Just a short taxi ride away from the hustling Medina and its souks lies Dar Zemora, a lovely country villa surrounded by orange and lemon trees, palms, roses, oleander and bougainvillea. As you enter the drive lined by olive trees and flickering lanterns at night, you instantly feel the mayhem of the city drift away.
At Dar Zemora, the English owners have created a discreet country house hotel with a sense of understated theatre, which allows you to be as social or as private as you want. Relax in one of the 2 large sitting rooms, chill out in the colourful ‘Fan’ room with its swaying drapes, floor cushions and low tables, browse through the coffee table and guide books in the library, or just idle the day away by the pool in the wonderful gardens that have been created to excite the senses. With just six rooms and suites set in masses of space, each individually designed and blissfully private, you'll feel as though you have the place to yourself.
This is the perfect retreat for those who have been to Marrakech before, or those who just want to dip in and out of the Medina's frenzied madness.
Highs
- Service is quietly brilliant: staff are friendly, helpful and will look after your every need
- Luxurious light-filled suites with fireplaces and large private terraces
- The wonderful hammam is open for pampering and pummeling
- A true oasis of peace and tranquility after a busy day sightseeing or shopping
- Lovely 3-acre garden and heated swimming pool
Lows
- Nearer to the medina than most Palmeraie hotels but still requires a petit taxi to get around
- The villa is unsuitable for very young children
- No televisions (a plus for some), so bring a laptop if you want to watch anything
Best time to go
Marrakech is very hot in the summer months of July and August - a dry but extremely relentless heat beats down on the city, and Dar Zemora is closed for all/most of August each year. The best times to visit are certainly the spring and autumn. By the end of October the evenings are cold, although the midday sun is still warm enough to bask in. The weather in winter, from November to March, ranges from cold and rainy to sunny days, warm enough to sit outside. Here you can swim all year round as it's one of the few places in Marrakech to have a heated swimming pool, and there are lots of communal areas for lounging in the colder months.
Our top tips
Don't skip the Hammam. The traditional massage was a memorable experience - you're stripped completely of your swimsuit - but once the initial awkwardness wears off it's a brilliant treatment that leaves you feeling invigorated from head-to-toe.
- Boutique Hotel
- 6 rooms
- Breakfast (+ other meals on request)
- Children of all ages are welcome
- Open all year
- Heated Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach Nearby
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Car not necessary
- Parking
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
Rooms
There are just 3 Suites and 3 Standard Rooms. All have customary finishes like tadelakt walls, hand-painted zouak ceilings and stone bejmat floors covered with Moroccan rugs, plus a mix of Moroccan furniture and furnishings, both traditional and contemporary. Paintings by local artists adorn the walls, and the feel is elegant manor house rather than modern minimalist hotel.
Standard rooms have large marble bathtubs and showers (some over the bath, others with separate cubicles), small safes, speakers, phones, bathrobes, air-conditioning and central heating; two, Mecila and Bebra, can be twinned.
For extra privacy and space, book one of the Suites, which feature four-poster beds, sitting areas with cosy fireplaces, and large terraces. On our last visit, we were lucky to stay in the top-floor Perla Suite, which has a huge roof terrace where you can laze on daybeds in the shade of wafting white curtains. The dramatic ground-floor Zahara Suite has its own shaded garden terrace by the pool. The Pavillion Pool Suite is a separate house in the gardens, with 2 double bedrooms (both can be twin-bedded) with terraces, 2 bathrooms (enamel rather than marble tubs), a large living room, a dining terrace and a private pool.
Features include:
- Air conditioning
- Bathrobes
- Central heating
- Fireplace
- Safe box
- WiFi
Eating
Breakfast is simple but delicious: freshly squeezed juice (often with fruit from the garden), fruit salad, eggs and homemade traditional pancakes. An afternoon pot of tea and a slice of cake are also included in the nightly rate.
A 2-course lunch is available daily, and in the evening dinner is served at 8.30pm. The cuisine on offer is modern Moroccan, with a more traditional feast on Sundays, and local produce is used wherever possible; there's also a selection of the best Moroccan wines to choose from. We had tasty lamb chops with white cabbage and sultana slaw, beetroot with mint and puy lentils, all washed down with a bottle of Moroccan Rose. Then followed a fruit salad, mint tea and a selection of small baked treats. If you're arriving late on your first day, a light supper can be pre-arranged.
Meals can be served wherever you want – on your private terrace if staying in a Suite (which we opted for), on the dining terrace overlooking the ornamental pool, in the elegant dining room (perfect for cooler evenings or special occasions), or at the poolside.
Features include:
- Breakfast
- Dinner by arrangement
- Lunch by arrangement
- Room service
Activities
After a day at the medina, this is essentially a place for rest and relaxation.
- Spend at least a day just lazing by the pool (solar-heated in the winter months), strolling through the garden, relaxing in the hammam, and indulging yourself with a massage in the dedicated treatment room
- On cooler winter days, curl up in one of the lovely sitting rooms with a book in front of the open fire
- Don't miss the Jardin Majorelle, an enchanting 12-acre garden created by French painter Jacques Majorelle over a 40-year period. It has an excellent Berber museum.
- For the more active: tennis, golf and horse riding are all available locally and can be organised on request
- Half-day and full-day trips can be arranged to the sea and the lovely coastal town of Essaouira, or to the Atlas Mountains by 4-wheel drive
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Golf
- Historical sites
- Horse riding
- Hot air ballooning
- Museums / galleries
- Plantlife / flora
- Private guided tours
- Shopping / markets
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Traditional cultures
- Well being
Kids
Children of all ages are welcome, as long as they are well behaved and respect the other guests' privacy. However, the property is not considered particularly suitable for toddlers and pre-school children due to the steps, smooth bejmat flooring and open, unsupervised swimming pool.
Best for:
Teens (over 12)
Family friendly accommodation:
Baby cots can be added to Standard Room Mecila, the Zahara Suite and the Pavilion Pool Suite; the latter has 2 bedrooms which can be twinned and so works well for families. The Zahara Suite and Pavilion Pool Suite can also take an extra bed.
Cots Available
Babysitting:
Babysitting is available on request.
Baby equipment:
Baby cots and highchairs are available on request (free of charge).
Remember baby and child equipment may be limited or need pre-booking
Families Should Know:
Children under 7 are asked to vacate the dining terrace and dining room by 7pm so other adult guests can dine at 830pm.
For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection
Location
Dar Zemora lies in the Palmeraie (the palm-groved outskirts of Marrakech), a short taxi ride away from the Medina.
By Air:
Marrakech Menara (10km) is served by numerous airlines - click on the links below for a list.
From the Airport
The drive from the airport takes half an hour, and we recommend booking a transfer via the hotel as the property can be hard to find. If you do want to hire a car, see our car rental recommendations.
More on getting to Morocco and getting around.
Airports:
- Marrakech Menara 10.0 km RAK
Other:
- Beach 200.0 km
- Shops 6.0 km
- Restaurant 6.0 km
Our guests' ratings...
Based on 2 independent reviews from i-escape guests
Feedback is only from guests who have booked and stayed through i-escape