Morocco’s 2026 Hotel and Restaurant Awards: The Season of Names
Winners, nominees and the names shaping Morocco’s luxury hospitality scene
Peter Manshoven for peter.ma behind the lobby
There are four seasons in a year.
Then there is the season when Morocco’s 2026 Hotel and Restaurant Awards are announced, shortlists are published, trophies are handed out, badges appear on websites and, occasionally, somebody discovers a new category for something that already had three categories last year.
Welcome to awards season.
For Morocco’s hotels and restaurants, 2026 has been a particularly busy one. International rankings, inspector-based distinctions, reader votes, guest-feedback awards, industry awards and editorial selections have all added names to the increasingly long list of properties receiving recognition.
At Peter.ma, the purpose is not to decide whether a trophy was deserved.
That is a different job.
Our job is to look at what was actually awarded, by whom, under which methodology, and what that distinction really tells a traveller.
Because a MICHELIN Key is not a Readers’ Choice vote.
A Forbes Star is not a Tripadvisor badge.
A place on a ranking is not the same thing as winning a category.
And a nomination, as hotels occasionally discover in their press releases, is not quite a trophy.
Each time the bell rings, a name should be called.
So here are the names that matter in Morocco in 2026.
The Real Winners of Morocco’s 2026 Hotel and Restaurant Awards: the Trophies That Count
Several programmes set the tone for serious recognition in 2026 — each measuring something different.
That difference matters.
World Travel Awards Africa — 28 August, Zanzibar
The World Travel Awards remain one of the most visible international programmes in tourism. Their categories are broad, their geographical reach is considerable and their winners are highly marketable.
For Morocco, 2026 produced another strong showing.
Among the officially confirmed national winners are:
Morocco’s Leading Hotel: Marrakech Riads, Angsana Heritage Collection
Morocco’s Leading Luxury Hotel: The Oberoi, Marrakech
Morocco’s Leading Resort: Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay
Morocco’s Leading Beach Resort: Fairmont Taghazout Bay
Morocco’s Leading City Hotel: Sofitel Casablanca Tour Blanche
Morocco’s Leading Conference Hotel: Rabat Marriott Hotel
Morocco’s Leading Hotel Suite: Royal Suite at The Oberoi, Marrakech
The Oberoi retained the title of Morocco’s Leading Luxury Hotel for the second consecutive year, while Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay took the Leading Resort title and Fairmont Taghazout Bay continued its run as Leading Beach Resort.
There is an interesting pattern here.
Marrakech continues to dominate the luxury narrative, but Morocco's awards geography is no longer simply a Marrakech story. Tamouda Bay, Taghazout, Casablanca and Rabat are increasingly visible on the international stage.
And that, from a destination-development perspective, is probably more interesting than another photograph of somebody holding a trophy.
The World’s 50 Best Hotels — September, Paris
If there is one hotel ranking that generates disproportionate attention among luxury travellers, this is it.
In 2026, Royal Mansour Marrakech ranked No. 26 in The World’s 50 Best Hotels and was named Best Hotel in Africa.
That is a meaningful distinction.
It is not a national award. It is not a reader poll. It places a Moroccan hotel inside a global ranking whose voting system is built around an international academy of hospitality professionals.
Royal Mansour therefore enters 2026 with something rather more useful than another “luxury hotel” description: a measurable position in a global peer ranking.
And Morocco's presence did not stop there.
La Mamounia also appeared in the 2026 global Top 100, reinforcing something that has become increasingly obvious: Morocco's established luxury names are no longer competing only against one another. They are competing within the global luxury-hospitality conversation.
That distinction is worth making.
MICHELIN Keys — September
The MICHELIN Key is a different animal altogether.
The distinction is awarded following anonymous inspections by MICHELIN Guide inspectors, and the 2026 global selection added 470 hotels across 79 destinations. The worldwide selection now comprises 2,832 Key hotels.
Morocco remains one of Africa's strongest hotel destinations within the programme.
The 2026 selection brought further recognition to Moroccan hospitality, including a new One-Key distinction for Riad Mayfez Suites & Spa in Fès.
The importance of the MICHELIN Key is that it does not attempt to answer the same question as a reader ranking.
It is not asking:
Did people like staying here?
It is asking whether inspectors consider the property to offer an outstanding hotel experience.
That difference is precisely why the Key has become such an interesting addition to the luxury-travel vocabulary.
