babysitting, and the owner, Meryanne, is very well connected in Marrakech and can help arrange creative excursions like camel rides or sidecar trips in the Palmeraie. Food here is excellent as her husband, Gary, is an ethnobotanist and the garden yields most of the herbs, vegetables and fruit on the table which are served in modern dishes that reflect the owners’ cosmopolitan backgrounds.
Address: Douar Abiad, Palmeraie, Marrakesh
Price: From £475 for a large double with an extra bed
Read more: Overland from Margate to Marrakech – an art-filled journey across France and Spain
10. Kenzi Club Agdal Medina hotel
Look no further for an all singing, all dancing, all-inclusive resort with themed nights, live shows, foam parties, discos and a lagoon pool with a toboggan water slide as well as three other pools. Staff are enthusiastic in the kids club, which caters to three to 12-year-olds and offers arts and crafts activities, music and theatre, as well as team games. Meanwhile for older kids there are badminton, tennis and paddle courts, mini football and basketball to enjoy.
Of the 250 rooms (all of which have a terrace or balcony), 40 are family rooms and the huge buffets make catering to fussy eaters easy. A free shuttle will also whisk you to the medina in 15 minutes. For those looking for lots to do and plenty of entertainment, this is a good option.
Address: Boulevard Mohamed VI, Marrakech
Price: From £163 for a deluxe room sleeping four
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Why trust us
The hotels featured in this list have been carefully selected by The Independent’s expert travel writers, each with a deep knowledge of the destinations they cover. Paula is a travel journalist who’s been reporting on the southern Mediterranean, Maghreb and East Africa, where she grew up, for over 20 years. When picking which hotels to include, she considers her own experience staying in the hotels and evaluates location, facilities, service and all the other details that make for an exceptional stay for all types of traveller.
FAQs
When is the best time to visit Marrakech?
Spring and autumn right up to November.
Is Marrakesh family-friendly?
Morocco is a family-centred country and children are warmly welcomed everywhere. Some children may find the medina overwhelming, so it’s a good idea to plan some down time every day.
What are the nicest areas to stay with kids?
Depends what sort of experience you’re after. For full-on adventure stay in the medina. For a more relaxed pace and a big pool, look to stay outside the medina in the Palmeraie or just outside the city.
What currency do I need?
Moroccan Dirham (MAD)
Is seven days too long in Marrakech?
Not if you combine the medina with a couple of days in the nearby countryside where you can go hiking, quad and mountain biking, and hot air ballooning.