A HOLIDAY in Morocco might mean riads in Marrakesh, rucksacks in the High Atlas, or a resort on the Essaouira corniche.

Now, with more of us seeking places to host landmark life events - 40th birthdays, weddings, or just an excuse to party with friends - it is also a destination for exotic house parties.

You may be looking for the big production, the kind that includes camel trains and personal shoppers, or merely for a cluster of tents under the stars. Here's our pick:

RIAD MERIEM

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Background

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Buried deep in Marrakesh's medina, this hip riad would make a stylish setting for a small, relaxed group. Riad Meriem is the offspring of the New York interior designer Thomas Hays, who has opted for design-led opulence. Polished plaster walls frame single works of art: here a Sumatran ceremonial cloth, there an African carving. A cheerful informality prevails. Lost in the medina? A call from one of the riad's mobile phones conjures up a helpful young man on a scooter.

Details: Riad Meriem (www.riadmeriem.com) sleeps ten in five bedrooms. Exclusive hire costs £825 a night or £930 with breakfast.

DAR AHLAM

A 30-minute hop from Marrakesh by light aircraft takes you to Ouarzazate, frontier territory between the desert and the Atlas Mountains. The Skoura Oasis lies about 30km (18 miles) east, through countryside strangely familiar thanks to its career as a film set (Hideous Kinky, Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven). Here, the French events organiser Thierry Teissier has staged his own production. Dar Ahlam, the House of Dreams, is a mud-walled kasbah that has been lavished with glowing colours and works of art. Gourmet dinners are never taken in the same place twice, and excursions into the Valley of Roses can all be laid on.

Details: Dar Ahlam (www.maisonsdesreves.com) sleeps 24-30 in nine suites and three villas. Exclusive hire (based on 24 sharing) costs £7,166 a night, all inclusive.

THE DESERT

Dar Ahlam's own camp, El Khiam Ahlam, provides a night-time encounter with the Sahara. Square white tents, each hidden in its own fold of the dunes, are furnished with simple elegance: a double bed with Egyptian cotton sheets, a brass basin and local rugs.

Details: El Khiam Ahlam (www.maisonsdesreves.com) sleeps ten in five tents. Exclusive hire costs £5,972 a night, all inclusive with transfers to/from Dar Ahlam.

GUEMASSA DESERT

For partying groups wanting to combine nomad chic with shopping, the Guemassa desert starts, handily, just outside Marrakesh. A French entrepreneur, together with the travel company Cazenove + Loyd, will rest his caravan of beautifully appointed tents to order, using local contacts to lay on all manner of revels. Forget goatskins, think of hot showers, mint tea and tiny pastries served on silken cushions, plus a minibar and an irresistible spa.

By arrangement exclusively with Cazenove + Loyd (see below).

DAR AZAWAD

At the foot of the Djebel Bani range, Dar Azawad offers a cheap-and-cheerful oasis to explorers of the great Saharan caravan routes who pass through the Drâa Valley. The hotel lies on the edge of the dunes, almost 100km south of Zagora. The French owner-manager has kept things simple, using local craft techniques where possible. Moroccan meals feature lamb, couscous, spiced vegetables and piles of fruit. The pool beckons.

Details: Dar Azawad (www.daraz awad.com) sleeps 26 in 13 rooms (up to 52, including the Berber tents on site). Exclusive hire for £1,288 a night on half board, based on 26 sharing.

Need to know

Cazenove + Loyd (020-7384 2332, www.cazloyd.com) can arrange exclusive-use stays in the above properties or trips ranging from a weekend away for a family or group of friends to a week-long extravanganza for 100 guests. A party for ten people in Marrakesh costs from £731pp, with three nights in a riad, breakfast, dinners, return flights, transfers and a guided tour of the medina.

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