Royal Mansour Marrakech has been named the best hotel in Africa after taking 26th place in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2026 ranking. The result was announced on 15 September at the Salles du Carrousel beneath the Louvre Museum in Paris. More than 800 independent experts from the global hospitality and travel industry voted in the ranking, covering 13 regions.
Royal Mansour was ranked 13th in 2025, meaning it has dropped 13 places this year. It has, however, kept the top position in Africa.
Rosewood Hong Kong was named the world’s best hotel for the second year running. Asian hotels also took several of the highest places on the 2026 list.
The ranking was launched in 2023 by William Reed, the company behind The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and The World’s 50 Best Bars. It has become an important reference point for the global luxury travel industry.
Royal Mansour Marrakech opened in 2010. The hotel has 53 private riads instead of standard hotel rooms and suites. The riads are spread across a five-hectare site and include private pools.
The hotel was designed around the layout of a traditional Moroccan medina. Its interiors use zellige tiles, carved wood and plasterwork, with local crafts playing a central role.
The Grand Riad covers 1,800 square metres. Underground service tunnels allow staff to move around the property while keeping guest areas private.
The hotel has four restaurants, with menus developed in collaboration with Michelin-starred chefs Hélène Darroze and Massimo Alajmo. It also has a spa offering treatments and wellness programmes.
Jean-Claude Messant, general manager of the Royal Mansour Collection, said the result recognised the hotel’s approach to hospitality, its links to Moroccan culture and the work of its teams.
The award also comes as the Royal Mansour Collection expands its hotel business. New properties include Royal Mansour Casablanca and Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay, extending a hotel brand that began in Marrakech.
The ranking gives the hotel international recognition at a time of strong competition among luxury properties in Africa. La Mamounia in Marrakech ranked 30th in the 2025 edition, while Mount Nelson in Cape Town was placed 34th in the 2026 ranking.
Royal Mansour’s 26th-place finish also puts it among the world’s top 30 hotels, while its first-place position in Africa keeps Marrakech at the centre of the continent’s luxury hotel market.
