Where you sleep in Morocco is part of the trip itself. A night in a riad courtyard in Marrakech, a quiet room above the blue streets of Chefchaouen, a tent under the stars in the Sahara — these are not just places to rest. They are experiences you will remember as clearly as the sights themselves.
This guide covers the best places to stay across Morocco: riads, hotels, guesthouses, and desert camps, city by city. If you are still choosing where to go, start with our 15 best places to visit in Morocco, then come back here to decide where to sleep in each one.
Riads or Hotels? What Is the Difference?
A riad is a traditional Moroccan house built around an interior courtyard, usually with a small pool or fountain, a rooftop terrace, and rooms opening onto the courtyard instead of the street. From outside, a riad looks plain — often just a wooden door in a wall. Inside, it opens into something beautiful.
Choose a riad if you want character, personal service, and a central medina location. The owners usually serve breakfast on the terrace and help with everything from airport transfers to desert trips. Choose a modern hotel if you want a pool, a gym, large rooms, and facilities outside the old city — the newer districts of Marrakech and Casablanca are full of them. Many travelers mix both: riads in the medinas, hotels on the coast.
Marrakech: Stay in the Medina
In Marrakech, the medina is the place to stay. A riad here puts you within walking distance of Jemaa el-Fna, the souks, and the palaces, and the rooftop terraces are made for sunset mint tea above the rooftops. Look for a riad near the main square if it is your first visit — the deeper you go into the medina lanes, the harder it is to find your way back at night, though riad staff will always guide you.
If you prefer quiet and space, the Hivernage and Gueliz districts outside the medina offer modern hotels with pools and gardens, a short taxi ride from the old city. Luxury travelers will find Morocco's most famous palace hotels here, including iconic names known around the world. For a first trip, though, a medina riad is the experience most travelers remember.
Fes: Sleep Inside the Old City
Fes el-Bali is the oldest and largest medina in Morocco, and staying inside it is unforgettable. The riads here are often grand old merchant houses with carved cedar ceilings, mosaic courtyards, and rooftop views over a sea of rooftops and minarets. Because the medina is car-free, your riad will arrange a porter or a meeting point — part of the adventure.
Choose a riad near the Bab Boujloud gate (the Blue Gate) if you want easy access, or deeper inside the medina if you want total immersion. Fes riads are often excellent value compared to Marrakech, and the breakfasts — fresh bread, honey, olives, and eggs cooked to order — are worth waking up for.
Chefchaouen: Small Guesthouses in Blue
Chefchaouen is a small town, and its stays are small too: family-run guesthouses and little hotels in the blue medina, many with terraces looking over the blue rooftops toward the Rif Mountains. There are no big resorts here, and that is the point.
Stay inside the medina if you can — you will wake up to blue streets before the day-trippers arrive. Pack light: the lanes are steep, and you may carry your bag up steps to your room. One or two nights in Chefchaouen is enough for most travelers, and it pairs perfectly with a longer stay in Fes.
The Sahara: A Night in a Desert Camp
A night in the Sahara is the most special stay in Morocco, and it works differently from any hotel. From Merzouga, you ride a camel into the Erg Chebbi dunes in the late afternoon and sleep in a Berber camp: a tent, a mattress, dinner by the fire, and a sky full of stars.
Camps come in two levels. Standard camps have shared facilities and simple tents — comfortable and atmospheric. Luxury camps have private tents with real beds, private bathrooms, and thick carpets underfoot. Both give you the same desert silence and the same sunrise over the dunes. Book through your riad or a reputable local operator, and confirm what is included: the camel ride, dinner, breakfast, and the return transfer.
Essaouira: Relaxed Stays by the Sea
After the medinas, Essaouira feels like a holiday from your holiday. The stays here are relaxed: small guesthouses inside the whitewashed medina, and a few larger hotels along the beachfront. The medina is flat and easy to walk, so any location works.
Choose a room with a sea view or a rooftop terrace if you can — the sunset over the Atlantic from the ramparts is worth it. One note: Essaouira is famously windy, which is why it is beloved by kitesurfers. A room on the sheltered side of the medina is quieter at night.
Atlas Mountains: Kasbahs and Mountain Guesthouses
In the Atlas, the stays are part of the landscape. Around Imlil, the starting point for Mount Toubkal, family guesthouses serve home-cooked meals and offer simple, warm rooms after a day on the trails. Further south, along the road to the desert, old kasbahs — fortified earth-built mansions — have been converted into atmospheric hotels with courtyards and rooftop views over palm groves.
Mountain stays are simpler than city riads: expect good food, warm blankets, and early nights. If you are trekking, ask your guesthouse about packed lunches, guides, and mule hire before you arrive.
What to Check Before You Book
Location first. In the medinas, a central riad saves you long walks at night. Check the map, not just the description.
Stairs and access. Riads have stairs, sometimes steep, and no elevators. If mobility is a concern, ask before booking.
Breakfast included? Most riads include a generous Moroccan breakfast. Hotels vary — check before you compare prices.
Cancellation terms. Plans change, especially around desert trips. Flexible cancellation is worth a little extra.
Airport transfer. Many riads offer pickup for a small fee. In Marrakech and Fes, it is worth it on your first night.
Recent reviews. Read the last few months of reviews, not just the overall score. A riad can change hands, and recent guests tell the real story.
How Much Does It Cost?
Prices vary by season, city, and level, so treat these as typical ranges, not promises — always check current prices before booking. A simple guesthouse room typically runs from around 25 to 50 euros a night. A good mid-range riad usually falls between 70 and 150 euros, often including breakfast. Luxury riads and palace hotels start around 200 euros and rise well beyond that. Desert camps range from budget shared-tent options to luxury private tents at riad-level prices and above.
The best value in Morocco is often the mid-range riad: for the price of an ordinary hotel room elsewhere, you get a beautiful courtyard, a rooftop terrace, and hosts who treat you like a guest, not a room number.
Plan Your Trip
Once you know where to stay, the next question is how to move between these places. Read our guide to getting around Morocco — trains, buses, grand taxis, and private drivers each fit a different kind of trip. And if you still need ideas for what to do between stays, our Morocco travel inspiration guide is full of experiences you will never forget.
Final Thoughts
The best stays in Morocco are not always the most expensive ones. A family riad in Fes, a blue guesthouse in Chefchaouen, a tent in the Sahara — these are the nights travelers talk about for years. Choose character over size, location over luxury, and let where you sleep become part of the journey.
Book the riad, climb to the terrace, order the mint tea — Morocco will take care of the rest.
