Where to stay in Marrakech: the best neighbourhoods (2026)
Photo : Sebastien Poncelet
In Marrakech, everything comes down to the last hundred metres. No car enters the medina: the taxi stops at a gate in the ramparts and you finish on foot through the derbs, suitcase in hand. That is what a riad costs, this courtyard house that shows nothing from the street. In the new town, you park outside the hotel.
Four areas, then: three inside the medina, around Jemaa el-Fna, Mouassine and the Kasbah, and a fourth in Guéliz and the Hivernage. On price: $12 to $24* a dorm bed, 70 to 130 a courtyard riad with breakfast, 250 and well beyond a palace hotel.
You can easily count on swimming in your riad's pool (so make sure to pick a riad that has one!).
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At a glance: our picks by traveller type
Pick the profile that suits you to head straight to the recommended neighbourhood.
The neighbourhood map in Marrakech
Get your bearings on the neighbourhoods and must-see sights before choosing where to drop your bags. Click a name to jump to its description.
Jemaa el-Fna & the souks Heart of the medina
for a first visit and for doing everything on foot
This is the part of town that never stops. Jemaa el-Fna fills up in late afternoon with storytellers, gnaoua and skewer stalls, the Koutoubia serves as a landmark when you are lost, and the souks run north as far as the dyers. Sleeping here means having it all on foot and walking home at night without hunting for a taxi. The downside: the noise runs late, deliveries start before dawn, and the constant selling wears you down. Two or three lanes back, everything changes.
The only downside to this place is the feeling of oppression I felt because of the merchants who solicit you very often and follow you during your walk.
What to see & do in the area
Where to stay in this area
Les Jardins de la Koutoubia Luxury
A five-star at the foot of the minaret, two minutes from the square. Heated outdoor pool, a second indoor pool reserved for adults, Shiseido spa and panoramic terraces.
Hotel Le Gallia Mid-range
An old courtyard house on rue de la Recette, run for decades. Roof terrace and a front desk open 24 hours, which many riads do not have.
Pros
- Jemaa el-Fna, the Koutoubia and the souks on foot
- You walk home at night without a taxi
Cons
- Noise late at night, deliveries before dawn
- Constant selling from the stallholders
Mouassine, Ben Youssef & the northern medina Northern medina
for charming riads and craft workshops
North of the souks the lanes quieten down and the fine houses multiply. The Dar el Bacha palace has become a museum, the Ben Youssef medersa opens its stucco courtyard a few steps away, and the Maison de la Photographie keeps one of the most pleasant roof terraces in the medina. This is where you pick a riad for itself rather than for its address. The downside: the derbs are narrower still, and nobody finds their riad first time.
What to see & do in the area
Where to stay in this area
La Maison Arabe Luxury
The Bab Doukkala institution: a table open since 1946, spa, hammam and cooking school. Its pool is not on site but at its country club in the Palmeraie, served by a shuttle.
Dar Attajmil Mid-range
A small guesthouse on rue Laksour, only a handful of rooms, terrace, hammam and cooking classes. The riad as you picture it, with the calm that few rooms bring.
Hostel Waka Waka Budget
A hostel on rue el Ksour, dorms of six to twelve beds, a small shaded terrace and breakfast included. Plan on asking for directions: everyone misses it the first time.
Equity Point Marrakech Budget
A hostel set in a riad on Derb Hammam, in Mouassine: a pool in the courtyard, a hammam and a restaurant. A bed here costs clearly more than in the plain hostels of the medina, and the facilities explain why.
Pros
- Dar el Bacha, Ben Youssef and the craft workshops on foot
- Far quieter than the edges of the square
Cons
- Narrow derbs, riad hard to find after dark
- Petit taxi to reach the new town
Kasbah, Mellah & the southern medina Southern medina
for the palaces and quieter nights
The southern medina breathes differently: wider streets, palaces, and far less trading. The Bahia Palace and its painted ceilings, the Saadian Tombs behind the Kasbah mosque, the ruined El Badi Palace where storks nest, and the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, with its cemetery and its grocers. You sleep better here than in the centre. The downside: it takes ten to fifteen minutes on foot to find the evening buzz again.
