Guéliz, Marrakech

Laid out from 1913 onward by urban planner Henri Prost for the French protectorate's new town, Guéliz deliberately breaks from the Medina's tight fabric: wide avenues, a grid layout, and 1930s buildings whose Art Deco facades are still visible along Avenue Mohammed V, the district's main artery.

This is Marrakech's everyday face — cafés, restaurants, designer boutiques, art galleries and major retailers cluster here, alongside the Jardin Majorelle, created by painter Jacques Majorelle in the 1930s and later restored by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé. Guéliz's rooftop bars are among the city's most popular after dark.

For a practical, well-connected stay without depending entirely on a driver, Guéliz remains the most functional option — everything from the airport to the Medina is a short ride away.