Is The Club Med La Palmeraie The Best Way To Visit Marrakech?

The Club Med La Palmeraie in Marrakech might just be the ultimate hack for an easy and safe first trip to Morocco.

But is it a good way to see Marrakech? Do you experience enough Moroccan culture when you stay at the Club Med?

I’ll answer these questions and more!

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

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Club Med Is A Simple Travel – Stress Free All Inclusive Morocco

My partner and I really wanted to visit Morocco, but were a bit apprehensive and overwhelmed with the research necessary to find a safe hotel.

The Club Med seemed liked the ultimate hack. It’s a safe, large, name brand hotel in Marrakech, with a 24 hour front desk!

And it didn’t only provide us with a place to stay… It’s an all inclusive after all! So it included airport transportation, food, and drinks.

And they even have planned activities and entertainment every day at the resort.

a party is happening, welcoming guests to the club med Marrakech. A line up of four staff stand on either of the open corridor, they're are dressed in traditional Moroccan attire, a red and gold embroidered overcoat, wearing a fez and playing an instrument. They're smiling and dancing with guests as they walk by. There are also sheer red drapes hanging from the ceilings, going almost all the way to the floor.

But if you want to leave the resort, you can pay extra for an excursion through Club Med… This way you can see Marrakech and its surrounding attractions safely.

I definitely felt safer booking through the Club Med than a random tour company in Morocco.

P.S. If you’d rather plan your own trip to Morocco, stay organized with my digital and printable travel planner!

But The Club Med Isn’t In The Medina…

The main drawback to staying at the The Club Med La Palmeraie is that it’s located in the Palmeraie neighbourhood, in modern Marrakech.

a glass top coffee table serves fives small glasses of moroccan mint tea, with fresh mint leaves floating inside. And two tagines filled with dates and dried apricots. The table takes up a large portion of the photo, but you can see the rough, unglazed, beige tile, and a couch and coffee table across the room

It’s about a 15 minute drive to the Old Marrakech (the Medina) from the Club Med. And before you ask, you can’t really walk it… it would take you an hour.

The Medina is where all the main Marrakech attractions are, so you’ll want to come here at least once during your stay.

P.S. La Palmeraie is beautiful though. Palmeraie actually means palm grove, or palm oasis. There are thousands of palm trees in this area of Marrakech, which is where it gets its’ name from. And it’s also home to some gorgeous Moroccan villas!

Related

Stay At The Club Med Marrakech: Everything You Need To Know Before You Book

an over the top Moroccan style doorway. Thereare 4 arched doorframes, alternating pink and yellow paint and each a bit more indented than the last one until finally reach reach a much smaller wooden door in the same arched shaped as the doorways.

Is The Club Med Morocco A Good Way To Experience Marrakech?

Even though the Club Med Morocco isn’t in the prime tourist location in Marrakech, you can definitely still experience Marrakech, and especially Moroccan culture and food when you stay here as well.

There are a few options to explore Marrakech and Morocco with the Club Med La Palmeraie…

P.S. Don’t miss a top thing to do with my complete Marrakech travel planner!

Taxi, Tour & Free Daily Shuttle To The Medina

The Club Med actually offers a free daily shuttle to and from the Club Med and Medina (although it’s not very well advertised).

You’ll want to make use of this shuttle as much as you can during your stay at the Club Med Marrakech.

You can also simply take a taxi from the Club Med to the Medina. Ask the reception desk to call a taxi for you, and be sure to ask the going rate for your trip to negotiate a price with your driver beforehand (we took a taxi to the Jardin Majorelle, it was 100 AED / $15 CAD).

And you can also book one of the excursions from Club Med to Marrakech (or beyond)! They offer a half day guided tour and a private full day tour of Marrakech as well as tours to popular destinations around Marrakech.

I recommend at least doing the half day tour of Marrakech when you first arrive. It gives you some additional history of Morocco, but more importantly, a guide through the market alleys… which can be sketchier at times!

Hopefully after going on a guided tour of Marrakech, you’ll feel more comfortable going back on your own!

a vertical image: A woman is trailing behind a group of people, as they walk through a street in the Marrakech medina. Although it's bright, there isn't a roof letting in the warm yellow sun, the walls are VERY tall. And besides for the group, there's no one else here. — *Walking through the less touristy parts of Marrakech on a guided tour*

Bonus Nearby Local Marrakech Neighbourhoods

As I mentioned, the Club Med is in the Palmeraie area of Marrakech, which I think is actually a perk of the location of this all inclusive Marrakech.

It’s a quite unique area of Marrakech that you wouldn’t otherwise get to see if you didn’t stay here.

As I mentioned, the Palmeraie doesn’t just have palm trees but also massive villas. Although you can’t exactly see the villas themselves, you do get to see the extravagant Moroccan gates and entryways to the villas.

