Short hop to paradise: celebrate finding the perfect family hotel in Marrakech

Mandarin Oriental Marrakech has many aces up its sleeve for making Marrakech great with kids. Lisa McGarry on an incredible Marrakech family hotel celebrating its first decade in style.

Honey Masterclass Experience, Mandarin Oriental Marrakech

Mandarin Oriental Marrakech is the ultimate family hotel

It’s hard to imagine a better place for kids to discover the magic of Morocco than Mandarin Oriental Marrakech. This stunning Marrakech family hotel, also known as MO Marrakech, is close enough to the buzzy Medina to enjoy the historic centre’s lively charms in small doses, but tucked enough away to be a serene haven that’s just 15 minutes from the airport.

With an unbelievably short flight of 3.5 hours from the UK and no time difference at all during British Summer Time, Marrakech delivers all the colour, culture and culinary excitement of a long-haul destination, but without the jet lag, such a perk for family travel and one we really appreciated.

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The glistening pools of the Mandarin Oriental Marrakech

A stunning luxury resort keeping families at its heart

Mandarin Oriental Marrakech is a sprawling resort set in 50 acres of lush olive groves and beautiful gardens, overlooked by the atmospheric Atlas Mountains.

We arrived in the early evening after an easy journey, to an effusively warm welcome. Settling into luxury has to be one of the world’s best feelings, and we couldn’t stop smiling during our welcome drinks of champagne and pink lemonade, feasting on the amazing scents and sights all around.

The vibe is chic but relaxed, so kids can run around and you can feel fabulous all at the same time: perfect combo.

Impeccably luxe Moroccan/Berber-inspired décor and an air of supreme elegance throughout the resort has the effect of making you feel like you’re on a film set, blending perfectly with the gardens and walkways lit by beautiful lanterns at night.

Glistening decorative ponds add to the tranquillity, set around a large family pool in the centre, next to lovely lunch spot Pool Garden which offers sun lounger service. Inside, the reception is an expansive marble lobby which gives way to a series of chic restaurants, where poolside tables and views let you while away evenings under the stars.

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Pool villa at night, Mandarin Oriental Marrakech

Amazing pool villas set the bar high for family stays

Mandarin Oriental Marrakech has 54 pool villas, and it’s here the bar gets raised even higher for Marrakech family hotels.

Each villa is like having your own riad: all walled courtyards, sunken circular baths, steam room showers, and private heated pool with outdoor jacuzzi. All come with one or two bedrooms, living rooms with cosy couches, large TVs in living and bedrooms, fully stocked kitchenettes and multiple outdoor seating and sunbathing areas.

We were in a one-bedroom Mandarin Pool Villa, and felt such privacy and privilege to be there. There’s also fantastic security on site, so we felt incredibly safe as well as private.

The seven suites are dreamy too, with wonderful views across the resort and mountains, perfect for stays with little kids who are best served with a plunge pool rather than the larger kind. There are also spa villas, with direct access to the award-winning Moroccan spa and its two hammams, ideal if you want to really immerse in the therapeutic side of the resort.

Bikes provided with villas come in useful for exploring the resort, as well as helping you hustle if you’re late for lunch after yet another swim in your very own pool and outdoor jacuzzi.

We loved our pre-breakfast rides for gentle exercise before the king of all spreads at Shirvan restaurant, and the resort in the early mornings was even more peaceful.

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Family biking, Mandarin Oriental Marrakech

Unique family activities make Marrakech with kids a beehive of fun

Celebrating ten years of five-star magic as of September 2025, Mandarin Oriental Marrakech knows exactly how to delight families.

Their kids’ offering is seriously impressive, starting with the Honey Masterclass Experience where little ones suit up like beekeepers and learn all about the magic of honey.

There’s a lovely mother/daughter bonding spa treatment, and the Kids’ Kasbah is a colourful haven of creative and educational fun (the ceramics classes were particularly impressive).

Budding chefs will love the hands-on cooking classes using produce they’ve picked from the onsite vegetable garden – a brilliant intro to the farm-to-table journey. And animal lovers will adore the baby goats, who are always up for a cuddle, as well as the peacocks and chickens wandering around.

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Blessed are the beekeepers: lunch in The Orchard

Honey for little monsters, curated by experts

The Honey Masterclass Experience was a standout for us, led by Khalid Samata, Mandarin Oriental Marrakech’s resident beekeeper and world expert honey sommelier. He’s the founder of Hive Restaurants (in London and Morocco), and knows everything about the buzzy pollinators and makes it fun for kids (as well as nervous adults!).

