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Marrakech has it all: history, romance and atmosphere. It exudes a happening, hip vibe, but it also has a sterling pedigree. The architecture is amazing, the gardens gorgeous, the shopping an ethnic extravaganza. Everywhere there is color and light. You have only to look in the hotel guest books or at the ubiquitous watercolors of the palm trees and the deserts to see that Marrakech attracts an artistic crowd. Yves Saint Laurent and Jean Paul Gautier own homes here. Interior designers Nina Campbell and Juan Montoya shop in the galleries and boutiques. From Doris Day and Gary Cooper to Kate Moss and Diddy, the movers and shakers of past generations and today are drawn to Marrakech. Indeed, for many A-listers, Marrakech has become the place to party. Its intoxicating appeal comes from the fact that it’s both a theater of life a thousand years old and an apex of modern style. Where else in Africa can you plunge into a centuries-old souk, dodging donkeys and haggling over slippers, before heading for drinks in an achingly cool lounge-restaurant?

All over town this edgy new finesse is mixed with the ancient Moroccan culture. Much of the country’s transformation has occurred under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, an enlightened ruler who ascended to the throne in 1999. Mohammed’s reign has been one of progress: he has instituted more freedoms for women and introduced a tourist police force to protect travelers. Look around and you will see women in veils with smoky kohl eyes chatting with friends dressed in Prada, mobiles ringing, at fashionable cafés serving fresh mint tea and Italian pastries. In the past few years, restaurants have undergone a makeover as well, and hotels have upped their luxury quotient without sacrificing their Moroccan roots. And there’s enough history here to keep traditionalists happy, but not so much as to be exhausting. If you’re looking for an indulgent time in an exotic place, it doesn’t get any better than Marrakech.