You’re also nearby a less advantaged neighbourhood and even a desert (where you can see the mountains that surround Marrakech in the distance!).

a snapshot of the active walking group from the club med marrakech. A group of people are walking ahead in a group, they're dressed in workout attire with shorts, t shirts and hats - on a mission to move! They are on a street thats lined with an old red clay walls, throughout the walls on the right side there are medieval looking towers.

So by staying at the Club Med Morocco, you get to see three other completely different sides of Marrakech that you wouldn’t have otherwise seen!

I wouldn’t recommend exploring these areas on your own. But you’ll get to see them on both the active walking and mountain biking activities with the Club Med Morocco.

You Experience Moroccan Culture At The All Inclusive Marrakech

You also don’t have to worry about not feeling like you’re in Morocco when you’re at the Club Med all inclusive Marrakech.

You feel like you’re in Morocco the second you step out of the car.

a view through the beautiful Moroccan arched open window frame at the club med Marrakech looking onto the gardens with a stream of water flowing through lush olive trees

First, the architecture and decor used around the resort are what you would see in the city. From the colour palette, to the shape of the entryways, to all the Moroccan lamps!

The Club Med also has a permanent local artisan market, bringing you the goods sold at the souk in the Medina. This is perfect for some souvenir shopping without ever having to leave the resort!).

El Kebir Serves Traditional Moroccan Food

You can also try the local food from the comfort of the Club Med Morocco, and yes, it’s DELICIOUS!

Their restaurant, El Kebir, serves out of this world traditional Moroccan dishes every day.

They have a set menu every day for lunch and dinner (and don’t worry, I’m a picky eater but I never had any issues with the menu).

a clay unpainted tagine sits closed on a table, no one knows yet what goods are inside! Behind the tagine is an empty tables at the El Kebir restaurant. It's open with a cover for shade.

They served Moroccan classics like chicken pastilla, eggplant zaalouk (my favourite!), and every meal ended with Moroccan desserts and mint tea.

I recommend making a reservation at El Kebir for every night of your stay. You can always cancel, or go to the buffet after if you didn’t like the menu, but you can’t go from the buffet to El Kebir if you don’t have a reservation.

Once a week, they also have a cooking class with the chef at El Kebir where you learn the secrets behind Moroccan cooking.

So even if you never leave the Club Med La Palmeraie, you’ll feel like you’ve been to Marrakech.

You might be interested in: my complete Marrakech travel planner includes a Moroccan food checklist and more!

a completely filled place of Moroccan cuisine. You can see cooked dried apricots, couscous, a beef merguez, chickpeas, chicken and lentils. Behind the plate is a beautifully crafted decor tagine. It's a black and white geometric Moroccan pattern

What You Miss By Staying At The Club Med Marrakech

There are a few Moroccan experiences that you might miss out on by staying at the Club Med all inclusive Marrakech….

But I don’t think either of these are deal breakers, and I think there are ways to get around them…

Staying At A Small Local Riad Vibes

Typically, tourists stay at riads when visiting Morocco.

a building for the rooms at the club med la palmeraie marrakech morocco. A pale pink building, very square among palm trees and greenery. There's also a fountain in front of it. There isn't a cloud in the sky

A riad was simply a garden courtyard without a roof. But in recent years they’ve been transformed into gorgeous instagram-worthy hotels.

Most have repurposed the inner courtyard to house a relaxing pool instead.

And I’ll admit, there are some pretty spectacular riads throughout Marrakech, like Riad NayaNour.

But by staying at the Club Med La Palmeraie, you miss out on staying at a local, small riad. The Club Med just won’t give you those same vibes, I mean, it’s HUGE!

How to get around this…

if you were really interested in staying at a riad, but are apprehensive about Morocco, I would stay at the Club Med Marrakech for a week and book a riad for one night at the end of my stay.

This way, I can give myself time to get used to Marrakech before committing to staying inside the Medina.

Worst case, it’s one night at the end of your trip.

And you can always cancel and stay an extra night at the Club Med if you aren’t comfortable…

an example of a riad hotel in Essaouira Morocco. Looking at the inner couryard form the second floor of a riad. There is a railing leading your eye to the right, there are doors a bit further inside the outdoor corridor. These outdoor corridors, with railings, go all the way around an inner courtyard, and up several stories - although you can't see how many. In the middle is a beautiful garden, you can only see the tops of some shorter palm trees, and the trunk of another one that the top is halfway cut off it's so tall. — *Morocco resorts Marrakech typical riad*

Night Time In Marrakech

You also won’t experience night time in Marrakech if you stay at the Club Med Morocco. The last shuttle leaves the Medina at 8:30 P.M..

There wasn’t anything I wanted to do in the evening in Marrakech, but I am the farthest thing form a night owl!

I did want to watch the sunset from a rooftop in Marrakech though, and the shuttle even left a tad too early to see it fully!

I was still able to see the start of sunset, and I could watch the sunset from the the tower at the Club Med Marrakech.

