Family-Friendly Accommodation in Morocco: Riads, Hotels, or Desert Camps?

Choosing where to stay is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when planning your family trip to Morocco. The right accommodation can transform your holiday from good to extraordinary, providing a comfortable base for adventure and a haven for relaxation after a day of exploration.

Morocco offers a dazzling array of places to stay, but for families, three types rise to the top: the traditional Riad, the modern Hotel, and the adventurous Desert Camp. Each offers a unique experience and set of advantages.

As specialists in family travel to Morocco, we break down each option to help you decide what’s best for your clan.

1. The Traditional Riad: A Cultural Oasis

What it is: A riad is a traditional Moroccan home with an interior garden or courtyard, often converted into a small, boutique guesthouse. They are typically located within the ancient walls of a city’s medina (old town).

Why Families Love It:

• Authentic Experience: Riads offer a deep sense of place and culture that a standard hotel cannot match. The beautiful architecture, with its tiled mosaics (zellij), fountains, and orange trees, feels like a hidden paradise.
• Safety & Security: Riads are often behind unassuming doors, providing a sense of privacy and security. The courtyard design means all rooms face inward, allowing parents to relax while kids play in a contained, safe space.
• Personalized Service: With a small number of rooms, the staff often provide exceptional, personal service. They can help with restaurant bookings, guides, and insider tips.

Things to Consider with Kids:

• Space: Rooms can sometimes be cozy. It’s essential to book a family suite or interconnected rooms to ensure everyone has enough space.
• Stairs: Most riads have multiple levels with beautiful but steep staircases, which can be a concern with toddlers.
• Location: Being in the heart of the medina means a thrilling, immersive experience, but it also means navigating narrow, bustling streets to get there.

The Verdict: Perfect for families seeking an authentic and cultural experience, especially with older children. For families with toddlers, prioritize riads with ground-floor rooms, a small pool, and confirm room configuration in advance.

2. The Modern Hotel: Familiar Comfort & Convenience

What it is: From international chains to large Moroccan resorts, these hotels are typically located in the newer parts of cities (the Ville Nouvelle) or on the outskirts.

Why Families Love It:

• Space & Amenities: This is the biggest win for families. Hotels often offer family rooms, suites, or interconnected rooms. Crucially, they almost always have a swimming pool—a non-negotiable amenity for kids to burn off energy after a day of sightseeing.
• Facilities: You’ll find familiar comforts like elevators, restaurants with kids’ menus, and sometimes even kids’ clubs.
• Ease of Access: Located on wider streets, hotels are easily accessible by car, making arrivals and departures hassle-free.
• Things to Consider with Kids:
• Less Authentic: You sacrifice some of the traditional Moroccan charm for convenience and predictability.
• Location: You’ll need to take taxis or walks to get to the main historical sights in the medina.

The Verdict: The ideal choice for families with young children, multi-generational groups, or anyone who prioritizes space, convenience, and familiar amenities like a reliable pool.

3. The Desert Camp: An Unforgettable Adventure

What it is: Your accommodation for a night (or two) in the Sahara Desert! Ranging from basic Berber tents to ultra-luxurious camps with permanent structures.

Why Families Love It:

• Pure Magic: This is often the highlight of the entire trip for kids. Sleeping in a tent, riding camels at sunset, sandboarding down dunes, and stargazing around a campfire is an unparalleled adventure.
• Unique Experience: It’s a total escape from the ordinary. The silence of the desert and the canopy of stars create a powerful, bonding experience for the whole family.
• Kid-Friendly Activities: The desert is a giant natural playground. Sandboarding and camel trekking are activities kids adore.

Things to Consider with Kids:

• Comfort Level: Not all camps are created equal! For families, choosing a “luxury” or “premium” camp is highly recommended. These feature proper beds, en-suite private bathrooms with western toilets and showers, and comfortable dining areas.
• Isolation: You are in the middle of the desert. This is part of the appeal, but it means you need to be prepared with everything you need for the night.
• Temperature: It can be very hot during the day and surprisingly cold at night. Packing layers is essential.

The Verdict: An absolute must-do for almost every family. The key is investing in a high-quality camp to ensure comfort and safety, turning a night in the desert into a luxurious adventure rather than a roughing-it experience.

So, Which One is Right for Your Family?

The best news? You don’t have to choose just one! A typical and highly recommended family itinerary combines all three for a perfectly balanced experience:

• Start in a riad in Marrakech or Fes for culture and immersion.
• Stay in a few hotels with pools in places like Ouarzazate or the Dades Valley to break up your journey and let the kids swim.
• Culminate your adventure with a night in a luxury desert camp in the Sahara.
• End at a beach hotel in Essaouira or Agadir to relax and unwind.

The Most Important Tip: No matter what you choose, book through a reputable family-focused tour operator. They have firsthand knowledge of which specific riads have the best family suites, which hotels have the most reliable pools, and which desert camps prioritize safety and comfort for children. They remove the guesswork and ensure your family’s stay is nothing short of magical.

Ready to find your family’s perfect home away from home in Morocco? Contact us at Travel Morocco with Kids! We have vetted hundreds of properties and will match you with the perfect accommodations for your family’s needs, budget, and sense of adventure.

Every family is unique. If this itinerary doesn’t perfectly fit your dreams, dates, or your children’s ages and interests, please just contact us.

We specialize in crafting 100% customized journeys. Whether you want to add more days, include a cooking class, stay in a specific type of accommodation, or adjust the pace, we will work with you to create the perfect Moroccan adventure for your family.

Let’s build your dream trip together!