The catch at Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech
Five things stand between this resort and the family week in the photographs. Most of them come with what makes it worth booking, the space, the quiet estate and the facilities for children, and each one is easy to plan around once you know it.
On our shortlists
Nothing is within walking distance, so the Medina is a drive
The resort sits alone at Km 12 on the Route d'Amizmiz, inside its own 231-hectare estate of olive trees and fairways south-west of the city. Jemaa el-Fna and the Koutoubia are 20 minutes away by car off-peak, Guéliz about 20 and the Jardin Majorelle 23, and there is no restaurant, shop or café outside the gates on foot. The concierge runs a free shuttle to several points in the city centre, but at set times, so an evening in the souks or a late dinner in town means fitting the timetable or paying for a taxi each way.
What to do. Ask the concierge for the shuttle times and drop-off points on arrival, and plan one or two longer days in the city rather than daily trips. For dinner in town, a taxi or a hotel car back is simplest.
The spa, its indoor pool and the fitness centre are for adults only
The minimum age for the Fairmont Spa and the 1,500 m² Fitness Centre is 18, and that covers their pools too: the spa's indoor pool and the semi-Olympic lap pool at the Fitness Centre are reserved for adults. For parents of small children this is part of the appeal, since the spa stays calm. For families with teenagers it is a real limit: a 16-year-old who wants the gym or a swim in the indoor pool cannot use either. Tennis and padel are a different matter, with four clay courts, two padel courts and lessons at the Tennis & Padel Academy.
What to do. Families with teenagers should plan on tennis, padel, golf lessons at the Golf Academy and the main pool rather than the gym. Book spa treatments ahead, and arrive 30 minutes early as the spa asks.
In the evening there are two restaurants and a sushi bar, all at resort prices
The resort has four restaurants and two bars, but they keep different hours. L'Olivier by the pool serves lunch only, from 12.30pm to 4pm, and the Legends Bar at the Country Club closes at 6pm. After that the choice is Capricci, the Italian dining room, and Al Aïn, Moroccan and Lebanese, both from 6pm to 11pm with a smart casual dress code that rules out flip-flops and sportswear, or the sushi menu at Le Bar from 5pm to 11pm. On a week's stay that is a short list, and meals and drinks carry resort prices, a point guests raise often.
What to do. Pack something smarter than pool clothes, book Al Aïn and Capricci for alternate nights, and plan two dinners in Guéliz or the Medina, 20 minutes away by car, to vary the week.
In spring the entry rooms can go first, so the stay starts at a suite
The 72 m² Deluxe Rooms are the hotel's entry category, but for Tuesday 16 to Thursday 18 March 2027 none was on sale, and the cheapest room was the 86 m² Junior Suite Garden View at €698 a night for two, with breakfast. March is high season in Marrakech, and school holidays at Easter and in February bring the families this resort is built for. The suite is a good room, with a lounge and space for four, but it means the bill starts higher than the room list suggests.
What to do. Book early for February half-term, Easter and the spring weeks. Couples who want the smaller Deluxe Room should check dates outside the holidays, when the entry rooms are more likely to be on sale.
The kids' club splash pool opens only in summer
The Kids' Club has its own small wading pool, but it opens only during the summer. From October to May, the swimming for children is the shallow children's zone in the 100-metre main pool, which is heated to 28°C all year. That zone is shallow and works well for small children, but parents expecting a separate club pool in the winter-sun months should know it will be closed. The pool at the Country Club is not heated either, and the adult-only spa and fitness pools are out of bounds for children.
What to do. For winter and spring stays, plan the children's swims in the main pool's shallow zone, and use the club for its tree house, playground and workshops, open daily from 9am to 6pm.
Who should skip it
Anyone who wants to walk out of the door into the Medina, anyone who wants a different restaurant every night without a taxi, and families whose teenagers want the gym or the indoor pool. Couples after a small, intimate hotel with a strong sense of the old city will find this a large resort in open country.
Who should book it anyway
Families with children aged 3 to 12 who want a winter-sun week where the holiday happens at the hotel. You get a 100-metre main pool heated to 28°C with a shallow children's zone, a free 500 m² Kids' Club with a tree house, workshops and its own restaurant, rooms that start at 72 m², an 18-hole Cabell B. Robinson course, tennis and padel, and a spa for the parents. Book the Junior Suite Atlas View, take the shuttle into town for a day in the souks, and the distance becomes the quiet you came for.
The catch elsewhere in Marrakech
- La MamouniaMedina
Breakfast is not included in the room rate, so budget for it on top of a price that already starts high
- Royal Mansour MarrakechMedina
There are only 15 Superior riads, from about €2,300 a night in March 2027; on some spring dates they sell out, and the cheapest riad left is the Premier at about €2,780
- El FennMedina
The roof terrace and its bar are open to non-residents every day from 12:00 to 23:00, drinks are first come, first served, and it fills at sunset
- Dar KandiMedina
The rooftop pool is not heated, and there is no lift up to it
- La Villa des OrangersMedina
The entry Deluxe Rooms are 20 m² on the ground floor, opening onto a courtyard; a private terrace starts with the Room with Terrace, which is the same size
- Nobu Hotel MarrakechHivernage
The rooftop bar, with DJ sets after dark, stays open until 1am, and 2am on Fridays and Saturdays: light sleepers should ask for a quiet suite
- Dar RhizlaneHivernage
Outside the Medina: Jemaa el-Fna is about 32 minutes on foot, so plan on taxis
- Palais NamaskarPalmeraie
The Medina is about 24 minutes away by car and nothing is walkable, so every trip into town means a taxi or a car arranged through the hotel
- Inara CampAgafay
The Agafay is a stony desert of bare hills, not golden sand dunes
Things to do from Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech
The nearest of the experiences we would book, by car from the hotel.
The Agafay desert eveningAgafay desert at sunset: quad, camel ride and dinner show
From €20.584.8(46,700)18 min by car
The Medina and its palacesBahia Palace, Saadian Tombs and the souks with a guide
From €15.104.7(8,000)20 min by car
The night tastingsStreet food tour of the Medina by night
From €434.7(3,300)20 min by car
The hammamHammam scrub and massage, with pickup
From €55.694.6(3,700)20 min by car
Questions people ask
Good questions about Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech
What are the downsides of Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech?
Five things stand between this resort and the family week in the photographs. Most of them come with what makes it worth booking, the space, the quiet estate and the facilities for children, and each one is easy to plan around once you know it. Nothing is within walking distance, so the Medina is a drive The spa, its indoor pool and the fitness centre are for adults only In the evening there are two restaurants and a sushi bar, all at resort prices In spring the entry rooms can go first, so the stay starts at a suite The kids' club splash pool opens only in summer
Who should not book Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech?
Anyone who wants to walk out of the door into the Medina, anyone who wants a different restaurant every night without a taxi, and families whose teenagers want the gym or the indoor pool. Couples after a small, intimate hotel with a strong sense of the old city will find this a large resort in open country.
Our verdict
A full-service family resort under the Atlas, with a free kids' club, a heated 100-metre pool and golf, and the Medina a short drive away. Check availability for the Junior Suite Atlas View.