For travellers, it provides another layer of intelligence.
For hotels, it provides another reason to lose sleep over the details.
Haute Grandeur Global Awards — September
Haute Grandeur takes yet another route.
Its awards are based on guest feedback rather than public voting or a conventional judging panel.
In Morocco, two particularly clear 2026 examples stand out.
Kenzi Menara Palace & Resort, Marrakech, received four distinctions:
Best All-Inclusive Family Hotel in Africa
Best Family Hotel in Morocco
Best Hotel View in Morocco
Best Leisure Hotel in Morocco
The awards organisation describes its methodology as being based on guest feedback and satisfaction rather than public votes or judging panels.
In Rabat, Rabat Marriott Hotel received:
Best Business Hotel — Morocco
Best Conference Venue Hotel — Morocco
Best Culinary Experience — Morocco
Best Lifestyle Hotel — Morocco
This is a useful reminder that awards can also reveal a hotel's strength of purpose.
A resort can be recognised for family travel.
A city hotel can be recognised for conferences.
Another property may be recognised for luxury.
The intelligent traveller should therefore read the category before reading the trophy.
Forbes Travel Guide 2026
Forbes Travel Guide belongs to another category again.
Its ratings are based on professional, incognito inspections, with service carrying particularly significant weight in the evaluation. Forbes explains that its inspectors pose as ordinary guests and assess properties against hundreds of standards.
In Marrakech, the 2026 Forbes Travel Guide selection includes a number of internationally recognised names across Five-Star, Four-Star and Recommended categories.
The official destination listing includes Amanjena, Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech, Four Seasons Resort Marrakech, La Mamounia, La Sultana Marrakech, Mandarin Oriental Marrakech, Park Hyatt Marrakech, Royal Mansour Marrakech and Selman Marrakech.
Two of the city's headline Five-Star names remain particularly clear:
Mandarin Oriental, Marrakech
and
Royal Mansour Marrakech.
Both were already part of Forbes' Five-Star history for Marrakech, while La Mamounia and Four Seasons Resort Marrakech sit within the Four-Star group.
This is precisely why Peter.ma prefers not to throw around the phrase “Forbes-rated luxury hotel” without qualification.
The distinction is not simply that Forbes likes the hotel.
It is the result of an inspection methodology.
That makes the methodology part of the award.
Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards — October
And then there is Condé Nast Traveler.
Different again.
The 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards were announced on 6 October, with 798,867 readers participating globally in the survey.
For Morocco, the result is striking.
Morocco's Top 10 Hotels — 2026
Rank | Hotel | Destination | Score |
1 | La Mamounia | Marrakech | 99.65 |
2 | Mandarin Oriental, Marrakech | Marrakech | 99.58 |
3 | Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca | Casablanca | 97.42 |
4 | Royal Mansour Marrakech | Marrakech | 96.95 |
5 | Selman Marrakech | Marrakech | 96.80 |
6 | Royal Mansour Casablanca | Casablanca | 96.77 |
7 | Es Saadi | Marrakech | 96.11 |
8 | Kasbah Tamadot | Asni | 96.03 |
9 | La Sultana Oualidia | Oualidia | 95.86 |
10 | The Oberoi, Marrakech | Marrakech | 95.60 |
There is something deliciously predictable about the top of this table.
La Mamounia.
But the interesting part is not simply that La Mamounia won. It is that five Marrakech properties occupy the top ten, while Casablanca has two and Oualidia and Asni also make the list.
That tells us something about international traveller perception of Moroccan hospitality.
It also tells us something about the strength of the country's established luxury brands.
But we should be precise.
This is a Readers’ Choice award.
It should not be compared directly with an anonymous MICHELIN inspection or a Forbes evaluation. It measures something different: traveller preference and satisfaction expressed through the Condé Nast Traveler readership.
And that is perfectly legitimate.
Just different.
Interestingly, the African regional Condé Nast ranking places La Mamounia first in Northern Africa, followed by Royal Mansour Marrakech and Mandarin Oriental Marrakech. The list also includes The Oberoi, Jnane Rumi, La Sultana Oualidia, El Fenn, Le Farnatchi, Royal Mansour Casablanca and La Sultana Marrakech.
For La Mamounia, the 2026 result adds another chapter to an unusually long Condé Nast history.
The name is not new.
The consistency is.
