Route de Fes, Bab Atlas, Marrakech, Morocco | (888) 635-3814
Spacious, quiet resort with two pools (one outdoor, one indoor) and lovely grounds
Simple guest rooms with balconies or terraces
Full-service spa with stone and mosaic tile features
Moroccan restaurant and poolside bar; all-inclusive options available
Entertainment for families and a kids' club with activities
Clay tennis courts and grass sporting area
Free Wi-Fi
Pools can be crowded
Slight maintenance issues with hallway lighting and room decor
In-room Wi-Fi can be weak
Far from the city center
Club Dar Atlas is an upper-mid-range family-friendly resort with two pools, a beautiful spa, and plenty of activities for children. Located about a 20- to 25-minute drive from the city center, this 320-room all-inclusive property offers a quiet respite from the action but provides an hourly shuttle service that runs through the evening for those keen on exploring the medina (for a small fee). The spacious interiors are decked out in Moroccan decor, while guest rooms are simple and charming with balconies or patios and flat-screen TVs. The resort has a Moroccan restaurant and poolside bar. Guests who want to be a bit closer to the city could try the large Kenzi Agdal Medina Hotel, which also has all-inclusive options.
Scene
Charming grounds and vast interiors with Moroccan touches
Situated among other resorts in a quiet area outside the center of Marrakech, Club Dar Atlas is a large property suited to families with children -- including many French families on school holiday. Despite the vast interiors and imposing architecture of the clay-colored stone buildings, the resort manages to convey a comfortable, familial atmosphere. White stone walkways winding through the patchy grass, dotted with tropical trees and scruffy flowering shrubs, lend low-key charm. The lobby and restaurant make use of Moroccan design elements -- back-lit patterned wall panels, arched stone doorways, colorful low-lying couches, and beautifully painted ceilings. The main pool, lined with white plastic lounge chairs, can get quite crowded, but the smaller Zen pool can offer a respite -- so long as guests arrive early enough to snag a seat.
Location
Quiet and removed from the Marrakech action
The resort is set in a quiet area with nothing much within walking distance except for other resorts. Guests should expect about a 20- to 25-minute drive to reach the center of the city. The hotel offers an hourly city shuttle service for a small fee. Marrakech Menara Airport is about 25 minutes away by car. The Atlas Mountains are about two hours away.
Rooms
Simple and charming with flat-screen TVs and balconies
Guest rooms are nothing fancy -- just cream-colored tile floors and walls, simple wood furnishings, and blue- and purple-striped bedding -- but the overall aesthetic is cute and cozy. Rooms are clean, though some guests have noted slight wear and tear on the tiling. Each room has a small balcony or terrace overlooking an interior courtyard or the surrounding lawns. All are air-conditioned and have safes, free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs. Quadruple rooms with mini-fridges are available. Bathrooms are clean and simple, with the toilet in a separate room, and stand-in showers with pinkish tile. Housekeeping staff is fond of folding towels into swans and sprinkling flower petals onto toilet seats.
Features
Three pools, kids' activities, and a spacious spa
Club Dar Atlas, as an all-inclusive, provides a slew of on-site features. There are two outdoor pools, including a main pool and a smaller Zen pool with white plastic lounge chairs and umbrellas. There's a poolside snack bar and the Ourika Pool Bar, which comprises a simple covered area with white furniture and gray stone floors, and a separate smaller room with blue walls, a wood ceiling, and disco-style lamps. L'International buffet restaurant is a cafeteria-like space, while the a la carte Moroccan restaurant has low-lying red couches and more traditional decor. The spa has a hammam with blue mosaic tile. Guests can also use the spacious indoor pool, the clay tennis courts, and grassy volleyball court. A kids' club offers daily activities and a theater for live shows. Evening entertainment includes traditional dancers. Wi-Fi is free.