OPEN ARMS

In Marrakech, new hoteliers and entrepreneurs can't wait to welcome travelers back

- CYNTHIA ROSENFELD

THERE IS SO MUCH MORE to Marrakech than the European rock stars who have famously partied here and the iconic expats, like Yves Saint Laurent, who adopted it as their home. The past two decades have seen this North African city become accessible to more travelers as an armada of courtyard homes, or riads, within the ochre walls of the medina have been transformed into chic but affordable boutique hotels, providing options beyond the lavish hotels owned by Morocco’s king.

During the COVID pandemic, the city continued to evolve, leaning into its rich artisanal traditions in new ways. This past fall, Marrakech's high season, numerous long-delayed projects were set to have their grand debut, including a flurry of new hotels in the medina, like Izza, Riad AIena, and Maison Brummell Majorelle. On the outskirts of town, the four-bedroom former artist retreat Farasha Farmhouse planned to open with photographs and sculptures by the Moroccan artist Amine El Gotaibi and a 164-foot-long olive-tree-lined swimming pool. Then came the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck central Morocco last September 8, devastating hundreds of villages in the High Atlas Mountains. Marrakech itself was largely spared, but some of the openings were put on hold again.