Bouncing back from the destructive one-two punch of a global pandemic and a powerful earthquake, Morocco welcomed a record-setting 14.5 million visitors in 2023. It’s just the start as the North African country’s tourism ministry has set an ambitious goal of doubling that number by 2030.

Not coincidentally, that’s the year the country (with Spain and Portugal) will co-host soccer’s World Cup. It’s also why so many international luxury brands have opened new properties in recent years. The push started late in 2022, with the 120-room Conrad Rabat Arzana and Tangier’s Fairmont Tazi Palace, the handiwork of global firm OBMI.

A seating area in the Fairmont Tazi Palace strikes a balance between modern details and Old World charm

At the turn of 2023, things got off with a bang as Nobu Hotels introduced its Japanese-inflected brand to Africa. The 71-suite Nobu Hotel Marrakech features a design by Jacques Garcia that blends Moroccan craftsmanship with modern touches across its restaurant and bar, rooftop garden with panoramic views, three swimming pools, and a subterranean spa and wellness center.

Smaller properties are also catching the eyes of design connoisseurs, often thanks to their imaginative reuse of the riad, a distinct Moroccan style of residential architecture. In Marrakech, for instance, Belgian ceramicist Laurence Leenaert expanded her brand, LRNCE, to open the five-room Rosemary, a shoppable inn that takes the blank canvas of the riad and enlivens it with her own signature squiggles on everything from a tiled shower wall to the bed linens.

The dramatic centerpiece of the lobby lounge at the Nobu Hotel Marrakech is a Japanese Bonsai tree

Also in Marrakech, the eight-room Maison Brummell, located next to Saint Laurent’s famous Jardin Majorelle, is where Barcelona-based architect Bergendy Cooke fashioned a sort of anti-riad in her new construction. “The client wanted to create a destination that was less typical of the Medina accommodation,” she says, referencing the historic, walled part of the city. Drawing on colonial French buildings—standalone villas set within lush gardens—Cooke built the project around the story of a young couple from Morocco and Japan who have combined their histories and cultural influences for a playful interpretation of Moroccan vernacular.

Indeed, whether a major brand or independent owner, Morocco’s record-breaking tourism numbers are behind the country’s robust hotel pipeline, from Rabat to Casablanca and Marrakech and Agadir, which account for 25 hotels in the country’s pipeline totaling 4,586 rooms, according to Lodging Econometrics 2023 Q4 numbers.

The St. Regis La Bahia Blanca Resort, Tamuda Bay

The spa entrance at the St. Regis La Bahia Blanca Resort, Tamuda Bay evokes tranquility

One of the properties reinvigorating Morocco’s hospitality landscape is the 100-key St. Regis La Bahia Blanca Resort, Tamuda Bay, which opened at the end of 2023. The new-build’s architecture and interiors were crafted by the Singapore office of Smallwood, which strove to evoke a private riad with intimate courtyards and lush gardens. The resort features five F&B options, a spa, fitness room, ballroom, and other event spaces. “Its design was influenced by the Mediterranean Sea-oriented location, Moroccan and Andalusian culture, and local regulations, which required us to use characteristic Tetouan architectural language, materials, and detailing such as blue-glazed tiles and whitewashed walls,” says firm principal Marko Dobrota. “Every room and all prime public spaces have an unobstructed view of the sea while still enjoying complete privacy.”

Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr

A rendering of the indoor saltwater pool at the Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr

Coming soon is the Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr, a renovation of a 19th-century royal summer palace, where the serenity of its 200 guestrooms contrasts with a bustling assortment of seven restaurants and lounges situated amidst Moorish architecture that flaunts romantic domed rooftops, arched doorways, and fountained courtyards. Locally based Meta – Atelier d’Architecture preserved the façades of the three main buildings, while interiors by Paris- and Beirut-based Nazarian Architecture & Associates use a “variety of materials and motifs to create a unique fusion of traditional Moroccan Art Deco and modern design elements,” principal Roger Nazarian points out. “These include zellige tiles for the walls and floors, stained glass for the windows, and brass and copper metals for the fixtures and furniture.”

Izza

The reception area of the 14-room Izza is home to the Les Marocains series by artist Leila Alaoui

One riad wasn’t enough for the 14-room Izza. Instead, the restoration project connects seven riads and three courtyards, located in the heart of the Marrakech Medina. American interior designer Bill Willis once owned one of the homes, and his letters to fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, Mick Jagger, and others cover the walls of the complex (as do 300 traditional and digital works, including 24 NFT prints from photographer Sebastião Salgado). Moroccan tables, vintage Murano lighting, and midcentury furniture are set against a backdrop of French fabrics and linens and custom Berber rugs in taupe, ivory, and earthy tones. “Our focus on Willis has been a source of endless inspiration,” says Aicha Benazzouz, the hotel’s branding ambassador. “His distinctive style and eclectic designs are evident throughout the hotel, creating a unique and culturally resonant atmosphere.”

Farasha Farmhouse

Farasha Farmhouse honors traditional Moroccan design elements while mixing in contemporary artwork

Pursuing another tack, husband-and-wife event planners Rosena and Fred Charmoy recently purchased and renovated a farmhouse about 30 minutes outside of Marrakech as a space to stage destination weddings and fashion shows for their clients. But with four suites—and an additional 10 promised in the future—Farasha Farmhouse is well on its way to becoming a one-of-a-kind option for travelers looking to explore the fertile countryside between two mountain ranges. Working with Studio C Ibiza and locally based architects Aire Au Carré, the Charmoys’ mandate was “to use only local and traditional materials, respect the original outline of the building, and to create an indoor/outdoor living area,” Rosena explains. “For finishings, we wanted local, sustainable, and the best of Moroccan artisanal culture while remaining contemporary with a slight Balearic nod.” She says the library—with its stone fireplace, pieces by contemporary Moroccan sculptor Amine El Gotaibi, and an assemblage of art tomes from the estate of Diana Vreeland—is the most photographed room in the house.

Additionally, Studio C founder Carmen Straatsma infused the project with a sensual and exotic edge that riffs on the 1970s. “This accounts for an important part of the vibe and the unique style of the farm,” she says, pointing to the velvet sectional sofa, glass table with legs in traditional zellige tiles, and the furry club chairs surrounding the fireplace. “It was one of the most creative concepts we’ve done. It was key to come up with something without losing sight of where Farasha was and what it stands for.”

This article originally appeared in HD’s February/March 2024 issue.