RICH AND STRANGE?

Morocco: the very name conjures images of sand dunes and mountains, vibrant markets and hidden courtyards. Just across the Straits of Gibraltar, Morocco is now easy to reach from Europe yet it remains a world apart . . . at once African and Arabian, with a dash of French colonial glamour thrown in for good measure.

A decade ago, Morocco was regarded principally as a backpacker destination, charming and cut-price if a little short on comfort. But accommodation options have been transformed by an explosion of style . . .notably riads, the traditional houses in Morocco's old towns, or medinas. Built around a courtyard where the womenfolk could have access to fresh air yet remain unseen, these retain a sense of beauty and mystery. Meanwhile, away from the towns you can find oasis hotels, tented desert camps and seaside hideaways.

GIVE ME GLAMOUR. . .

Publicly vibrant and privately elegant, there is nowhere quite like Marrakech, with its magnificent backdrop of the High Atlas Mountains. For all its hippie-chic image in the '80s, it is now regarded as a cosmopolitan centre of cool. The hub of the city is the Djemaa el Fna, the main square of the medina, within which you can get lost in a labyrinth of alleyways and converted riads.

The city has oozed glamour ever since the French artist Jacques Majorelle bought land here, turned it into a garden, and opened it to the public in the '40s. The Jardin Majorelle was restored in the '80s by Yves Saint-Laurent, whose ownership adds more than a touch of prestige to the city. The Jardin Majorelle is off avenue Jacoub el Mansour, open 8am-6pm daily, admission 2.85; the garden also contains a small museum of Islamic art.

More recently, other foreigners have been transforming Marrakech. Vanessa Branson, sister of Richard, bought Riad El Fenn in 2002 and has turned it into a six-bedroom boutique hotel (00 212 24 44 1210;
www. riadelfenn. com). It boasts a hammam . . . a steam-driven relative of the sauna . . . and fine dining in the courtyard or on the terrace.

Doubles from 275, including breakfast.

CAN SOMEONE ORGANISE IT ALL FOR ME?

Certainly. Sunway (www. sunway. ie, 01 2886828) are long-established specialists in Morocco and offer good-quality accommodation in Marrakech, Agadir, Essaouira and Tarroudant. And if you don't want the glamour hotel option (they offer the gorgeous Palais Salaam in Tarroudant, for example) they also have a riad programme and can put together a specific package suited to your requirements. A week, for example, in January in a lovely riad in Marrakech is priced from 669 per person sharing, inclusive of flights and transfers. A recent addition to the Marrakech scene is Boutique Souk (00 212 64 99 05 07; www. boutiquesouk. com), a local firm that specialises in bespoke trips.

AAAH SPAS. . .

While a great many of Marrakech's riads provide spa services alongside their hammams, La Sultana Marrakech has facilities for serious sybarites. Created out of four historic riads, the 21-bedroom hotel has a beautiful swimming pool as well as sauna, jacuzzi, hammam, hydrotherapy, massages and other treatments.

The British company Erna Low Body & Soul Holidays (www. bodyandsoulholidays. com) offers three-night breaks here from 1200, which covers return flights from London Gatwick to Marrakech, transfers, accommodation with breakfast and three treatments.

La Sultana also has a new hotel at Oualidia, a fishing village and resort north of the better-known town of Essaouira. La Sultana Oualidia (00 212 24 38 80 08; www. lasultanaoualidia. com) comes with indoor and outdoor pools and and extensive spa.

ANY RURAL RETREATS?

On the outskirts of Marrakech, the oasis of Palmeraie ('palm grove') is a calm contrast to the bustle of the city. This is the setting for the only African venture of super-luxury hotel group Amanresorts. Behind high earthen walls, the Amanjena (00 212 24 403 353; www. amanresorts. com) is a pink and palatial world unto itself. Accommodation is in 32 pavilions and six maisons whose Moorish design also nods to the Berber villages of the High Atlas. With huge beds, butlers, two restaurants, swimming pool (as well as private pools for much of the accommodation), tennis courts, spa and even three boutiques, the temptation is simply to stay put.

Yet stylish stays near Marrakech do not necessarily come with a serious price tag.

Between the city and the foot of Jebel Toubkal, the highest of the High Atlas mountains, is the Ourika Valley, which is home to a glorious campsite, Les Jardins d'Issil.

'Tent' is perhaps a misnomer for the accommodation here . . . 15 or so pavilions set around a large infinity pool. These are partly walled and topped with Moroccan fabrics. Inside are comfortable beds, silk cushions and floors covered with bright rugs. At this time of year a week costs 480 for two, including breakfast, through Fleewinter (www. fleewinter. co. uk). Flights and transfers are extra.

SOME SEASIDE STYLE?

The laidback fishing town and fortified port of Essaouira has managed to avoid the package tourism of Agadir further south. Sure, Essaouira has fine sands and lovely curving beaches but it also gets a lot of wind, hence its popularity with the windsurfing brigade rather than sun-worshipping hordes. It has been a hip destination for independent travellers since Jimi Hendrix visited in the late '60s. In 2001 Unesco declared its unspoilt medina a World Heritage Site (a status also shared by the medinas in Marrakech and Fez).

The most elegant hotel in town is L'Heure Bleue (00 212 44 78 34 34; www. heurebleue. com). A member of Relais & Chateaux, this riad has 35 guest rooms, a swimming pool, hammam, spa and cinema. Doubles are from 220. Other accommodation options in Essaouira include Madada Mogador (00 212 24 47 55 12; www. madada. com; doubles from 100 including breakfast), a chic maison d'hotes, or guesthouse just outside the medina. It has seven rooms decorated in taupe and cream, and offers panoramic sea views from its roof terrace. Sunway also offer accommodation in Essaouira.

A NORTHERN TREASURE?

Despite its sights and a host of romantic associations, the north is relatively undervisited. Rabat, the capital, contains gracious boulevards as well as a 12th-century medina. Glorious, crumbling Fez is the world's largest surviving medieval city.

Casablanca boasts the Hassan II Mosque, the largest religious monument outside Mecca.

Volubilis is the site of one of the Roman Empire's furthest-flung cities. And Meknes was once the Versailles of Morocco, an imperial city of pomp and palaces. You can also call in at Rick's Cafe at 248 Boulevard Sour Jdid (00 212 22 27 42 07; www. rickscafe. ma), open seven days a week for drinks, food and assignations.

WHEN TO GO?

Now is pretty good . . . the oven-like heat of summer has lifted and Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, finished a few weeks ago.

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE?

Contact the Moroccan national tourist office on 0044 207437 0073, or log on to www. visitmorocco. com.