El Fenn

Style

Traditional riad with an artist’s touch

Setting

On the cusp of medina and souk

It takes more than a few decorative lanterns to earn a riad widespread acclaim as Marrakech's most stylish… El Fenn achieved this unofficial title by restoring the 19th-century's wrought iron, carved wood and filigree plasterwork, and adding alluring modern touches – graphic prints, a smattering of avant garde artwork, a few mid-century modern bits in Marrakchi colours – with the input of architect Amine Kabbaj. The unassuming doorway of this labyrinthine, 41-roomed property leads onto five inner courtyards: pass through the sensually lit spaces with marble fountains, rose-petal-filled basins and cushioned alcoves, to antique carved wooden doors leading to a WiFi'd library. El Fenn is the place for creatives to stay.

Facilities

Rooms

41 rooms (including 10 suites) plus a two and three bedroom family suite.

Checkout

Noon, with free late check-out whenever possible.

More Details

Breakfast, afternoon tea and home-made cakes are included for Smith guests. The hotel doesn't accept cash, only Visa Debit, Visa Credit or MasterCard.

Also

The artworks on display are by Antony Gormley, Frances Upritchard, Fiona Rae and so on. No pets allowed – El Fenn has its own cats and tortoises. If you're staying in a lower-category room and need an AM shot of caffeine, a tray of fresh coffee, tea and hot water will be left outside your door at around 7.30am. And, afternoon tea of pastries and snacks is served daily – all delightfully free.

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pet Friendly

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

Spa

At the Hotel

Spa and hammam, two heated marble swimming pools, treatment rooms, free WiFi throughout, massive roof terrace with dining area, hanging garden, sun deck and heated reading pools, library, boutique, yoga mats, concierge service. In rooms: artwork from the owners' collection, hand-stitched Egyptian-cotton linen, leather babouches, free bottled water and air-conditioning. Suites have a minibar, a kettle and a coffee machine; some rooms have working fireplaces and a stash of logs.

Our Favourite Rooms

The Pool Suite, aka Room 6, is a split-level rock-star retreat with its own 600-foot private terrace with little unheated pool. Room 11 has a dramatic, scarlet-upholstered 10-foot headboard, white marble fireplace, and private veranda. Room 10 is similar, but turquoise. In the main riad, most of the rooms are open-plan suites, six with fireplaces and all with six-foot-wide beds and Egyptian cotton bedlinen, giant custom-built baths, and powerful showers. The 'Pink Room' an Extra Large Suite, lives up to its name, with shades ranging from fuchsia to ballet-pump; we liked its grey-marble bathroom with a mini hammam and a bath tub lined in marble shot through with rosy hues.

Poolside

Four pools. In serene and shaded open-air courtyard's, the hotel's two Carrara marble-lined pools are surrounded by day-beds and a fire-pit; On the roof, there's a petite plunge pool and an additional 13m rooftop pool with Berber-tented sitting area and sweeping views of the Atlas Mountains and the Koutoubia mosque.

Spa

The little spa has three treatment rooms tucked away in their own serenely shaded courtyard. Dip in the spa pool or lounge alongside it between treatments. Try the hammam and massage – they're both first class, or perhaps a Saharan-sand scrub; gents get their own facial too. Personal training and boxing lessons can also be arranged on the rooftop and terrace (including in-room terraces).

Packing Tips

This Moorish hideaway is a jewel-coloured mishmash of patterns and textures, which will undoubtedly bring out your artistic side. Bring a sketchbook so you're ready when inspiration strikes.

Also

The shop is packed with super-stylish Marrakchi delights, from tasselled babouches to ornate tablewear worth bringing an extra suitcase for.

Children

El Fenn isn't ideal for kids, though they love the pools and pets. Cots and beds are free for under-4s. Extra beds (€100 for ages 4-12, €150 for 12-16) can be added to extra-large rooms and family suites only.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Opt for the end table on the roof with a view of the Koutoubia.

Dress Code

As though you’re at home.

Hotel Restaurant

El Fenn’s lively and fabled Rooftop Bar, popular with locals, serves an all-day menu with ingredients from organic garden suppliers: country-style at lunch (burgers, salads, and light bites). The Rooftop Restaurant serves a daily family-style sharing lunch of salads with meat or fish options (both €40). For supper, it's an inventive 'new-wave' Moroccan fare. The head chef rustles up dishes such as Moroccan-spiced cockeral with forest mushrooms and for dessert, fig, black tea and saffron mouse with passion fruit and peach. Breakfast is a lavish spread of hot and cold delicacies: home-made jams, fresh fruit, pastries, breads, tea, coffee, juice and hot dishes including shakshouka – in a spicy tomato sauce, Atlas trout with scrambled eggs and traditional beghrir pancakes. Breakfast and lunch is also available daily in the vine-lined Colonnade Café.

Hotel Bar

Set in a courtyard of tumbling vines, Colonnade Café serves up drinks, juices and light meals. There's also the stylish, art-deco inspired rooftop bar; flop down onto one of the terrace's soft banquettes and gaze out over the city and Atlas Mountains, drink in hand. Drinks are served four ways: tall, short, tropical or shot, and guests are served drinks anywhere they like in the riad. We recommend the hibiscus ginger martinis or Marrakech negronis. Then, finish your night with a few potent shots.

Last Orders

Breakfast is from 8am to 11.30am; lunch is served from 12.30pm to 3pm. There are dinner sittings at 7pm and 9.15pm. The Rooftop Bar stays open until 11pm for drinks, and Colonnade Café is open until 10.30pm.

Room Service

You can order up burgers, pasta, light dishes and desserts on request, from 8am until 10pm.

Planes

From the UK and elsewhere in Europe, British Airways (www.ba.com), Royal Air Maroc (www.royalairmaroc.com), EasyJet (www.easyjet.com) and Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) fly into Marrakech’s Menara Airport, a 15-minute drive from the hotel. Transfers to or from the airport can be arranged with the hotel for MAD500 each way for up to three people.

Trains

The Moroccan state railway, ONCF (www.oncf.ma), runs inexpensive (but limited) services to Marrakech from Casablanca, Fez and Tangier. Look for TCR (Train Climatisé Rapide) trains to guarantee an air-conditioned journey in summer. You’ll find plenty of taxis waiting at the city’s charming, if slightly run-down, station on Avenue Hassan II.

Automobiles

Driving in Marrakech can be horn-filled and hectic, but if you insist, hire a car from one of the desks at the airport. To reach the hotel, follow Avenue de la Menara to the city centre.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Book yoga or Pilates lessons (MAD700 an hour, MAD900 for two); soak in the rooftop pool or swim laps in the main pool; shop in the artsy boutique or book a spa treatment. The reception staff can recommend jogging routes or arrange biking and hiking tours. Jemaa-el-Fna and the souk are within walking distance and landmarks nearby include El Badi Palace, the Ben Youssef religious school and Bahia Palace. To get a glimpse of the Medina as it once was (and in some ways still is…) head to Maison de la Photographie. Jardin Majorelle is a riotously colourful delight, with a small Yves Saint Laurent (its former owner) museum at its heart, and further afield are the olive groves and fruit orchards of Menara Gardens. Ask nicely and El Fenn's chef will take you on a mystery food tour of Marrakech's markets, followed by a cooking class (MAD750 a person).

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .