Ksar Char-Bagh
The palace and its pool, under the palms · © Ksar Char-Bagh 
In the Palmeraie, the Ksar Char-Bagh is a small palace built like a ksar, drawn from the Alhambra: paved courts, fountains, olive and fig trees across several enclosed hectares. Only around fifteen suites, three pools and an underground red-marble spa. You come for the calm and the space, far from the bustle of the medina.
Our verdict
The Ksar Char-Bagh is not a medina riad or a large resort: it is a small palace set apart in the Palmeraie, north-east of Marrakech, planted among the palms, olive and fig trees. The main building takes the shape of a ksar, those earthen fortresses of the Moroccan south, and draws openly on the Alhambra of Granada: crenellated tower, arcaded courts, stone fountains and long reflecting pools that catch the sky. The estate is enclosed on several hectares, planted with herb gardens and a kitchen garden that feeds the kitchen. You pass the gate and the city noise falls away.
The house holds only around fifteen suites, closer to a large private home than a hotel. Each opens onto the garden, with its terrace, patio or private plunge pool. The decor plays marble, pale wood, linen and tadelakt rather than heavy folklore. The rest holds the same register, on a human scale: an underground spa, cool and silent, around a red-marble hammam, three pools including a large 34-metre one lined with palms, and a bright restaurant cooking the vegetables, fruit and olive oil from the kitchen garden. Service is the first reason for traveller satisfaction, who place the overall score very high (9.5 on Booking, on a modest review count). For calm and treatments, the address plays in the same court as the other houses of the city built around the hammam.
That leaves the location, which decides everything. The Palmeraie is handsome and restful, but it sits at a remove: reckon 20 to 25 minutes by car to the medina and Jemaa el-Fna, and it is precisely the lowest score travellers leave. You do not step out for a walk between two siestas: each escape to town is planned, by taxi or hotel shuttle. That is a deal-breaker for a short stay built around the souks and monuments, and it is the whole draw for the opposite: a couple after quiet, spa and gardens, choosing to make the hotel the destination. From around £355 a night depending on the season, you pay first for the intimacy of a small palace and the space - not a city-centre address.
What sets it apart
- A ksar for yourself Only around fifteen suites, across a large enclosed estate. Each has its patio, terrace or private plunge pool. You cross few people, and that is the whole point of the house.
- The red-marble hammam The spa is underground, cool and silent, built around a large red-marble hammam. Massages and treatments by appointment, with a rest area to linger after.
- Three pools in the gardens A 34-metre pool lined with palms, plus private pools attached to some suites. You swim quietly, without sharing the water with the whole hotel.
- The kitchen-garden table The restaurant cooks the estate's vegetables, fruit and olive oil. Moroccan and French cuisine in a bright room opening onto the pool, seasonal daily dishes.
Worth knowing
The Palmeraie sits away from town: reckon 20 to 25 minutes by car to Jemaa el-Fna and the medina, to plan for each outing (taxi or hotel shuttle). Free private parking on site. Free Wi-Fi. Spa, hammam and massages extra, by appointment. Continental breakfast, with vegetarian, vegan, halal and gluten-free options. Check-in from 3pm, check-out by noon.
Facilities & services
Location
Practical info
Details checked and cross-referenced by the editors - June 2026.
