Michelle Sutton visited these hotels in May 2026 on a nine-day Leading Hotels of the World trip.
Some trips reward you for choosing carefully. Morocco and Portugal is one of them. The hotels range from a palace garden in Marrakech to a resort on the Algarve with its own village feel, and the best choice depends on who is travelling. Here is what I found at each stop.
We began with two nights at La Mamounia, a palace in the 18th century and a hotel since 1923. The decor mixes Moroccan and Art Deco, every room has a balcony over the walled garden and pool, and a bar is named after Winston Churchill, who stayed often. There are three restaurants (Asian, Italian and Moroccan). Le Moroccan has its own three-storey building in the garden and a loyal local following. We did not eat there, but I would book a table there.
Our full day in Marrakech was with Escales Signature, who arranged a local guide through the Medina. It is busy, hot and lively, and English is not widely spoken, so a guide makes the day. Lunch was at Almisbah, below ground level in a building that has been a palace, a weapons factory and a granary, and was once a women's prison. The food was contemporary Moroccan and excellent.
The next morning we looked over Royal Mansour Marrakech, owned by the King of Morocco. It offers a different kind of luxury to La Mamounia, with more privacy and intimacy. Guests stay in private riads, each with its own rooftop pool, and staff move through discreet tunnels and corridors so that service is almost invisible. Several of the restaurants are led by multi-Michelin-star chefs, and the hotel was ranked 13th in the World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025.
Outside Marrakech we visited Casa Lalla Takerkoust, a small lakeside hotel looking towards the Atlas Mountains, where we went off-road in a Porsche Cayenne. Anyone who likes can take the wheel. We finished at the Inara camp in the Agafay desert with a sunset camel ride and dinner in our own tent, with music, a belly dancer and a fire eater.
The Agafay is rocky desert rather than sand dunes, and the camp is relaxed and comfortable rather than five-star, so it is best enjoyed as a fun evening under the stars.
The Hassan II Mosque is worth the stop. Built in 1993, it sits right on the Atlantic and has the second tallest minaret in the world. It holds 25,000 people inside and 100,000 in the surrounding grounds, and it is beautiful inside and out. Casablanca is a busy commercial city, so one night is plenty and it works well as a stopover built around the mosque. If you’re not interested in seeing the Mosque, I suggest skipping Casablanca. If you do include it in your itinerary, stay at the Royal Mansour Casablanca. It is a gorgeous hotel with many personal touches and attentive service.
Royal Mansour Casablanca style is modern Art Deco, my executive suite looked over the mosque, and there was a handwritten welcome on the bathroom mirror. We had a wine tasting in a cellar of more than 20,000 bottles, then dinner at the rooftop restaurant. It is mainly a corporate hotel, but a very good one.
From Lisbon airport we drove straight to Sintra, about an hour away and well worth an overnight or a day trip. There is a train, but the town is hilly, so it suits clients who can walk. We had lunch in the garden at Seteais Palace, a Leading Hotels boutique property, and then toured Quinta da Regaleira with a guide from Tempovip. Its gardens were built by hand as a labour of love for the owner's children, and they feel like a fairy tale.
In Lisbon we stayed at Olissippo Lapa Palace in the Embassy district. It is a quiet oasis with a big pool and garden, and we had a drink on a turret reached only through one of the suites. The suites in the original palace have the old-world style, and the rooms in the modern wing are large with views over the pool and garden. It is a little out of the centre, so it suits anyone who prefers a peaceful base.
Bairro Alto Hotel is the opposite. It is in the middle of the city, close to the shopping district, with warm service and a rooftop bar and restaurant that I would recommend to anyone, staying or not. The rooms are boutique in size, and there are a few steps to the lift, so let us know if you would like a room with easier access.
Our guide company arranged a tour of the 18th-century aqueduct, a walking food tour through a neighbourhood tourists rarely visit, and a private ride on a vintage tram. The food tour included tinned sardines and very good olive oil. If clients ride tram 28 on their own, get on outside the Lisbon cemetery where the route starts, and you can have a seat by an open window. Also worth knowing is Pousada de Lisboa on Commerce Square, which is on flat ground right beside the cafes and shops.
After a three-hour transfer south we reached Vila Vita Parc. My first impression was of a beautifully manicured resort on a grand scale, and the warmth of the staff made it feel personal. It has been a labour of love for its German owners for over 30 years, and they kept every member of staff on full pay during Covid. You can feel that loyalty in the service. There are many restaurants, an adults-only pool by the sea, a huge spa, and a beach club in town that is a 20-minute cliff-top walk or a short shuttle ride away. Faro airport is 50 minutes away.
My advice is to choose hotels for the person travelling, not the star rating. Royal Mansour in Marrakech suits travellers who want privacy at the highest level. Bairro Alto suits those who want Lisbon at their door, and Vila Vita Parc suits families and anyone who wants a long, easy stay. Message us with your dates and who is travelling, and we will build the route around you.
Contact: Michelle Sutton - [email protected]
Thank you Leading Hotels of the World for the opportunity to experience two amazing destinations
