Welcome to the third iteration of Vogue’s global spa guide, a compendium of the 100 best spas in the world, compiled based on first-person reviews and careful editing. This year, we’ve renewed our focus on establishments that have established a reputation for exceptional care of body and mind, though there is a great variety in the list. Whatever you are seeking when it comes to wellness, there is something here for you.
Why go here?
By my (highly unscientific) measure, Marrakech has the highest concentration of spectacularly opulent hotels per capita out of any city in the world. But none are quite as dazzling as the Royal Mansour Marrakech: Established and owned by the country’s King Mohammed VI, the hotel was conceived as a tribute to the rich traditions of Moroccan craftsmanship. Within a labyrinth of winding alleyways and lush Moorish gardens, it exists as a medina within the medina, its 53 independent riads—each with its own interior courtyard and plunge pool—making you feel like you’re living in your own little house. Every surface is a tribute to the riotous patterns and colors and textures you might already associate with this corner of the world: intricately hand-carved wooden latticework, Zellige tiles in shades of Fez blue and saffron orange, heavy silk damask curtains shading the rooms, just in case you needed a little more privacy.
So it probably comes as little surprise that the spa here is, in and of itself, a thing of wonder. Unveiled in 2021, it’s situated in its own palatial complex at the edge of the property: a 27,000-square-foot Shangri-La of wellness where North African bathing traditions meet cutting-edge skin care and holistic therapies. It has plenty of stiff competition, but I can say with some certainty it’s the best spa in the city—and possibly in all of Morocco.
What’s the vibe?
It is, to put it simply, one of the most show-stopping spa interiors I’ve ever seen in my life. Stepping through the small wooden doorway of one of the hotel’s signature dusty pink plaster buildings, I felt like I was entering Narnia: opening up before me was a soaring, three-story atrium with natural light pouring in, lending the all-white space a divine, supernal glow. As I was poured a mug of mint tea and led to a daybed, the sound of gently babbling water from a nearby fountain and the scent of orange blossom and rose made the space feel almost comically idyllic. (As a friend I was traveling with observed—jokingly, but also not: “It’s giving heaven.”)
And that’s just the lobby: Head down into the basement, and you’ll find a state-of-the-art fitness center, as well as a nail salon helmed by the pedicure whizz Bastien Gonzalez, once described in the pages of this very magazine as the world’s foremost “foot virtuoso.” Upstairs, there are private spa suites that come with their own private hammams, plunge pools, and sweeping views of the hotel’s palm tree-studded estate, as well as a blissful relaxation area with cocoon-like pods that come with duvets for a little nap. (Why don’t more spas let you do this?) But the crown jewel, for me anyway, is the 22-meter indoor pool, which sits under an elegant, orangery-style glasshouse shaped in the form of a Moorish arch. The fact that you’re just a few hundred meters away from the dust and the shouting of the souk feels almost absurd.
The history?
The hotel (and its former, more modest spa) was first opened in 2010, with the help of the Moroccan royal family’s deep pockets and the 1,200 maâlems, or master craftsmen, who worked on every detail for over five years to bring the vision to life. It’s consistently ranked among the best hotels in the world, and the Royal Mansour brand has expanded in recent years with equally impressive (though wholly distinct) hotels in Casablanca and Tamuda Bay, the latter a beachside Mediterranean resort in Morocco’s north. The expansion of the spa in 2021 was part of a strategy to reposition the hotel not just as a gateway to exploring Marrakech, but also as a world-class wellness retreat in its own right.
What should you try?
You’re in Morocco, so it would be remiss not to head to a hammam. Here, the rituals combine traditional elements—rich black soap lathered into a foam over the body, the coarse scrub of a kessa mitt, the rhythmic pouring of warm water from silver bowls to wash it all off—with a few more inventive touches. There are a handful of different options, each inspired by different regions of Morocco, but I went for one inspired by the Valley of the Roses near Ouarzazate, which involved being wrapped up like a (very hydrated) Egyptian mummy in linens and left to let the fragrant goodness of the rose water and argan powder soak in. I admit, it was so relaxing that I fell asleep. But I emerged into the dappled sunlight of the relaxation area, eyes half-open and feeling my way forward blindly like a newborn, as a different person. My skin was about as soft as a newborn’s too.
What else do we need to know?
If you really fancy going all out, book a trip to the Royal Mansour Marrakech in combination with a few nights at its sister property in Tamuda Bay, which has a spa that is (nearly) as jaw-dropping as its Marrakchi counterpart. Making the most of its location in a “blue zone,” the resort offers medispa-style retreats that begin with full clinical assessments and offer innovative treatments spanning everything from cryotherapy to Hydrafacials to non-invasive body contouring. But the real star of the show here is the indoor purified Mediterranean seawater pool, which features a mosaic-ed wall of falling vines and a ceiling dotted with twinkling lights in the pattern of an astrological map. You could happily spend all day there.
Who can go?
Access to the spa facilities at the Royal Mansour Marrakech is complimentary for hotel guests, but visitors with day passes or treatments booked can also visit, arriving via a separate entrance.
Booking details for Royal Mansour Marrakech
Address: Rue Abou Abbas El Sebti، 40000, Morocco
Read more from Vogue’s Global Spa Guide.
