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The 8 Best Hotels in North Africa and the Middle East of 2025
Rooms/facilities Location Service Food Value For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses.
The exterior of the Four Seasons Hotel Doha.
T+L readers' favorite city hotels in North Africa and the Middle East are split between three places this year: Doha, Cairo, and Marrakesh. And one particular brand did very well: the Four Seasons snagged three of the top five spots. As you might expect, location was a factor in how readers rated city hotels in this region. One said of Marriott Mena House, Cairo (No. 2): "Great location, a nice respite from the busy city." Style and design also proved important, with readers praising the architecture of Marrakesh's La Mamounia (No. 3)—also on the list in 2024—and its 'beautifully maintained grounds'.
Four Seasons Hotel Doha: Doha, Qatar The Four Seasons Hotel Doha lobby.
'The best hotel in Doha,' wrote one T+L reader about this year's winner and World's Best Awards newcomer, Four Seasons Hotel Doha. The beachfront property, in Qatar's capital, was popular with readers for its location and service—one wrote about a lengthy immigration wait that had led to the hotel manager streamlining their check-in process and taking extra care of them during their stay. Another reader mentioned the 'extraordinary Nobu restaurant' on site. The hotel also has nine other restaurants and lounges, plus a private beach and a spa.
1. Four Seasons Hotel Doha: Qatar
Reader Score: 95.44
2. Marriott Mena House, Cairo
Reader Score: 91.56
3. La Mamounia: Marrakesh
WBA Hall of Fame honoree. Reader Score: 91.13
4. Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza: Cairo
Reader Score: 86.80
5. Four Seasons Resort Marrakech: Marrakesh
Reader Score: 82.67
Interestingly, this year's list of top resorts in North Africa and the Middle East is completely different from the 2024 list—though some properties have been featured in prior years. One common thread for this year's winners? Location. A favorite resort destination for T+L readers, Dubai has all three hotels, including both Atlantis properties (The Palm at No. 4 and The Royal at No. 2). When it comes to why they voted for these resorts, it's clear readers valued aesthetics—one noted 'everything was new and shiny' at the Atlantis The Royal.
Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Waterside dining at Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort.
Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort
T+L readers picked Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort as their top resort in North Africa and the Middle East this year. Readers praised its broad appeal for families and couples, as well as beachy staycations for Dubai residents. On the Palm Jumeirah island off Dubai, with its own strip of private coastline, the hotel launched the United Arab Emirates' first overwater villas, and has three pools, a spa, and six restaurants and lounges, including its signature Asian restaurant, Mekong.
1. Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Reader Score: 98.67
2. Atlantis The Royal: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Reader Score: 97.26
3. Atlantis, The Palm: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Reader Score: 93.67
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