Fully suited up in beekeeping gear, we visited the resort hives and learned about honey production and the essential role bees play in our ecosystem. This was followed by a specially curated honey-infused menu served in the Vegetable Garden, where we sampled different honey food pairings in a serene setting with outdoor chefs attending to us, and course after course of deliciousness served up including a giant cheeseboard.

Kids of 6+ years can take part, and the 3-hour experience including lunch costs £115 per person – well worth it.

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Mother /Daughter spa time, Mandarin Oriental Marrakech

The Mother/Daughter spa bonding ritual is perfect for Marrakech with kids

Mandarin Oriental Marrakech’s spa is a sanctuary for adult downtime with its hammams, tranquil indoor pool, treatments from massage to beauty, and rituals rooted in Moroccan and Oriental traditions.

But it’s also making mindful space for families with a new Mother/Daughter Spa Bonding Ritual offering. This includes a gentle hammam, warm oil massage and post-treatment tea in the garden, complete with keepsake bracelets. It’s a sweet introduction to wellness, designed to make kids feel pampered without being overwhelmed.

Adults will find plenty to enjoy on their own too, and my deep tissue Oriental massage soothed away a trapped nerve as well as some general residual life stress: highly recommended. As was the yoga class we took one morning on the grass with an incredible yogi; a bookable experience on request, which left us full of namaste.

See you on The Courts

Another new feature of this amazing Marrakech family hotel is The Courts: a brand-new outdoor sports area featuring dedicated tennis and padel courts, designed for players of all ages and abilities. It’s also home to The Courts Pavilion, MO Marrakech’s new and stylish hub for players and spectators to hang out.

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Shirvan Restaurant, Mandarin Oriental Marrakech

This Marrakech family hotel makes food its star

I’ve eaten well in many hotels, but this trip was something else.

We had tapas and cocktails at The Tent, a magical outdoor bar. The daily breakfast at Shirvan is a paradise for kids with its Ferris wheel of cupcakes and expansive buffet (no comment on the amount of cheese we imbibed), as well as beautifully-presented à la carte choices, where enjoying live music and sunshine on the terrace was one of our many daily highlights. Shirvan also serves dinner with a kids’ menu and even a menu for babies.

The Mediterranean-inspired Pool Garden is very family-friendly but also seriously chic. Despite being very full we couldn’t resist its sharing spread of fruit sorbets served within the actual fruits, which were ridiculously refreshing on top of delicious.

We had an incredible Cantonese dinner at Hakkasan’s Ling Ling on our last night, which also suits families as it also has a children’s menu as well as the more upmarket specialities, and desserts like I’ve never seen. If your kids like food, they’ll love it here, and there’s a party vibe to be found later with DJs and dancing: in-room babysitting services are available if you fancy some adult time.

But nothing tops the In-Villa private Méchoui Experience – a traditional Moroccan dish of slow-cooked lamb, accompanied by a feast of starters and sides, a team on hand to look after our every need and a guitarist serenading us by moonlight.

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Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco

The Majorelle Gardens and YSL Museum are perfect for Marrakech with kids and teens

The Medina is fun, but can be hectic with small children in the heat. Instead, try a trip to the enchanting Marjorelle Gardens – definitely a vibe, and they even invented a colour: Majorelle Blue – which adorns the pavilions throughout, and compliments the spread of greens from the towering cacti and tranquil lily ponds where kids can spot cute turtles.

French artist Jacques Majorelle designed the gardens in the 1920s, and Yves Saint Laurent later rescued them from ruin, lived there, and was buried in the grounds alongside his partner Pierre Bergé.

Teens will love the selfie potential, and also the nearby YSL Museum, which has the most glorious collection of couture prompting a game of ‘What would you wear to the premiere?’, and a cute shop where the famous Love posters make very reasonable souvenirs.

It’s a great introduction to the legendary designer’s work and life, perfect for fashion lovers, but also works for families. The architecture is stunning and the mood boards and sketches in the public areas are, well, a mood.

We also loved the Mexican bird exhibition that was on during our visit.

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Entrance, Mandarin Oriental Marrakech

Last words on a truly great Marrakech family hotel

Mandarin Oriental Marrakech strikes a rare balance as a design-forward, five-star resort that doesn’t just accommodate families – it makes Marrakech with kids completely joyful.

Whether you’re soaking in your villa’s jacuzzi after bedtime, sharing mint tea over baklava, or watching kids’ eyes light up during their first honey harvest, it’s the kind of place where luxury and togetherness coexist harmoniously.

This is an indulgent stay, but needless to say it delivers on every level: and leaves you with stories you’ll be telling forever.

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