Marrakech — Neighborhood Guide
Gueliz — the French-designed Nouvelle Ville (New Town) west of the Medina — is Marrakech's modern face: wide boulevards lined with boutiques and restaurants, the vibrant Mohammed V Avenue, and a café culture that operates very much in the French tradition.
Quick Answer
Gueliz — the French-designed Nouvelle Ville (New Town) west of the Medina — is Marrakech's modern face: wide boulevards lined with boutiques and restaurants, the vibrant Mohammed V Avenue, and a café culture that operates very much in the French tradition.
5 hotels reviewed · Price range: $$$$, $$, $$$ · Last updated March 2026
About This Guide
Gueliz provides a breathing space from the Medina's intensity while remaining a genuinely interesting neighbourhood in its own right. The Majorelle Garden — André Haton's Cubist-Islamic garden villa, now owned by the Yves Saint Laurent Foundation — is here, as is the excellent YSL Museum. Restaurants in Gueliz are less touristy and better value than the Medina's.
Insider Tips
The Majorelle Garden opens at 8 am — arrive then to avoid the Instagrammer queues that form by 9:30 am.
Restaurant Al Fassia in Gueliz is arguably the finest traditional Moroccan food outside a palace hotel — and it's run entirely by women.
The Marrakech Sunday Souk (Souk el Khemis) in Gueliz is an extraordinary antique and secondhand market less visited by tourists.
Our Picks
5 hotels · Updated February 2026
Palmeraie
Aman's Marrakech address is a vision of Islamic minimalism — rose-pink pavilions, emerald reflecting pools, and private gardens in the Palmeraie create an atmosphere of meditative luxury that recalls the great Andalusian paradises. The pool maisons with private pools are among the finest accommodations in North Africa.
Medina
Commissioned by King Mohammed VI as a personal vision of Moroccan hospitality, Royal Mansour is a city within the city — 53 private riads, each with its own plunge pool, connected by underground passageways. The craftsmanship is unparalleled: every tile hand-cut, every cedar ceiling hand-carved. One of the world's truly perfect hotels.
Medina
Riad Yasmine became Morocco's most Instagrammed hotel when its turquoise pool and jasmine-draped courtyard went viral — and the reality exceeds the pictures. A beautifully restored traditional riad with 9 rooms, exceptional breakfast, and a genuinely warm Moroccan family at its heart.
Hivernage
Selman is defined by two things: the world's most beautiful pool (a 100-metre infinity pool with Atlas Mountain views) and its celebrated Arabians — a stable of pure-bred horses that guests can ride through the Hivernage palms at dawn. The architecture by Christophe Sic is extraordinary.
Medina
Riad Kniza is among the Medina's most authentic and considered traditional riads — owned by an antique dealer, its interiors read as a private museum of Moroccan craftsmanship, with tiles, cedar carvings, and textiles of extraordinary quality. The 11-room property delivers genuinely warm, family-run hospitality.
Common Questions
Gueliz is the best base for those who want Marrakech's modern comforts alongside easy Medina access — less atmospheric than a riad but more relaxed and better value.
Gueliz is known for the Majorelle Garden and YSL Museum, Mohammed V Avenue's shopping, the most concentrated restaurant scene in Marrakech outside the Medina, and a notably more contemporary lifestyle than the walled city.
Gueliz is approximately 10 minutes and 30–50 MAD by petit taxi from the Medina's Jemaa el-Fna. The airport is 10–15 minutes and 80–120 MAD.
More Destinations
Prices and availability change daily. Lock in the best rate by booking early — most of our top picks offer free cancellation.
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