In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Most medina riad pools are plunge pools: the Hotel Guru says that, for lack of space, they are generally little larger than one, and Dar Zaman says its own is too small to swim lengths. For a pool to swim in, the hotels list IZZA at 10 m, La Villa des Orangers with a 16 m basin and Les Jardins de la Medina with a large pool in a 3,000 m² garden. July and August average highs are about 37°C, with 22 days in each at 35°C or more. In the medina, only La Villa des Orangers, Les Jardins de la Medina, Riad Kheirredine and Les Jardins de la Koutoubia say their pools are heated, and Royal Mansour heats the pool in its spa. Prices change with the dates, so check yours on Hotels.com.
What to expect of a riad pool
A riad is a courtyard house, so its pool sits in the courtyard or on the roof. The Hotel Guru says the riads can still be hot in summer, so choose one with air conditioning. The airport’s July and August highs average 37.7°C and 37.4°C, and 22 days in each month reach 35°C. In January the average high is 19.1°C and the average low 5.9°C, so an unheated pool is a summer pool: see best time to visit Marrakech. The links go to the hotel on Hotels.com, except for the hotels that link to their own sites.
Plunge pools and small pools
Riad Dar Zaman
29 Derb Bouelilou · four bedrooms · courtyard plunge pool · Hotels.comad
The courtyard has a small plunge pool with a wall fountain. The riad says it is not big enough to swim lengths and is for cooling off after a day out. There are open fireplaces for cooler evenings, and the two larger rooms have reversible air conditioning.
Riad Azzar
94 Derb Moulay Abdelkader · 3 rooms and 3 suites · plunge pool · Hotels.comad
A plunge pool in the courtyard, with sun beds on the roof terrace and a fireplace in the salon for the cooler months.
The courtyard plunge pool at Riad Azzar. Photo: Heribert Bechen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Riad Abracadabra
125 Derb Jamaa, Derb Dabachi · 8 rooms · pool on the roof · Hotels.comad
The pool is on the roof terrace, beside a bar serving cocktails and tables for breakfast. The riad says it is five minutes’ walk from Jemaa el-Fnaa.
Riad Yasmine
209 rue Ank Jemel, Bab Taghzout · 8 bedrooms · hotel’s site
A swimming pool tiled in zellige, with two ground-floor suites beside it. Every room has air conditioning, and the 220 m² roof terrace has a solarium.
Riad No. 37
Dar El Bacha · eight double rooms · two pools · adults only · hotel’s site
Two pools and fireplaces on the ground floor and roof, round two courtyards. Adults only.
Riad Sakkan
Twelve rooms and suites · pool patio · hotel’s site
A pool patio in three historic houses at the edge of the medina, with rooftop dining and a private hammam and spa.
Pools to swim in
IZZA Marrakech
Three courtyards · 10 m pool · hotel’s site
A riad of three courtyards, one with a 10 m pool, one with a foot pool and one with a wall fountain. Bill’s Bar serves cocktails at the pool, and the rooftop restaurant is Noujoum.
La Villa des Orangers
Rue Sidi Mimoun · 33 rooms and suites · three heated pools in season · Hotels.comad
A 1930s riad whose three pools are heated in season, one with a 16 m basin, with a 60 m² hammam and a spa. It is at the foot of the Koutoubia, about 660 m from Jemaa el-Fnaa.
Les Jardins de la Medina
21 Derb Chtouka, Kasbah · 36 rooms · pool heated in winter · hotel’s site
A former palace with a 3,000 m² garden and a large outdoor pool that the hotel says is heated in winter. Lonely Planet names it for its large pool. Most Superior Garden rooms are on the ground floor, and a lift serves the Solarium rooms and one Sultane suite.
Riad Kheirredine
Three pools · heated pool in the White Patio · spa with heated indoor pool · Hotels.comad
The riad lists three pools: a heated pool in the White Patio, and others on the roof and in the garden. Its spa has private hammam cabins and a heated indoor pool.