What to see & do in the area
Where to stay in this area
La Sultana Marrakech Luxury
Twenty-eight rooms on rue de la Kasbah, next door to the Saadian Tombs. Heated pool, hammam, spa, and two thousand square metres of roof terrace.
Riad Slitine & Spa Mid-range
A four-star on Riad Zitoun, between the square and the Bahia. Year-round heated pool in an arcaded courtyard, hammam, breakfast included.
Stork Marrakech Luxury Hostel Budget
A hostel on rue Berrima, dorm beds with curtains and individual lockers, breakfast served on the roof. The street is busy: ask for a room that does not face it.
Pros
- The Bahia, the Saadian Tombs and El Badi on foot
- Wider streets and quieter nights
Cons
- Ten to fifteen minutes on foot to Jemaa el-Fna
- Little going on locally in the evening
Guéliz & the Hivernage The new town
for arriving by car and for the pools
West of the ramparts, Marrakech changes century: planted avenues, pavements, restaurants that serve alcohol, and hotels a taxi can pull up to. The Majorelle Garden and its blue, the Royal Theatre and the place du 16 Novembre act as the centre of Guéliz; the Hivernage, just to the south, lines up the big hotels with gardens and pools. The downside: the change of scene stops at the door, and it takes a taxi to get back into the medina.
What to see & do in the area
Where to stay in this area
Sofitel Marrakech Palais Impérial & Spa Luxury
A five-star in the Hivernage, gardens with fountains and four pools heated all year, spa with hammam. The So Lounge, out in the grounds, works as restaurant, bar and nightclub.
2Ciels Luxury Boutique Hotel & Spa Mid-range
A boutique hotel on rue Oued El Makhazine, with a rooftop pool and bar, spa, hammam and two restaurants. The railway station is walkable.
Hôtel Toulousain Budget
An old address on rue Tarik Ben Ziad, with a garden, a roof terrace and a front desk open 24 hours. The shops of Guéliz are at the bottom of the street.
Pros
- The taxi drops you at the door
- Pools, restaurants and alcohol on the menu
Cons
- Nothing of the medina at the hotel door
- A taxi is compulsory for Jemaa el-Fna
Our tips for booking the right place
- Have someone meet you at the gate: Ask your riad for the exact name of the gate where the taxi should stop, and for someone to come and collect you there: it is the simplest way to avoid the derbs with a suitcase and the strangers who offer to guide you for a tip. Download the offline map before you arrive, because GPS loses its bearings between the walls. The airport is only a quarter of an hour from the centre.
- The meter, or the price before you get in: The beige petit taxis link the medina to Guéliz for a few dirhams, provided you ask for the meter or agree the price on the pavement. Anne, who lived here, puts it plainly: « taxis are more than affordable, so do not bother renting a car ». A car is only useful for the Ourika, Ouzoud or Agafay, and is then best hired by the day with a driver.
- Summer hits hard, winter chills the nights: March to May and September to November give the best climate. In July and August the heat goes past 40 degrees and a pool stops being a luxury. Winter brings mild days and cold nights: check that the riad is heated, as many are not. Houses with only a few rooms fill up fast during school holidays.
- Booking a riad deep in a derb without asking where the taxi stops and how many minutes on foot remain after that. You often arrive at night, not every lane carries a legible name, and luggage rolls badly over the cobbles.
- Taking a room looking straight onto Jemaa el-Fna and hoping for an early night. The square runs until the middle of the night and the deliveries leave before dawn; two or three lanes further on, the quiet returns without losing anything of the location.
- Choosing the Palmeraie without a car. Those resorts sit eight or ten kilometres from the medina, out among the palms: every outing becomes a taxi ride there and back. It is a good choice for a week around a pool, not for visiting the city.
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