Grand Hotel Villa de France

Two blocks above the Kasbah walls, Grand Hotel Villa de France occupies the site where Matisse once painted his Tangier window views, at the corner of Rue de Hollande and Angleterre. The five-star property overlooks the Strait of Gibraltar, with the medina's Petit Socco a ten-minute walk downhill.

Rooms keep tall French windows and wrought-iron balconies from the original 1920s build. The rooftop terrace and restaurant face north toward Spain on clear days.

A practical base for travelers combining medina culture with sea views, away from the port's cruise-ship crowds.