El Fenn
Derb Moulay Abdellah Ben Hezzian, Bab El Ksour · three pools · hotel’s site
The hotel says it is one of the few in the medina with a swimming pool, and that it has three, with a 1,300 m² roof terrace and two cocktail bars.
A pool at El Fenn. Photo: Jason Briscoe, Wikimedia Commons.
Le Farnatchi
Derb el Farnatchi, Rue Souk el Fassis · pool · central heating · hotel’s site
A pool that several suites overlook, a spa and a roof terrace. The suites have central heating and air conditioning.
Les Jardins de la Koutoubia
26 rue de la Koutoubia · heated outdoor pool · Hotels.comad
A heated outdoor pool by the Koutoubia, about 250 m from the square, and a heated indoor pool for adults using the Shiseido spa.
A pool of your own
Royal Mansour
Rue Abou El Abbas Sebti · 53 private riads · a pool in each · Hotels.comad
Each of the 53 riads, of one to four bedrooms, has its own pool. The spa has a heated pool.
La Mamounia
Avenue Bab Jdid · three riads with private pools · Hotels.comad
The hotel’s three riads have a private entrance, a pool and a terrace, in a garden that also holds pools for all guests.
The outdoor pool in La Mamounia’s garden. Photo: Pi3.124, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Hotels with big pools outside the medina
| Hotel | Where | Pool, as the hotel describes it | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selman Marrakech | Km 5, Route d’Amizmiz | An 80 m pool | Hotels.comad |
| The Oberoi, Marrakech | Route de Ouarzazate | A 30 m outdoor pool and a 20 m indoor pool, both temperature-controlled | Hotels.comad |
| Fairmont Royal Palm | Km 12, Route d’Amizmiz | The hotel says it has the city’s largest pool | Hotels.comad |
| Sofitel Marrakech Palais Impérial | Hivernage | Outdoor pools, with a heated pool in season | hotel’s site |
| Ksar Char-Bagh | Palmeraie | A heated pool, and suites with a private pool | Hotels.comad |
| Jnane Tamsna | Palmeraie | Five pools in a nine-acre garden | hotel’s site |
Before you book
- Heating is a promise to check. Ask whether the pool is heated and whether it is heated in January. Most riads are not heated.
- Size. A pool in a courtyard is usually a plunge pool. Ask for its length if you want to swim.
- Children. Ask a riad about children before booking. Riad No. 37 takes adults only, and courtyard pools are small and in the middle of the house.
- Summer. A medina riad is still hot in July and August. Book air conditioning as well as a pool.
See where to stay in Marrakech for the areas compared and hotels near Jemaa el-Fnaa for the riads within 1 km of the square. For the last stretch from the taxi to a riad door, see Marrakech airport to the medina. Between swims, Marrakech hammams lists the baths and spas, and day trips from Marrakech the escapes from the heat, such as the Ourika Valley and the Atlas Mountains. Marrakech food tours and where to eat in Marrakech cover the evenings.
Common questions
Do Marrakech riads have swimming pools?
Many do, and most in the medina are small. The Hotel Guru says that, for lack of space, medina riad pools are generally little larger than plunge pools. Dar Zaman says its pool is not big enough to swim lengths, while IZZA lists a 10 m pool and La Villa des Orangers a 16 m basin.
Are riad pools heated in winter?
Only where the hotel says so. La Villa des Orangers lists three pools heated in season, Les Jardins de la Medina a pool heated in winter, Riad Kheirredine a heated pool in its White Patio, and Les Jardins de la Koutoubia a heated outdoor pool. January's average high at the airport is 19°C and the average low 6°C.
Which riad has a pool for every room or suite?
Royal Mansour: its 53 private riads each have a pool. La Mamounia's three riads each have a private pool and terrace.
How hot is Marrakech in July and August?
The average high at the airport is 37.7°C in July and 37.4°C in August, and 22 days in each month reach 35°C. The Hotel Guru says riads can still be hot and advises one with air conditioning.
Can children use a riad pool?
Ask first. Riad No. 37 takes adults only, and a medina riad's courtyard pool is small. A resort hotel suits a young family better: see where to stay in Marrakech.
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