The best riads in Marrakech with a pool give you two things at once: a cool-off in your own courtyard, and a room inside the old medina walls. Our handpicked shortlist runs from Riad Yasmine’s famous green pool (from €170 a night) to the palace-grade riads of Royal Mansour (from €1,400). Below are six pool-equipped stays, the kind of pool each one has, and when a pool actually earns its place on your trip.
Marrakech gets seriously hot. Average highs reach 37.7°C (99.9°F) in July and 37.4°C in August, according to Climates to Travel.
From April to October, a pool shifts from a nice extra to the reason you booked the riad. In the winter months it turns decorative, because most riad pools are unheated.
Do riads in Marrakech actually have pools?
Many do, but the word “pool” covers a lot of ground. A traditional riad is a courtyard house, and that courtyard often holds a small plunge pool, ideal for cooling off rather than swimming lengths.
Mid-range and luxury riads are the ones most likely to offer a proper pool. Budget riads may give you only a rooftop terrace, or nothing at all.
The medina’s tight historic plots simply do not leave room for resort-scale pools, so a full pool day often means a hotel in Hivernage or the Palmeraie. Our guide to choosing a riad versus a hotel weighs that trade-off in detail.
The best riads in Marrakech with a pool: our six picks
Every riad below is one we book regularly, drawn from Moratra’s handpicked riads in Marrakech and visited in person, often at a negotiated rate. Our team has walked through each one rather than picking it from a screen, so we know which pools live up to the photographs. Prices are “from” nightly rates and move with the season and demand.
- Riad Yasmine (Medina · Design) — from €170/night. Home to what is often called the most photographed pool in Marrakech: a slim emerald courtyard pool framed by banana palms. With just eight rooms, it books out early. Best for couples and content creators.
- El Fenn (Medina · Mid-luxury) — from €320/night. A design icon owned by Vanessa Branson, sister of Richard Branson, who sums up its spirit as “colour and joy, above all.” It has two courtyard pools plus a rooftop pool above one of the city’s best rooftop bars. Best for style-led travellers and small groups.
- Royal Mansour Marrakech (Hivernage · Ultra-luxury) — from €1,400/night. A walled compound of 53 private riads built around the palm-shaded Le Jardin pool, with the grandest riads adding a private pool of their own. Best for a once-in-a-lifetime stay.
- La Sultana Marrakech (Kasbah · Ultra-luxury) — from €450/night. Boutique luxury beside the Saadian Tombs, with a pool set in a lush garden and loungers tucked under the arches, per Travel Collecting. Best for couples and honeymooners.
- Angsana Heritage Collection (Medina · Ultra-luxury) — from €380/night. Six restored riads run as one hotel, with a shared swimming pool and spa, plus turquoise-tiled plunge pools in some of the riads. Best for honeymooners who want heritage and calm.
- Riad BE Marrakech (Medina · Design) — from €190/night. A bohemian, colour-drenched riad where the palm-fringed pool is described as the property’s “real star attraction” in one Marrakech pool round-up. Best for friends’ groups and creatives.
Pool and price at a glance
| Riad | Area | Pool type | From / night | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riad Yasmine | Medina | Emerald courtyard pool | €170 | Couples, photographers |
| Riad BE Marrakech | Medina | Palm-fringed pool | €190 | Friends’ groups |
| El Fenn | Medina | Two courtyard pools + rooftop pool | €320 | Style-led travellers |
| Angsana Heritage Collection | Medina | Shared pool + some plunge pools | €380 | Honeymooners |
| La Sultana Marrakech | Kasbah | Garden pool | €450 | Couples, honeymoons |
| Royal Mansour Marrakech | Hivernage | Garden pool + private riad pools | €1,400 | Once-in-a-lifetime |
Rooftop, courtyard or plunge: which pool suits your trip?
Not all riad pools do the same job. A courtyard plunge pool is a cool, shaded dip between souk walks.
