This Iconic Marrakesh Hotel Now Has a Refreshed Rooftop Bar, Boutique, and Rooms—and We Got a First Look

• El Fenn, one of Marrakesh ‘s most storied hotels, opened 20 years ago in the heart of the medina and recently underwent a renovation.
• The property is known for its colorful design and contemporary art pieces, many of which are from co-founder Vanessa Branson’s personal collection.
• It also has a chic rooftop bar and restaurant, three pools, a spa, and a boutique stocked with clothing, accessories, and home goods by Moroccan designers.
• The hotel will soon begin hosting artistic, culinary, and fashion-focused retreats.

If you’re traveling to Marrakesh, it’s best to bring a spare empty suitcase. After all, the Moroccan city is one of the world’s great shopping meccas. Of course, you’ll want to wind through the labyrinth of the medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to browse handmade leather goods, rugs, ceramics, textiles, and more. Or perhaps you’ll head to Gueliz, an emerging neighborhood in the northwest, to shop at ateliers like Lalla or YZA.

Still, there may be no more singular showcase for the city’s artistic and creative talent than El Fenn, a 41-room property in the heart of the medina. Co-founded in 2004 by Vanessa Branson (sister to Richard Branson) and business partner Howell James, El Fenn, with its over-the-top rooms, sparkling pools, and signature red-and-white umbrellas, might be one of the most Instagrammed hotels in the world.

The courtyard at El Fenn.

Cécile Treal/El Fenn

And yet, it is one of those rare places that translates as beautifully and comfortably in reality as it does on the screen. Set across 12 connected riads (traditional Moroccan homes with a central courtyard), the hotel is essentially one large, living work of art, where patterns, styles, and decades flow between spaces seamlessly. There is no minimalism here—at every turn, there are pops of color, with velvet couches done in shades of plum or teal; green-and-white marble floors; and saffron-yellow sun loungers.

Interior of the Large Blue Room in the Colonel House.

Cécile Treal/El Fenn

“Everything is created within minutes of the hotel by Moroccan artisans,” Yann Dobry, the property’s artistic director, told T+L.

When I visited in early September, the hotel had just unveiled a renovation of its rooftop bar and restaurant, several of the common spaces, as well as its smaller “cozy rooms,” and the three-bedroom family suite. The boutique—carrying caftans, sandals, bags, jewelry, and home decor, almost all of it by Moroccan makers—also has a new floor layout and fresh collections.

Interior of the boutique.

Alessandro Moggi/El Fenn

What hasn’t changed? The impeccable, unmistakable Moroccan design and craft (zellige tilework, arched doorways, tadelakt walls) and a 1970s, bohemian spirit. I stayed in the recently acquired annex riad, in a spacious suite with a private terrace, fireplace, and an amber-tiled bathroom with an enormous soaking tub.

A lounge area at the hotel spa.

Cecile Treal/El Fenn

Even during a busy weekend in the city, I had one of the hotel’s serene pools all to myself. Floating in the water as afternoon turned to evening, I heard the call to prayer. Sometimes, a hotel, no matter how luxurious, can feel like anywhere in the world. But in that moment, surrounded by lush palms and ivy crawling up the stone walls, the sound of the adhan overtaking everything, I knew I was in Marrakesh.

Rooms start at $366 per night and you can book your stay at elfenn.com.