How to get around this…

You don’t have to miss the nightlife at all if you don’t want to. You could pay for a taxi back to the Club Med whenever you want.

Also not to mention, Club Med La Palmeraie also puts on a show every night for their guests which then it turns into a dance party and club on their rooftop.

the view of sunset from the club med over marrakech. The sun is almost behind the horizon, creating a rich orange colour before it turns into a grey blye higher up. It also casts a a shadow over marrakech, you can see trees, but the buildings mostly blur into each other, except for a mosque tower that rises above the skyline And different shade of shadows create the mountains along the horizon — *The gorgeous sunset views at the tower in the Club Med all inclusive Morocco*

How Is Exploring The Rest of Morocco From Club Med

Just as the Club Med offers an excursion to Marrakech, they also offer tours to popular nearby areas.

For example, we booked both their excursion to Essaouira and the High Atlas Mountain hike. But they also offered an excursion to the Agafay desert, and a camel ride.

I had done a bit of research to see if there was anything else I wanted to do from Marrakech, but they really did cover all the main nearby attractions.

On top of that, if you did want to book a tour that they didn’t offer, there’s nothing stopping you from booking a tour with an outside company.

In fact, we booked a cooking class in Marrakech through Viator because they canceled on of our excursions that day.

See all the tours from Marrakech with Viator.

the gorgeous port of essaouria morocco. Seagulls are flying all around in the sky. Below them is an old brick wall that enclos

The Excursions Are NOT the Main Focus of the Club Med

It is important to keep in mind that the excursions are not the main focus of the Club Med La Palmeraie.

I booked an excursion for every day in Morocco, and as it turns out, I was the only one to do this…

The half day tour to Marrakech is packed, but that’s about the only one that is booked at all!

We were one of two groups to Essaouira, and had to pay double to go on the High Atlas hike because nobody else signed up…

In fact, when we spoke to other guests at the Club Med, most of them had just stayed at the resort the entire time.

So either be prepared to pay the difference if no one else signs up for your tour, or not to go at all.

Three yellow rocky mountains surround a valley with trees and villages in the middle. But you can also make out some village built into the rocky moutnainside, they blend in so well that they're hard to see.

Would I Stay At The Club Med My Next Time in Marrakech?

Absolutely!

Now that I’m more comfortable with the city, I would love to experience staying in a traditional riad my next time in Morocco. But I would still love to stay at the Club Med La Palmeraie again.

It was just the ultimate relaxation vacation with the perfect mix of relaxation, culture, and touring!

I didn’t have to worry about planning my own trip to Morocco, but I still got to experience it all!

P.S. Remember every moment of your trip with my printable and digital travel journal!

Read This BEfore You Book

The Club Med Marrakech: Everything You Need To Know Before You Book

Other Places To Stay in Marrakech

I stayed at the Club Med Marrakech La Palmeraie, and it was exactly what I was looking for – a mix of touring and relaxing without any of the stress that typical comes with travel.

But as I mentioned, more typical place to stay in Marrakech is in a riad, a hotel with an open air courtyard in the middle. Sometimes there’s a pool, while other times it’s a lounge area.

Riad NayaNour has a few features that I appreciate compared to other Riads in Marrakech. For starters, the room and the courtyard pool are larger than most Riads I’ve looked at. Plus there’s also a rooftop for you to relax in the sun! If you’re a Booking.com Genius Level 2 member, you’ll also get breakfast included with your stay! See room rates and availability!

Riad Lyla is another good option in Marrakech, and it’s even more budget friendly! It offers a wonderful pool and rooftop for guests to enjoy and your booking even has a delicious breakfast included! See room rates and availability.

Or see more Riad and accommodation options on Booking.com.

the pool at the club med marrakech in morocco. It's large, and there are quite a few people in the pool and sitting on pool lounge chairs around it. There are open umbrellas on the other side of the pool in front of a large moroccan style tower. There are short palm trees all around the pool

Simple Marrakech Travel Guide

Check out my digital and printable travel guide for first timers to Marrakech Morocco.

Use it digitally on your phone to check off top attractions as you do them. Or print it out in one of three size formates, 8.5 x 11, 5.5 x 8.5, or 2.75 x 4.25 for a packable mini travel planner!

vertical image with text on top: ultimate travel guide: Marrakech Morocco. Underneath is a hand holding up a 4.25 x 5.5 size pocket travel planner. You can see the cover page which has the silhouette of a Moroccan crescent moon doorway. In the background is traditional moroccan architecture in reddish, sand, and light pink hues.

8 Pages included:

Cover Page
Morocco at a Glance: with tips and quick information about Morocco
Marrakech at a Glance: with tips and advice for traveling to Marrakech
Marrakech Top Things To Do Checklist: don’t miss a top thing to do in Marrakech by checking off activities as you do them!
Moroccan food to try checklist
Moroccan souvenirs to buy in Marrakech
Common Moroccan phrases in Arabic and French
Packing list for Morocco

See it on Etsy >>