El Fenn

Rooms

Originally created from 3 riads merged together, El Fenn’s main building now holds many varied rooms and suites. In addition to this, there’s a nearby 6-bedroom Private House which can be booked exclusively for up to 12 guests.

All are a generous size, with high ceilings, sitting areas and, in many cases, open-plan bathrooms so you can chat while you splash. A cool mix of oriental furniture and vintage pieces from the 30s to 70s - carved wooden doors, antique mirrors, Moroccan rugs and Art Deco chairs - offsets the modernism and reminds you where you are. Most have fireplaces and all come with slippers, iPod docks, robes and powerful yet discreet air-conditioning/heating.

In the main hotel, some rooms look onto the courtyard and therefore feel less private, while others are off a more quieter colonnade. The various Large Rooms (and above) are vast, with 6-ft wide beds. The Plunge Pool Rooms are more like 2-storey apartments, with roof terraces and plunge pools.

The Private House, a 3-minute walk from the main hotel, holds 4 Double Rooms and one 2-bedroom Family Suite. Guests staying here get a more peaceful experience, with an on-site pool, roof terrace and library, plus access to all of El Fenn’s facilities if needed.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• Minibar
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

Dinner is a very civilised affair, usually laid out in the riad’s palatial theatre-style bar and restaurant, where you dine under a mirrored ceiling which reflects the sparkle of a glass chandelier and the flicker of candlelight. The other option is to dine on the roof terrace, as we did, where tables are dressed with white cloths and twinkling candles. Either way there’s an a la carte menu offering European dishes (risotto with lightly spiced king prawns and lemon dressing, perhaps) and more traditional Moroccan cuisine. We plumped for the latter and enjoyed delicate bowls of Moroccan salad, chicken tagine with dried fruit, couscous and zingy preserved lemons. Vegetarian meals are also always available.

Lunch is simpler but no less tasty - typically a daily fish or chicken dish with salad, staples like club sandwiches or burgers and fries, and fruit and cheese - taken in the courtyard or up on the roof terrace. In the afternoons, a help-yourself high tea of cakes, sweet pastries and mint tea is served, and you can order from the room service menu any time you like (until 10pm).

In the morning, it’s bliss to wake up to sweet pastries and coffee outside your door. This is followed by a bountiful breakfast, served on the roof terrace or in your room, with eggs to order, fresh baguettes, the best homemade granola we’ve ever eaten, cinnamon porridge, homemade yoghurt, and fresh fruit and juices.

Features include:

• Bar
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• The souks provide endless hunting grounds for fabrics, rugs, woodwork, metalware, custom-made furniture, handcrafted toys and local foodstuffs (dried fruit, herbs). To reduce the hassle-factor, ask the riad to arrange a guide, or check out El Fenn's own interiors and fashion emporium which sells pieces that infuse traditional techniques with a chic modern aesthetic
  
• Explore the medina’s historic sites, including the ornate El Bahia and Dar Si Said palaces (the latter is now a museum dedicated to Moroccan handicrafts), the crumbling El Badi Palace, the lavish Ben Youssef Medersa (a former Koranic school), and the Musée de Marrakech, a 19th-century Mnebbi palace given over to art exhibitions
  
• Head to Djemaa el Fna, the medina's vast main square, for an exotic melee of storytellers, snake charmers, food and juice stalls, dancers and musicians
  
• Escape the city heat with a stroll around the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech’s new town. Created in the 1920s by French artist Jacques Majorelle and later owned by Yves Saint Laurent, it’s filled with banana trees, giant bamboo and cool cacti set against striking cobalt blue architecture
  
• In between bouts of shopping and sightseeing, unwind on the roof terrace with a good book and a sunlounger, and take a splash in the plunge pool - or a bigger splash in one of the 2 marble swimming pools
  
• At the end of the day, unwind further with the help of a masseur, or spice yourself up with beauty treatments
  
• Book a session in the riad’s own hammam (i-escape guests staying 2 nights or more get a free one), for an invigorating hour of steam, soapy exfoliates, cold water and lemon rinses, rose water and essential oils
  
• The riad has arrangements in place with nearby sports clubs for golf, horse riding and tennis, while breath-taking hiking and biking is only an hour away in the Atlas Mountains

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Golf
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Horse riding
• Mountain biking
• Museums / galleries
• Plantlife / flora
• Private guided tours
• Shopping / markets
• Tennis
• Traditional cultures
• Trekking
• Well being

Kids

The main hotel building is more suited to couples than children, and under 12s can only stay with prior agreement, that said many rooms have space for a family...

Best for:

Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

We think the best family option is the Private House, which has 4 double bedrooms and a 2-bedroom family suite, and plenty of privacy so kids can play freely without the risk of disturbing other guests.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available, Family Rooms

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

El Fenn lies in the medina (old city) of Marrakech. It's a short walk from Djemaa el Fna, the main square.

By Air
Fly to Marrakech Menara (5km away), which is served by a range of flights from Europe and beyond; click on the links below for a list of airlines.

From the Airport
You can take a taxi from the airport or arrange a transfer with the hotel (see Rates). The drive takes around 10 minutes.

By Train
Rail travel in Morocco is pretty good and extremely cheap. Marrakech is one of the main hubs, linked to Fes, Casablanca and Tangiers. Transfers from the station can be arranged.

By Car
We don't recommend hiring a car in Marrakech; you won't be able to drive within the medina, and parking is extremely difficult. However, if you want to hire a car for your travels outside Marrakech see our car rental recommendations.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Morocco and getting around