Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Morocco / Ifrane / Michlifen Resort & Golf
Michlifen Resort & Golf
Ifrane, Morocco · Independent · Core Luxury
French designer André Paccard opened this alpine-chalet palace in 1973 at 1,650 metres in Ifrane, the Middle Atlas town of Swiss-chalet roofs that still answers to Little Switzerland. Jack Nicklaus walked the cedar forest five times to shape an 18-hole course that opened in 2018, IMG-managed and billed as North Africa's first mountain golf, inside Ifrane National Park among Barbary macaques.
- 71 rooms
- Opened 1973
- Rooms from 323 sq ft (30 m²)
- Architect: Andre Paccard
About Michlifen Resort & Golf
- Jack Nicklaus visited the Ifrane site five times while shaping the 18-hole course, which opened in October 2018 after four years of construction and is managed by IMG.
- André Paccard, who also worked on royal palaces, designed the original 1973 hotel in Ifrane, a 1930s colonial town built in Swiss-Alpine style.
- At 1,650 metres inside Ifrane National Park, the course sits in cedar forest that is home to Barbary macaques, one of the only wild primate populations in Africa north of the Sahara.
- The house is owned by King Mohammed VI; a six-year renovation of about $100 million reopened it around 2010 to 2011.
- Entry-level rooms start at 323 sq ft (30 m²).
History
Opened in 1973 and designed by French interior designer André Paccard, Michlifen Resort sits at 1,650 metres in Ifrane, Morocco's Middle Atlas town of Swiss-chalet architecture nicknamed Little Switzerland. Its 18-hole golf course, designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 2018 after four years of development (Nicklaus visited the site five times personally), is managed by IMG and claims to be the first mountain golf course in North Africa, set within the cedar forests of Ifrane National Park.
The setting
2 km from Le Lion d'Ifrane landmark.
Restaurants and bars
- Le Cedray — Restaurant · French
- L'Oriental — Restaurant · Middle Eastern (fusion of Lebanese and Moroccan flavours)
- Le Chalet — Restaurant · Mediterranean and seasonal
- The Club House — Restaurant · light, contemporary
- Lounja Bar — Bar
- La Ferme — Restaurant · authentic Moroccan, from farm to fork
- Michlifen Resort & Golf Hotel restaurants — Restaurant · gourmet French, Mediterranean and Moroccan/Middle Eastern
Experiences
- 18-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course — An 18-hole course among cedar and holm oak forests at 1,650 metres altitude, with 360° views, designed by Jack Nicklaus.
- Golf Academy (IMG Performance Studios) — Three IMG Performance Studios, two for swing analysis and one for putting, run by a PGA Professional; bespoke programmes for all levels.
- Club House dining and lounge — Alfresco lunch with 360° mountain views and an aperitif by the lounge fireplace.
- Six restaurants and bars — Includes Le Cedray (French), L'Oriental (Middle Eastern fusion), Le Chalet, The Club House, Lounja Bar and La Ferme (Moroccan).
- Spa and wellness area — 3,500m² spa with 8 treatment rooms, 2 traditional hammams, a private VIP spa, saltwater and sensory pools, and a balneotherapy centre.
- Traditional hammams — Two traditional hammams in the Michlifen Spa, one for women and one for men.
Amenities
- Spa
- Indoor pool
- Sauna
- Hot tub
- Fitness center
- Tennis
- Golf course
- Horseback riding
- Pet-friendly
- Kids club
Awards
- MICHELIN One Key (2026)
Open Michlifen Resort & Golf in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.