WanderSleeps: 8 of the best sleeps in Marrakech, Morocco

Sheltering in a desert oasis the Oberoi Marrakech unfurls among citrus trees, ancient olive groves and leafy orchards. Its patio is an exquisite homage to the city’s 14th-century Ben Youssef Medersa with zellij tiling and fretworked stucco reflected in the emerald tiles of the central pool.

Consider booking one of the Royal Suites, which have private heated pools and views of the snow-dusted Atlas range. Then try the experiences – take a tour of the medina by vintage sidecar or earn your culinary chops in the Oberoi kitchen, learning to prepare traditional salads, bread and tagines.

The Four Seasons Marrakech sits just south-west of the medina in the cool Hivernage district like a desert oasis. From its main entrance, the tinkle of fountains leads you via lush gardens of glossy palm trees and a pleasing symmetry of swimming pools and reflecting basins to a palatial sand-toned pavilion, inspired by the imperial imprint of the Red City.

The property’s large footprint belies the smallish number of rooms; top pick are the Pool-View Terrace Rooms, which are scattered with lanterns and look out over the water to the mountains beyond.

Sandwiched between palaces, the Jewish quarter and Marrakech’s fabled market square is Riad Africa, a 17-room eco-minded guesthouse spread across multiple centuries-old merchant homes. It’s a vibrant, richly decorated labyrinth done out in desert and jewel tones and lit with pretty lanterns and solar power.

Chef Fatim-Zahra sources local, seasonal produce for meals made at the rooftop bistro; deepen your know-how by market shopping with the chef and learning to make chicken tagine at the riad’s own cooking school.

It’s the home-from-home feel at Riad Tizwa – with its breakfast anytime, anywhere mantra and daily thermos of coffee placed at your door – that keeps guests returning. Kick back in the vine-draped courtyard and relax on the rooftop terrace, tucking into dishes where local, organic ingredients take pride of place.

(expect handmade soap and the use of dried-grass baskets for your souk shopping). It’s perfectly located too: close to the Dar El-Bacha Palace (an exquisite riad, now a museum) and a main road, so you don’t have to wriggle through the medina with your luggage.

The Mandarin Oriental’s luxury suites and villas offer winning views of the city’s minarets and mountains, framed by gardens of roses and olive trees. The modern styling incorporates the traditional Moroccan features of latticed wood, cutwork lanterns, soothing pools and handwoven wool rugs embroidered with Berber motifs.

Green credentials are taken seriously: no single-use plastic; plentiful drinking water fountains; donation bags left in rooms, which guests can fill with clothing and products to be donated to a partner association.

A 15-minute drive from the hawkers and hustle of Marrakech’s central Djemaa el-Fna square is Amanjena, meaning ‘peaceful paradise’. Cocooned inside pisé (rammed-earth) walls, and arranged around a huge basin of water framed by arabesque arches and date palms, the hotel’s 40 rooms are havens of pared-back luxury.

There are unique experiences on offer, including peeks into the homes of the city’s famous residents and a chance to hear master storyteller Hajj Ahmed Ezzarghani.