What could possibly make Marrakech more romantic?  It already has medieval lanes festooned with brilliantly hued lamps. It already has towering minarets that call across the jumbled medina rooftops day and night. And it already has the Royal Mansour, a hotel of kingly grandeur and elegance. So what could make Marrakech more romantic? Try springtime.

Even in its mild and quiet winter months, Marrakech is a riot of color and sensation – from the dense fogs of smoke drifting up from the kebabs, to the steamy incense of the city’s baths. But before the rush of summer high season, when the temperatures climb and the city bakes under a fiery North African sun, the flowers bloom and the breezes blow down out of the High Atlas. This is spring in Morocco’s most beloved imperial city.

March in Marrakech: think bougainvillea and wild flowers; think quiet walks through the palmaerie and the Majorelle Gardens, restored in the 1980s by none other than the legendary master of elegance and luxury, Yves Saint Laurent; think outdoor adventure in the hills; think mint tea and (of course) endless hours amongst the shaded stalls and stunning architecture of the old city.

And if the Royal Mansour –with luxurious riads and winding pathways contained within its soaring red walls – is a microcosm of Marrakech itself, so too does its springtime splendor emulate that of the marvelous city outside. This is the best time to enjoy the scents of flowers from the quiet paths of the Royal Mansour’s gardens, the best time to bask in the gentle sun from the private courtyard and rooftop terrace of your personal riad, the best time to unwind in the spa and dine on some of the finest Moroccan cuisine Marrakech has to offer. The best time, in other words, to feel like royalty.

There’s no more regal way to enjoy the springtime than this.

LOOK NOW: Winter is on its way out, so book your own private paradise at the Royal Mansour now.