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Ambient sound of southern Morocco. Plays in the background as you browse.
Welcome to · Aït Ben Haddou · Ouarzazate
Sleep inside a UNESCO ksar — on a hill that has watched the route to Marrakech for nine centuries.
Plan your stay
Plan your stay
How it works
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Our collection
A treasure hunt in the fortified UNESCO town. New maison d'hôte opening soon.
Aït Ben Haddou is one of the most photographed places in Morocco — and yet almost no one sleeps inside its walls. After dusk, when the day-trippers have left for their tour buses, the ksar empties of everything except a handful of resident families and the wind off the Asif Ounila river. We are restoring three adjoining 17th-century earthen houses on the lower terraces of the village into a single, fourteen-room maison d'hôte — preserving every internal staircase, every cedar lintel, every painted tataoui ceiling. Stay overnight, and the ksar is yours: dawn over the kasbah, the muezzin from across the river, breakfast on a clay terrace with the High Atlas at your shoulder.
Fourteen rooms across three connected pisé houses, each with original cedar beams, lime-washed walls and tataoui (oleander-and-tamarisk) ceilings. Bathrooms in tadelakt; copper basins and brass taps cast in the medina of Marrakech. A roof terrace at the height of the kasbah's grain-tower.
A word from the founder
“We didn't want to add a new building to the ksar. We wanted to disappear inside an old one.” — Lluís Pont, co-founder.
4.7/5 · 3 verified reviews
C. Bianchi
Bologna, Italy2 weeks ago
“Waking up with the UNESCO kasbah at eye-level from the terrace is unreal. Cross the river at dawn, come back to fresh msemen.”
T. & M. Adebayo
London, UK1 month ago
“The host arranged a private tour with the head Amazigh guide of Aït Ben Haddou. That alone was worth the trip — we saw doors no tourist sees.”
N. Silva
Lisboa, Portugal6 weeks ago
“Gladiator was filmed 200m from our balcony. The hotel embraces the history without kitsch — proper local decor, no plastic.”
A word from your host
I was born in the village on the other side of the river — the modern village, the one nobody photographs. I have crossed the Asif Ounila to come into the ksar every single morning of my life. What you may not know, when you arrive: the ksar wakes up extraordinarily quietly. There are no cars, no motorcycles, no clatter of café shutters. You hear instead the donkey at the bottom of the lane, the swallows in the grain-tower, the slap of dough on a clay oven somewhere two terraces above your head. We have restored these three houses with the families who lived in them — most of them stayed on the upper floors, while the lower terraces became your rooms. That, more than anything, is what I would like to offer you: not a hotel inside the ksar, but a chance to belong to it for a few nights.
From inside the walls,
Lahcen El Madouri
Director · Xaluca Aït Ben Haddou Maison d'Hôte
Films from the property
Seven short films covering the property — its presentation, the table, wellness rituals, aerial footage, lifestyle, the excursions around it, and the artisans and music behind the place.
Quick facts
Local time & weather
Xaluca Aït Ben Haddou Maison d'Hôte · 31.047°N · 7.129°W
Morocco · Africa/Casablanca
14:37:59
Thursday 25 June
39°36
Clear sky
Updated just now
Our collection
Four categories, each handcrafted with Berber textures and modern serenity.
01 · Rooms & Suites
Earth-toned walls, handwoven Berber textiles, walk-in shower, balcony onto the courtyard.
“Simple but full of soul. Handwoven Berber blankets, a private balcony over the palm grove, and staff who remember your name from day one.”
Nadia F.
Amsterdam
02 · Rooms & Suites
Larger footprint with private terrace, copper basin, and uninterrupted views of the landscape.
“A queen bed under a vaulted ceiling, warm wool blankets, and the smell of cedar at dusk. We slept like the kasbah wanted us to.”
Emma R.
Lyon
03 · Rooms & Suites
Lounge corner, fireplace in winter, bespoke zellige bathroom, complimentary mint-tea ritual on arrival.
“A separate lounge, dining nook, terrace opening onto the pool — a suite that feels like a small riad. We didn't want to leave.”
Andrea L.
Milan
04 · Rooms & Suites
The flagship suite — separate living room, hammered-bronze bath, private rooftop with daybed.
