A family trip that involves two young children, hotel changes every couple of days and a working parent sounds like a recipe for meltdown. Instead, one travel writer found an Easter break in Morocco was the calmest holiday her family had taken — and the reason comes down to how warmly the country embraces travelling kids.
Morocco hits families with a full sensory load: orange blossom in the gardens, spice markets and snake charmers in the medina, rooftop storytellers and camel caravans on the horizon at sunset. Hotel staff went out of their way for the children — riad owners led child-friendly tours, and five-star resort teams whisked the kids off to hunt for reptiles and birds in the grounds. Local nannies kept the girls entertained with songs and elaborate daily braids, while the itinerary stacked up sunset hot air balloon rides and sidecar tours through the city.
The writer's hotel shortlist highlights three standouts. Four Seasons Marrakech takes the crown for service; Caravan by Our Habitas is the pick in the Atlas Mountains, ideal for the nature-loving, desert-dreaming type of child; and the Nobu Riad is the best bet if you want to book an entire property for your group — a smart option for larger or multi-family trips.
A few practical realities are worth knowing before you go. Riad pools are usually unheated, and even bigger hotels claiming warm water can be optimistic — in April, the writer's family struggled to find a genuinely heated pool anywhere, though the kids braved them regardless. The medina is thrilling but chaotic: the family never felt unsafe, but crowds are dense enough that you'll want a constant hand on small children. And pack a spare bag. They came home with it overflowing — replica loafers, hand-woven waistcoats, palm-tree ceramics and wooden toys.
The real takeaway for parents planning a trip is the shape of the itinerary. The winning formula, per the writer, is three stages: a few nights in a riad for atmosphere and medina access, then a mountain and desert adventure for the kids who love wide-open spaces, and finally a sprawling resort with kids' clubs and every amenity to finish on an easy note. If budget and time stretch that far, the combination delivers far more than any single-property stay.
Morocco works for families because it doesn't treat children as an afterthought — they're welcomed everywhere, from budget riads to luxury resorts, and there's enough variety (city, mountains, desert, coast) to match whatever kind of kid you've got. Just time your pool expectations accordingly.
First published by Condé Nast Traveller UK.