The “Named” Group: Nominations, Lists and Badges
Not every meaningful recognition comes with a trophy.
Some come with a place on a list.
Some with a nomination.
Some with an editorial recommendation.
And some with a badge generated from millions of guest reviews.
These should not be mixed together.
Es Saadi Marrakech Resort
Es Saadi continues to appear across the international recognition landscape, including reader-driven and industry-based distinctions.
Its presence matters because it demonstrates the staying power of a Moroccan luxury name that has remained relevant across generations of travellers.
But a nomination should remain a nomination.
If an organisation lists a property among contenders, that is information.
It is not yet a victory.
The difference may seem pedantic.
It isn't.
Les Deux Tours and Villa des Orangers
Both properties continue to benefit from strong positioning within the Marrakech luxury-hotel ecosystem.
Les Deux Tours has also attracted editorial attention, including a strong position in The Independent's 2026 selection of the best luxury hotels in Marrakech.
Villa des Orangers, meanwhile, remains associated with the Relais & Châteaux luxury-hospitality network and strong traveller recognition.
These are valuable signals.
But they are signals of different kinds.
An editorial ranking tells you what an editor recommends.
A membership organisation tells you something about positioning and standards.
A guest-review award tells you something about traveller experience.
None of them should be disguised as something else.
Morocco at a Glance: Who Won What, Where?
The award season also reveals something more interesting than individual winners.
It reveals geography.
Marrakech
Marrakech remains the undisputed centre of Morocco's international luxury-hospitality universe.
La Mamounia.
Royal Mansour.
Mandarin Oriental.
The Oberoi.
Selman.
Es Saadi.
Kenzi Menara Palace.
And a growing collection of smaller properties that increasingly compete on design, service, personality and experience rather than simply room count.
Marrakech is not short of luxury hotels. But volume, competition and genuine luxury are a difficult balance. The infrastructure is there. The market is there. The excuses are running out. The challenge now is simple: to become a constant in the world’s luxury destinations, not merely a regular on the list.
The international programmes are becoming increasingly demanding, and the city has to keep moving.
Rabat
Rabat's profile continues to strengthen.
The capital appears repeatedly through business, conference, lifestyle and luxury categories.
Rabat Marriott's 2026 Haute Grandeur results are particularly clear, while its World Travel Awards Conference Hotel title reinforces the city's growing position as a business and events destination.
And with a growing luxury-hotel pipeline, Rabat may well become one of the more interesting Moroccan destinations to watch over the next few years.
Not because it is trying to become Marrakech.
Precisely because it isn't.
Casablanca
Casablanca's awards profile is different again.
It is increasingly visible as an urban luxury and culinary destination.
Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca ranks third in Condé Nast Traveler's 2026 Morocco hotel ranking, while Royal Mansour Casablanca reaches sixth.
And then there is the restaurant scene.
Which brings us to the table.
Atlantic Coast and North
The Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts are increasingly represented in international awards.
Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay took Morocco's Leading Resort at the World Travel Awards.
Fairmont Taghazout Bay took Morocco's Leading Beach Resort.
La Sultana Oualidia reached ninth in Condé Nast Traveler's Moroccan hotel ranking.
These are not isolated appearances.
They point towards a wider Moroccan luxury geography.
The country is gradually moving from “Marrakech plus the coast” towards a more diversified hospitality map.
That is a good thing.
The Table Also Has Its Season: Morocco’s 2026 Restaurant Awards
Hotels get the room.
Restaurants get the table.
And in 2026, Moroccan restaurants have made themselves increasingly difficult to ignore.
MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026
This is perhaps the clearest international restaurant ranking for understanding where Morocco currently sits in the wider Middle East and North African culinary landscape.
Six Moroccan restaurants made the 2026 list:
Rank | Restaurant | City | Recognition |
11 | Table 3 | Casablanca | Best Restaurant in Morocco 2026 |
19 | La Grande Table Marocaine | Marrakech | Art of Hospitality Award |
21 | Le Petit Cornichon | Marrakech | Ranked |
24 | Sesamo | Marrakech | Ranked |
31 | +61 | Marrakech | Ranked |
49 | Farmers | Marrakech | Sustainable Restaurant Award |
The headline Moroccan result is Table 3 in Casablanca at No. 11, making it the highest-ranked Moroccan restaurant and the programme's Best Restaurant in Morocco for 2026.
