All inclusive villa. Private pool. Family friendly. Yup, I think I’ve got your attention.
For a visit to Marrakech with kids, your accommodation needs some thought. This is a chaotic city that is often an assault on the senses. You will need an oasis of calm to balance this (well as much calm as you can when travelling with kids). If you’re looking to fully immerse yourselves into the chaotic experience of Marrakech, we recommend you stay at a family friendly riad (such as Riad Les Hibiscus or Riad Africa) in the heart of the medina.
Disclaimer: TraveLynn Family were provided with 2 nights complimentary all-inclusive accommodation in a three-bed villa in exchange for this honest review, and social media coverage. As always, these are all my own words and opinions.
But sometimes, we all need a bit of luxury, a bit of a treat. Perhaps you’ve visited Marrakech before and don’t feel the need to visit the sights, or Marrakech is your first point of entry on your Morocco holiday after a hectic school term. Or perhaps this is the end of a Morocco road trip, and you need time to decompress before returning to reality.
If you fall into the latter camp, then we very much recommend treating yourselves to an all-inclusive stay at Mirage d’Atlas Marrakech. You will not be disappointed
Arriving to Mirage d’Atlas
After a 5:30am start to catch our train from Fes to Marrakech, we were keen to arrive at our villa to relax. We had spent the last month travelling around Northern Morocco (with a quick hop over to Spain) and in need of some decompression time before returning to Essaouira for the next month.
Our taxi from Marrakech train station seemed to have been driving for ages. Admittedly it was only 25 minutes (Mirage d’Atlas is located in La Palmeraie, alongside many other luxury hotels), but finally pulled into the entrance.
We were immediately put at ease with a chilled and un-pompous welcome; this isn’t a 5 star hotel with airs and graces. After filling in government forms for all members of the family (I really wish hotels wouldn’t make you do this on arrival after a long journey), we were ushered into the restaurant for mint tea and fancy nibbles. The boys immediately spotted the pool table and the staff eagerly helped them play.
Our villa
First impression of our three bed villa? Wow, wow, wow. I needed help lifting my jaw off the floor. Such a stunning and expansive place; so big that we just couldn’t take it all in initially.
A large living space encompasses the dining, kitchen, and lounge areas. And two doors lead off to large double bedrooms with seating areas, large TV, and lavish ensuite bathrooms (my jar dropped again when I noticed the size of the bath).
“And you can look upstairs, Madam.”
There’s an upstairs? I climbed the marble stairs to the top floor to another bedroom; the largest of the three, with an even bigger seating area, even bigger bathroom, and also outdoor seating.
And the interior really isn’t the best bit. The outside is even more impressive with an undercover seating area that partly covers the pool, lush gardens, and a row of beckoning sunbeds. There’s also a separate toddler pool. This really is a wonderful place for a multigenerational gathering.
And if that’s not enough, there’s a larger, sheltered, outdoor seating area with soft white cushions and a fire place for the cooler months. This is where we enjoyed our lunch and dinner both days.
Things to note with the villa
There is no fencing around the swimming pools, so do keep an eye on little ones.
Also, the kitchen seemed rather tired and in need of updating, and utensils and electrical items (such as a kettle) were missing. But when your stay is all-inclusive, this really doesn’t matter. Although being English and loving tea, I did call for a kettle and one was brought to us.
The main grounds at Mirage d’Atlas
If you can tear yourself away from your luxury villa, you also have access to the main hotel facilities, which include a beautiful heated pool and more gardens dotted with swaying palm trees.
Dining
A stay at Mirage d’Atlas is all-inclusive. This means breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus all drinks (except alcohol) are included. Although do check on booking that your reservation is indeed all-inclusive.
The food was fantastic! Breakfast was a lovely spread served by the pool each morning, and both lunch and dinner were enjoyed in our villa garden in the outdoor seating area. We just called reception after browsing the menu in the villa, and then half an hour later, trays were elaborately brought to our villa by waiters. I really could get used to this lifestyle! Although you can eat in the hotel’s restaurant if you fancy the change of scenery.
My meat-loving boys enjoyed the steak, and I, being vegetarian, appreciated the vegetarian starters (which were large enough as a main) as an alternative to all the veggie tagines over the past months of travel through Morocco. However, I was rather disappointed to see at a luxury resort that a veggie burger was a normal burger without the patty, rather than a vegetarian patty alternative. I didn’t make that mistake on the second night.
WIFI
Whilst it’s a wonderful place to switch off, as a digital nomad family we need WIFI for work and online schooling. Each villa has its own private WIFI hub. Brilliant connection.
Things to do near Mirage d’Atlas
La Palmeraie, which is the area that Mirage d’Atlas is located, is not the best base if you want to fully immerse yourselves in Marrakech life. Mirage d’Atlas is a place to totally switch off and disconnect from the world as much as possible.
However, a taxi can be called for you to take you to the medina for 150DH (about £12) each way.
If this is your first visit to Marrakech and you will not be returning during your Moroccan travels, then we do urge you to take a taxi to the medina have a wander, perhaps visit one of the gardens (Jardin Majorelle, Le Jardin Secret) or Bahai Palace, and enjoy a meal overlooking the fanfare that is Jemaa el-Fnaa. Do check out our guide for visiting Marrakech with kids for inspiration.
Would we recommend Mirage d’Atlas for families?
If your kids love a swimming pool and the parents fancy some luxury, then yes! The villa was a wonderful space to spread out and relax for a couple of days. However, any longer and your kids may be itching for some more activities.
This is a perfect place to perhaps end or begin your travels around Morocco with kids, as it’s the perfect place to decompress.
Getting to Mirage d’Atlas
You can prebook a taxi through the hotel. It’s 150DH from central Marrakech, although we negotiated our own taxi from Marrakech train station and it was 100DH.
How to book Mirage d’Atlas
Head over to the Mirage d’Atlas website to book direct. At the time of writing, the luxury villa was EUR312 per night.
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Marrakech with kids: essential tips to keep parents sane
Morocco with kids: your questions answered
Morocco road trip with kids