Start with the size, because it surprises. El Fenn opened in 2004 as six bedrooms in a large historic riad. Over the next three years it took in the neighbouring properties, adding rooms, suites, a bar, a restaurant and a space for performances. It now has 41 bedrooms and suites in thirteen interconnected buildings across two acres.
The founders were Vanessa Branson and Howell James. Branson also started the Marrakech Biennale in 2005, and the art shows: contemporary work from around the world, with a particular weight on Moroccan and African artists, hung in a house rather than a gallery.
The interiors are where the hotel makes its case. The craft is Moroccan and unashamedly physical: tadelakt walls, zellige tiling, hand-carved cedar, plasterwork and marble, much of it made by Moroccan craftspeople over the years. Against it sit mid-century furniture and bold colour, used with enough confidence that nothing looks like a theme.
The rooftop bar is the part to climb to, looking out over the medina the hotel has slowly absorbed. Below it there are pools, a spa and a large boutique, and opening hours and menus change, so check before planning an evening around them.
The ownership has moved with the hotel. In 2017 the artist and designer Madeline Weinrib and Graham Head, formerly of ABC Carpet & Home, became co-owners, and in November 2025 the hotel joined Akan, a collection of boutique hotels created by the Benabbés-Taarji family.
Who it suits
Travellers who like their hotels with a point of view, and who would rather lose themselves in a maze of courtyards than find the lift. The catch is the same thing: it is a big, busy property, not a quiet retreat.