“A separate lounge, dining nook, terrace opening onto the pool — a suite that feels like a small riad. We didn't want to leave.”
Andrea L.
Milan
Room Rates
Per room · per night · breakfast included. Half-board, full-board and agency contracts on request.
Tap any room to compare boards
Prices in EUR · indicative public rates · final price confirmed by the concierge.
Services & Amenities
Traditional black-soap hammam, argan rituals, four massage cabins.
Two restaurants of Berber and international cuisine, a poolside lounge and a sunset rooftop bar.
Heated outdoor pool, shaded poolside cabanas and seasonal kids pool.
Tennis, yoga at sunrise, mountain bikes, sandboarding (desert properties).
Modular ballrooms up to 400 guests, AV-equipped meeting rooms, private courtyards.
Curated boutique of Berber textiles, argan products, fossils and traditional pottery.
24/7 concierge, complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi, airport transfers, private guides.
Rates · EUR
Public starting rates in EUR. Agency contracts and group rates are available on request.
24 m² · 2 guests
Earth-toned walls, handwoven Berber textiles, walk-in shower, balcony onto the courtyard.
Based on an occupancy of 2 people
32 m² · 2-3 guests
Larger footprint with private terrace, copper basin, and uninterrupted views of the landscape.
Based on an occupancy of 2 people
48 m² · 2-4 guests
Lounge corner, fireplace in winter, bespoke zellige bathroom, complimentary mint-tea ritual on arrival.
Based on an occupancy of 2 people
72 m² · 2-4 guests
The flagship suite — separate living room, hammered-bronze bath, private rooftop with daybed.
Based on an occupancy of 2 people
Rates are indicative starting prices, excluding tourism tax and seasonal variations. Final pricing is confirmed at booking in MAD.
Experiences
Curated excursions designed with our local guides — desert, mountain, culture and cuisine.
Aït Ben Haddou, Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate, the Kasbah Tifoultoute (Lawrence of Arabia) and the Asif Mellah valley (Game of Thrones) — with a film-historian guide and a Berber lunch on a riad terrace.
Discover the excursion
A private guided climb to the agadir (grain-tower) at the very top of the ksar — the highest point in Aït Ben Haddou — to watch the sun rise over the Atlas. Locked gate, exclusive access.
Discover the excursion
A three-hour workshop with Hassan, the master mason who restored most of the ksar — learn how earth becomes wall, mix and pack a real pisé block, and leave with a slab as a souvenir.
Discover the excursion
Follow the old salt-caravan route along the Ounila gorges to the abandoned Glaoui kasbah of Telouet — a once-fabulous palace, now slowly returning to earth, with surviving zellige and painted ceilings.
Discover the excursionThings to do nearby
A territory of contrasts within an hour's drive — from millennial markets to UNESCO ksour.
The highest point of Aït Ben Haddou — a 12th-century communal granary with a 360° view of the Ounila valley, the Atlas and the desert beyond. Access included for guests.
Discover this place
One of the largest film studios in the world by floor area — full-scale sets of ancient Egypt, Tibet and Roman Jerusalem stand permanently. Guided tours daily.
Discover this place
The 19th-century Glaoui palace at the entrance to Ouarzazate — a labyrinth of 300 rooms, with three of the most beautifully painted cedar ceilings in Morocco.
Discover this place
The fabled Glaoui kasbah of Telouet, set on the old caravan route between Marrakech and Sijilmassa — a ruin half-collapsed, half-preserved, still extraordinary.
Discover this placeSpa menu
A treatment menu inspired by Berber traditions, refined for our spa cabins.
Steam, black-soap scrub, rhassoul clay wrap, argan-oil massage.
Heated volcanic stones placed along the meridians for deep release.
Nourishing wrap with cold-pressed argan oil and Atlas orange-blossom water.
Two-hour ritual in our private spa suite for two — hammam, scrub, four-hand massage.
Gentle prenatal massage with shea butter and rose hydrosol.
Beauty & Personal Care
Traditional Moroccan beauty rituals — henna, argan, ghassoul — performed by our in-house artists.
Traditional Berber motifs on hands and feet — bridal & guest options.