La Grande Table Marocaine at No. 19 also received the Art of Hospitality Award.
And Farmers, at No. 49, received the Sustainable Restaurant Award.
This list tells an interesting story.
Marrakech dominates the number of Moroccan entries.
Casablanca takes the country's highest position.
That is exactly the kind of detail that gets lost when an award article simply says:
“Morocco shines at the 50 Best.”
Yes.
But where?
And how?
Those are better questions.
Haute Grandeur Restaurant Awards
Haute Grandeur also recognises restaurants through its guest-feedback-based methodology.
One of the Moroccan names attracting attention in 2026 is Bushra by Buddha-Bar at Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, reflecting the broader trend towards restaurants being recognised not simply for food but for the complete hospitality experience.
And this is where the modern restaurant-award landscape becomes increasingly interesting.
Cuisine.
Service.
Design.
Entertainment.
Experience.
Sustainability.
Hospitality.
The restaurant is no longer judged only by what arrives on the plate.
Which, considering some restaurant bills, is probably just as well.
And What Is Not There — Yet
One of the most interesting things about an awards landscape is what it does not yet say.
Morocco has a growing collection of luxury hotels recognised internationally.
It has a powerful Marrakech hospitality cluster.
It has emerging coastal luxury destinations.
It has a restaurant scene increasingly visible on international rankings.
But the geography remains uneven.
Marrakech still carries an enormous share of international recognition.
Casablanca is strengthening its culinary and urban profile.
Rabat is building a serious business and luxury position.
The Atlantic coast is becoming more visible.
The north is beginning to establish a stronger luxury identity.
Fès remains culturally extraordinary but comparatively underrepresented in the global luxury-award conversation, despite new recognition such as the MICHELIN Key for Riad Mayfez Suites & Spa.
That gap is worth watching.
Because awards are not only about what has already happened.
Sometimes they tell us where the next story may be.
What the 2026 Season Actually Tells Us
There is no shortage of trophies, rankings and badges. The interesting part is what sits behind them.
There is a temptation, especially in hotel marketing, to collect awards like refrigerator magnets.
One from here.
Another from there.
A nomination.
A shortlist.
A badge.
A trophy.
Perhaps a gold-coloured logo if the budget permits.
But awards become useful only when you understand what sits behind them.
A MICHELIN Key tells you that inspectors have evaluated the hotel experience.
A Forbes Star tells you that professional inspectors have assessed the property against a detailed service-and-facilities methodology.
A World's 50 Best position tells you where the property sits within a global peer ranking.
A Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice result tells you what its readership voted for.
A Haute Grandeur distinction tells you something derived from guest feedback.
A World Travel Award tells you that the property won a defined tourism category within that programme.
A Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice badge tells you something about traveller reviews and feedback.
An editorial list tells you what an editor recommends.
A nomination tells you that you were in the race.
And a winner tells you that, in that particular race, you crossed the line first.
Those are all legitimate forms of recognition.
They are simply not interchangeable.
The Season of Names
The names are multiplying.
The geography is widening.
The categories are becoming more specialised.
And the distinction between a trophy, a ranking, a nomination, an editorial recommendation and a guest-review badge is becoming more important, not less.
For travellers, hotels and restaurants, the question is no longer simply:“Did you win something?” The better question is:“What exactly did you win, who awarded it, under what rules — and against whom?”
That is where the name becomes intelligence.
And that is where peter.ma Travel Intelligence starts paying attention.
Peter Time for a T.
If you would like the full table of awarded properties, reach out.Keep it close. You never know when a little award intelligence might be useful.
Editorial Waiver
Information checked on 7 October 2026.
For this edition, Peter.ma made every effort to verify the awards, rankings, distinctions, nominations and recognitions mentioned above against publicly available information and, where possible, the official sources of the awarding organisations.
The hospitality awards landscape moves quickly, and information can change, be updated, corrected or presented differently by the organisations concerned. Some awards are based on inspections, some on votes, some on guest feedback, some on rankings and some on editorial selection. We have therefore tried to distinguish these categories as accurately as possible rather than treating every badge as the same thing.
Despite our utmost care to avoid errors, errors can occur.
If you identify an inaccurate, incomplete or outdated piece of information, please let us know. We will be happy to investigate and, where appropriate, correct the information.
Because intelligence is not about pretending to be infallible.
It is about getting closer to the facts.
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