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

"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."

"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."

""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."

Marrakesh offers abundant shopping, from the medina's handmade leather goods, rugs, ceramics, and textiles to boutiques and ateliers in Gueliz such as Lalla and YZA. El Fenn, a 41-room property in the medina co-founded in 2004 by Vanessa Branson and Howell James, features over-the-top rooms, sparkling pools, and signature red-and-white umbrellas. The hotel occupies 12 connected riads with central courtyards and functions as a large, living work of art that blends patterns, styles, and eras. Interiors emphasize vivid colors, velvet couches, green-and-white marble floors, and saffron-yellow sun loungers. Most furnishings and boutique items are produced locally by Moroccan artisans. Recent renovations refreshed the rooftop bar and restaurant, several common areas, smaller "cozy rooms," the three-bedroom family suite, and boutique layouts.

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