Repairing argan mask, scalp massage and finish.
Soak with rose petals, file, polish, and pure ghassoul finish.
Full-day ritual: hammam, facial, massage, hair and henna for the bride-to-be.
Food & Beverage
Two restaurants, a rooftop bar and a library lounge — a tour of Moroccan and Mediterranean tables.
Restaurants
Berber & Moroccan fine dining
Slow-cooked tagines, mechoui pit-roast lamb, seasonal mezze and pastilla. À la carte and chef's tasting menu.
Restaurants
International cuisine
Mediterranean grills, fresh fish, pasta and refined vegetarian creations.
Signature cocktails
Wine selection
Bars & Lounges
Events
Bespoke event production from intimate ceremonies to thousand-guest gatherings.
Henna ceremonies, candlelit ksar courtyards, processions on horseback — up to 350 guests.
Three modular ballrooms, dune team-building, gala dinners in private bivouacs.
Cinematic locations, full production support, Land Rover and Porsche partnerships on file.
Bespoke multi-property circuits through southern Morocco for groups of 10 to 1,000.
Guest reviews
“An immersion of every sense. The night ride to the bivouac was the most magical evening of my life.”
“Impeccable service, refined cuisine and architecture that tells a real story.”
“Felt like being received into a family home. We came as travellers and left as guests.”
Location · Contact
Address
Ksar of Aït Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate 45000, Morocco
Getting there
From Ouarzazate, 30 km north (≈ 30 min). From Marrakech via Tizi n'Tichka, ≈ 3h 30.
Grand-taxis from Ouarzazate central station to the ksar.
Ouarzazate (OZZ) · 30 km · ideal first or last night before the Atlas crossing.
Hours
Postcards from the road
A small collection of travel notes sent from Xaluca Aït Ben Haddou Maison d'Hôte — to read between two cups of mint tea.
POSTCARD FROM MERZOUGA
The sea of dunes
Hello from the desert,
We climbed onto a camel just as the sun was setting over Erg Chebbi and, all of a sudden, the world fell silent. Tonight we sleep in a jaima beneath more stars than I have ever seen in my life.
With sand in my shoes,
Marta
The sea of dunes
Erg Chebbi · Sahara
Booking · Xaluca
Five quiet steps between intention and arrival — accompanied at every moment by a host, never a bot. The same warm process applies to every Grup Xaluca address: our kasbahs, riads, hotels, mountain refuge and the Saharan camps.
Step · 01
Browse the nine Xaluca addresses — a kasbah in Arfoud, a riad in Erg Chebbi, a refuge in the M'Goun, a luxury bivouac in the dunes. Pick one or stitch several together.
Step · 02
Tell us the dates you have in mind, or the loose week you're imagining. The southern light shifts every season — we can advise on the best window for your dream.
Step · 03
Submit the booking form or write directly to a host. Mention rooms, suites, bivouac tents, experiences, transfers — anything you'd like considered.
Step · 04
Within 24 hours, a host returns with availability, a draft programme and recommendations — restaurants for your taste, excursions for your pace, a route that breathes.
Step · 05
Once you say yes, we send the practical map — flights, transfers, packing notes, the weather of your week. Then we wait, the door open.
Beyond the form
Phone, email or WhatsApp — answered by the same family that runs the houses.
Airport pickups, inter-hotel drives, 4×4 dune transfers — arranged on request.
Multi-stay route across kasbahs, mountains and dunes — written for your rhythm.
From first email to last sunset — one host stays with your booking, from end to end.
No deposit required to enquire. We hold the conversation, not your card.
Book your stay
Let's imagine your stay together. Our team replies in under 24 hours.
Book nowDirect contact
Our philosophy
“Heritage is not protected by being closed off. It is protected by being lived in.”
Aït Ben Haddou is a UNESCO World Heritage site — and a living village. The two are inseparable. Every wall here must be re-clayed every winter, every cedar lintel checked, every tataoui ceiling watched for the rain. By restoring three of the lower houses to receive guests, we participate in the year-round economy that keeps the ksar standing — masons, painters, weavers, cooks. The maison d'hôte is, quite literally, holding the ksar up.
The Grup Xaluca ecosystem
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