The Ritz-Carlton Rabat, Dar Es Salam

A new palace beside the golf course

The Ritz-Carlton Rabat, Dar Es Salam opened in 2024. It is the first hotel in Morocco from Ritz-Carlton, the luxury brand of the American group Marriott. It stands in a palm grove in the residential district of Souissi, alongside Royal Golf Dar Es Salam and its 178-hectare oak forest.

The hotel presents itself as a palace, and the decor bears this out from the entrance. The lobby is crowned by a dome with geometric and floral patterns in green, gold and red, and by muqarnas, the carved honeycomb vaulting of Arab-Andalusian architecture; its walls carry gebs frescoes, Moroccan carved plaster; a large Rococo-style chandelier hangs at the centre. The style blends Art Deco, Baroque opulence and Moroccan craftsmanship.

Outside, Andalusian-style gardens line up fountains and mosaic patterns as far as a very large pool edged with palms, loungers and shaded cabanas.

Choosing your room

The hotel has 100 rooms and 17 suites. All have a private balcony or terrace overlooking the pool and gardens. Headboards are dressed in gebs and bathrooms in marble.

• The rooms look out over the forest, the lake or the gardens depending on their position.
• The Executive suite (75 m²) has a separate sitting room and a view over the golf course: the right choice for a golfer who wants to see the course on waking.
• The Family suite combines two king-bedded rooms, one with a sofa bed, and a terrace over the garden.
• The Ritz-Carlton suite has a sitting room with a traditional fireplace, a separate study and a private terrace with plunge pool and jacuzzi; the Royal Suite measures 180 m².

Three restaurants, from Morocco to Asia

• Lumen, the Mediterranean brasserie, serves from breakfast to dinner, with regional produce, salads, fresh pasta and seafood, on a terrace facing the golf course.
• Rihla ("the journey" in Arabic) follows the Silk Road: cooking between Asia and Morocco, in an Art Deco dining room.
• Palapa, under a thatched roof by the pool, serves pan-American food at lunch; the pool is open from 10 am to 7 pm.

The Lobby Lounge serves afternoon tea, Moroccan or English style, and the Blind Tiger, a bar inspired by the 1920s, takes over in the evening.

A spa in the spirit of Roman baths

The spa, all in green marble, has ten treatment rooms and two couples' suites. Its heated indoor pool, narrow and inspired by Roman baths, is lit by a glass roof, between fluted columns with gold accents; like the gym, it is for guests aged 16 and over. The thermal circuit includes a jacuzzi, hammam, sauna and hydrotherapy showers. The signature treatment is a 120-minute hammam, with a kessa-glove scrub and a closing massage. Products come from the Moroccan brand MarocMaroc. The spa works by appointment only, with no online booking.

Golf, horses and the city

Royal Golf Dar Es Salam has 45 holes on three courses designed by Robert Trent Jones; the Red Course hosts the Hassan II Trophy every year. A riding club is 1.6 km away, with lessons, rides and ponies for children.

The historic centre is a dozen kilometres away: the Hassan Tower and the Mohammed V mausoleum about 13 km, the Kasbah of the Udayas about 15 km. You will need a car or taxi.

Sabaro's view

For whom: golfers, couples, and families who want a large, quiet hotel with pool and spa without leaving the capital.

Strengths: a recent hotel with a decor made by craftsmen; every room with a balcony or terrace; the golf course on the doorstep; the big pool with its children's pool; a 4.7/5 rating on Tripadvisor and the 2026 Travelers' Choice award.

Good to know: you need a car to reach the centre; one review notes that no kids' club is running, though the hotel offers babysitting; the indoor pool and the gym are closed to under-16s; breakfast is extra.