Royal Mansour Hotel

Morocco

From the rooftop pool of your opulent, three-storey riad, the dusty desert heat rises aside the promise of paradisiacal days. Arrival through the chiselled-iron archway, cosseted in one of a fleet of gilded Bentleys, sets the tone from the get-go. Lushly flanked by palms, olive and pomegranate groves, the resort boasts 53 majestic ochre riads in total. Traditional Moorish architecture dictates design. A grand cyan doorway opens on to a zellij-covered inner courtyard, where mint tea is poured from a height in time with the ripple of a rose-scattered fountain. A sitting room clad in cedar houses carved ceilings, plush furnishings and plump Moroccan sweets, while a spiral staircase leads to sumptuous silk-walled bedroom and marbled bathroom. If you can pull yourself away, Le Jardin offers one of the largest pools we’ve dipped a toe in, alongside seven glam pavilions. Don’t miss a hammam at the ethereal spa. Come evening, four restaurants led by three-starred chef Yannick Alléno bring local and French cuisine to the fore. You’re a stone’s throw from the joys of the souk, but a world away from its brouhaha. This is a hotel fit for royalty, after all. Doubles from £900. TB. royalmansour.com