Les Jardins de la Koutoubia

A rooftop restaurant, a Clarins spa, and a supremely cool pool scene make this Marrakech style sanctuary a city break must. This is a hotel with supermodel credentials – it’s cool, stylish and can’t-take-your-eyes-off-it beautiful. And it’s picked the perfect posing spot, right inside the medina, minutes from Jemaa el-Fna.

Step off the thronging streets and you feel like you’ve entered another world. The incense-infused lobby is a vast marble space topped with a wonderfully carved wooden ceiling. Shades of amber give it a warm feel, while soft music and freshly-poured mint tea tempt you to pick a sofa and drink it all in. It’s a rather apt introduction to a hotel that’s as laid-back as it is good-looking.

The rest of the hotel unfolds within the 18th-century walls of a riad. There are 110 rooms and suites in all, each one marrying up traditional character with contemporary flair. Moorish archways, brass lanterns and louvered shuttered doors give a nod to North Africa, while funky sofas, bold modern art and in-room extras like Wi-Fi give it all a 21st-century kick.

The lion’s share of rooms look down on a central courtyard. This is where the pool lies, edged by spiky plants, blooms and an immaculate line-up of cream parasols and cushion-plumped loungers. When you’re not poolside, chill out in the funky, open-fronted lounge facing the water. Behind barely-there white muslin drapes lie big cushions and carved wooden chairs, all spread around a statement-making mosaic fireplace.

Typically, dining here is a polished affair. There are four restaurants, including a richly-decorated Moroccan and a pretty patio venue where you can feast among the flowers. The piece de resistance, though, is the rooftop Les Jardins de Bala. Lorded over by the slender spire of the Koutoubia mosque, it’s the place to indulge in Asian and Indian cuisine.

Factor in an opulent piano bar and a luxury spa courtesy of cosmetics giant, Clarins, and you’ve got a hotel that more than deserves its 5 star tag. Little wonder it won a place on Condé Nast Traveller’s 2004 hot list.