A larger courtyard or garden pool, like those at El Fenn, La Sultana and Royal Mansour, gives you room to actually swim. A rooftop pool trades depth for sun and medina views.
Be honest with yourself about what you want. Shaded courtyard pools stay cool even in high summer, which is either refreshing or a little brisk. Rooftop pools catch the sun but can feel exposed at midday.
If swimming properly is the goal, aim for El Fenn, La Sultana, Angsana or Royal Mansour. If you mainly want to cool off and photograph the courtyard, Riad Yasmine and Riad BE are hard to beat.
Here are five things worth checking before you commit:
- Is the pool heated, or only usable in warm months?
- Is it deep enough to swim, or a shallow plunge for cooling off?
- How many hours of sun does it get, and how much shade?
- Is it shared with all guests, or private to your riad or suite?
- Is it in the courtyard, on the roof, or in a garden?
When is a pool worth it in Marrakech, season by season?
Timing changes everything. From April to October a pool matters more than most visitors expect, and by July and August, with highs near 37°C, a pool-equipped riad is close to essential. Spring and early autumn are the sweet spot: warm days, swimmable water, smaller crowds.
In December through February, daytime highs fall to roughly 19–21°C, so unheated pools become decorative. If you are travelling in winter and swimming matters, choose a heated pool or plan a rooftop lounge instead.
Rates climb with the weather, too, and peak pool season overlaps with the spring and autumn high season, so the riads with the best courtyards are also the first to sell out.
Demand is high year-round: Morocco welcomed a record 19.8 million visitors in 2025, per the Ministry of Tourism figures reported by ATTA, and the best small riads fill fast. For high season, book two to four months ahead.
How to book a riad with a pool, and get perks
Booking through Moratra costs you nothing extra. We are paid by our partner riads, so you pay only the riad’s own rate, and we can often secure a better one than booking direct, plus perks like a room upgrade, late check-out or a complimentary hammam.
Tell us your dates, your group and the pool you have in mind, and we send a personal shortlist within 24 hours. The more you tell us — a heated pool, a rooftop for sundowners, or a shallow pool that is safe for young children — the sharper that shortlist gets. If you are still weighing neighbourhoods, our guide to where to stay in Marrakech maps the medina against Gueliz, Hivernage and the Palmeraie, and our wider round-up of the best riads in Marrakech from budget to ultra-luxury covers stays without a pool too.
Frequently asked questions
Do all riads in Marrakech have a pool?
No. Most mid-range and luxury riads have one, but budget riads often make do with a rooftop terrace and no pool. Always check recent photos and pool dimensions before you book if swimming matters to you.
Are riad pools heated?
Usually not. Courtyard pools in the medina are typically unheated and stay cool, which is welcome in summer but chilly in winter. A handful of luxury riads offer heated pools, so ask us directly if you need one.
Can you actually swim in a riad pool?
It depends on the riad. Many courtyard pools are shallow plunge pools meant for cooling off, not laps. Larger properties such as El Fenn, La Sultana and Royal Mansour have pools you can genuinely swim in.
Which Marrakech riad has the best pool?
For sheer photogenic appeal, Riad Yasmine’s emerald courtyard pool is the most celebrated. For scale and swimming, Royal Mansour and El Fenn lead. The best choice depends on your budget and the mood you are after.
Are riad pools private or shared?
In most riads the pool is shared among a small number of rooms, which keeps it quiet. At the top end, some Royal Mansour riads include a private pool, and certain suites elsewhere offer private plunge pools.
Is a riad or a hotel better for a pool holiday?
For long, lazy pool days with loungers and a bar, a resort hotel in Hivernage or the Palmeraie wins. For character with a cool-off courtyard, a riad is the better call. Many travellers split their stay to get both.
When you are ready to choose, we will do the legwork. Request a quote or ask us for a free riad shortlist — we answer for free, with no obligation, and you only ever pay the riad’s own rate. If you want the whole trip handled, we can weave your stay into a wider luxury Morocco tour with private transfers and desert nights.
