This 71-room hotel is complete with a buzzy rooftop pool and world famous restaurant, offering impeccable service
Location
Nobu Marrakech is located in the well-heeled neighbourhood of Hibernage, Marrakech. Known for its high-end restaurants, night clubs, luxury hotels and casinos, the area has a different vibe to the bustling and vibrant atmosphere of the Medina, but sits just outside the wall, so you’re still close to the action.
Nobu is a convenient 15-minute drive from the airport and around a 20-minute walk from Koutoubia Mosque, Jemaa el-Fnaa square and the souks. The famous La Mamounia palace hotel sits just across the road (grab a drink at the bar), while you can book the theatrical Comptoir Darna for dinner or visit the luxurious Royal Mansour for a stroll around the gardens.
Jardin Majorelle and the Yves Saint Laurent museum are less than 10 minutes away by taxi.
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The vibe
A polished and refined spot, Nobu’s only North African outpost seamlessly blends its signature Japanese minimalism with Moroccan design. It oozes laidback luxury – the mood-lit, wood-panelled and sophisticated Nobu restaurant will be familiar to anyone who’s dined at its other properties. The hotel also has a Louis Vuitton boutique.
Typical riad details thread through the hotel, from intricate tile work and columns with carved Moroccan stucco to a terracotta colour palette and tadelakt walls. The buzzy rooftop benefits from 360 views across the Atlas mountains, while the lobby is a striking circular space that’s centred around a Japanese bonsai tree.
The interior has a serene vibe thanks to low-lighting and ambient music (there’s a daily live performance during breakfast). The hub of the hotel is undoubtedly its rooftop. A pool fringed by loungers features on the upper deck, while the bar and rooftop garden restaurant snake around the lower deck. Lunch and dinner can be enjoyed with a panoramic vista of the medina and mountains – it’s particularly busy at sunset, but club-style music plays well into the early morning (you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re at a beach bar).
Service
Service at Nobu is excellent and attentive. Check-in is seamless and smooth (your bags are in the room before you are), transfers throughout your stay are quickly arranged (either through an affordable local driver or one of the hotel’s fleet of cars), your coffee order is always remembered at breakfast and staff are brimming with tips and recommendations for your time in Marrakech.
Bed and bath
There are 71 rooms at Nobu with views of either the mountains, mosque or the street. The various room types available include deluxe junior suites, as well as one-bedroom and family-size suites. All are very spacious, including the entry-level rooms which boast king size or twin beds, plus a small lounge area.
Designed in Nobu’s minimalist aesthetic, the rooms feature earthy tones on the soft furnishings, which are grounded by wood panelling, furniture and hardwood floors. Moroccan-inspired touches add character, from textured cushions to embossed wardrobe doors and printed textiles that nod to traditional Marrakech patterns. Abstract artworks hung above the kind-sized beds brighten the space.
Bathrooms are marble-clad and generously sized, complete with rainfall showers and Clarins toiletries. There’s a Nespresso coffee machine so you can help yourself to a caffeine hit.
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Food and drink
Naturally, Nobu Marrakech excels when it comes to food. Breakfast is an indulgent continental buffet with various Moroccan delights. Granola, yoghurt and fresh fruit sit alongside meats, cheeses, smoked fish, and an egg and omelette station. Try traditional breads and pancakes like khobz, msemen and harcha with spreads and dips including honey, jams and local soft cheeses, or savoury sides such as olives, loubia and roasted tomatoes and peppers.
There’s a trio of tempting dining options at Nobu. The relaxed rooftop garden restaurant and bar serves crowd-pleasing fare for lunch and dinner – start with carpaccios and salads before moving on to salmon steaks, cheeseburgers, pizzas or pastas (there’s also a kids’ set menu).
The poolside sushi bar’s menu spans cold dishes like ceviche and tacos, alongside nigiri, maki and sashimi bites. Drawing in tourists, locals celebrating a special occasion and hotel guests, the Nobu restaurant is defined by moody lighting, an open-cooking station, and bar with live music (dancers perform during dinner, while a DJ takes over during night caps). The menu features all the Nobu signatures, from the famous black cod with miso to the yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno, crispy tuna rice, and miso-glazed aubergine. Between Moroccan tagines, the Japanese-Peruvian cuisine makes a nice change.
Facilities
Nobu’s subterranean Pearl spa is a warren of treatment rooms and facilities. There are separate male and female spaces featuring a sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and calming rooms. The spa menu is vast – the traditional hammam is a must on any visit to Marrakech, but there are also Japanese-inspired treatments (try the “Nobu Zen”), skin renewing facials and tailored massages.
While the rooftop circular pool might be for socialising and sunbathing, the subsurface 25m heated pool in a blue-lit cavernous room is for getting your lengths in. There are loungers around the pool for relaxing between dips, as well as kids’ floats for family time.
Nobu’s gym is well equipped with Technogym machines and weights, while group classes – including pilates, yoga, dance sessions and cardio – take place in the fitness centre or on the rooftop garden.
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Accessibility
The common areas are wheelchair-accessible, with lifts to all floors (including the rooftop) and accessible car parking. Not all the larger suites are adapted, but a select number are wheelchair-accessible and feature raised toilets, grab rails, a lowered sink, and bathroom emergency cord, as well as visual aids (Braille and tactile signs) and auditory guidance. Some of the larger suites aren’t adapted.
Pet policy
Dogs under 4kg are welcome free of charge.
Check-in/check-out
Check in from 3pm, check out by midday.
Family-friendly?
There are deluxe one bedroom suites and larger suites to accommodate families of up to six people. Menus can be adapted for children but the hotel is geared toward adults, owing to dress code (smart casual) and the party atmosphere on the rooftop and around the pool.
At a glance
Best thing: The food is standout.
Perfect for: Party people or couples seeking laidback luxury.
Not right for: Those who want to be in the heart of the medina.
Instagram from: The 360 degree rooftop or serene lobby.
Address: Av. Echouhada et Rue du Temple Hivernage Marrakesh 40000
Phone: +212 (0) 524 42 42 55
Website: nobuhotels.com
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Daisy stayed as a guest of Nobu Marrakech.
