Haute Hammam in Marrakech

It could be argued that there is no better way to kick off a trip to Marrakech than with a hammam. The steam and cleansing ritual is both tradition (considered a must-do when visiting Morocco) and a superb way to release toxins and improve circulation, especially after a long-haul flight. Finding one in Marrakech is like looking for a pastry shop in Paris—they are everywhere, but not all experiences are equal. At La Mamounia (from $900; mamounia.com), the palace hotel set in a magnificent, rosy compound with striking gardens planted during the 18th century, find the Hammam Ritual among signature treatments at its palatial spa.

Staff members serve mint tea and dates in the calming, ground-floor courtyard at the spa, where the tiled indoor swimming pool and facilities provide respite from the city’s crowded, buzzy alleyways. For treatments, walk into an underground area with various enclaves, including a zen room, a tiled courtyard with a calming pool of water, and an area for a private hammam experience. The treatment begins with a 15-minute sweat session in a seething steam chamber. Once your toxins are released, the practitioner hoses you down in the shower with orange blossom soap and leads you into a cool, inky room to lie down on a smooth marble table. The cleansing and hydrating experience begins with a purifying black soap infused with neroli and eucalyptus. During a deep exfoliation, the entire body is rubbed with an amber honey paste and a Kessa glove to remove dead skin and improve circulation. After you’re wrapped in a detoxifying ghassoul clay (made from natural mineral clay usually sourced in the Atlas Mountains) and then rinsed, a hydrating argan oil is applied all over, leaving the skin feeling as plush and polished as a freshly bathed baby.

A fresh mint tea appears at the end of the ritual, served in the cool relaxation area. You can order another cup by the pool or at Le Salon de Thé par Pierre Hermé, where you can also devour a date and amlou macarons (almond, argan oil, and honey) around a bubbling marble fountain. The entire experience will have you fully restored and reset for the other Moroccan must-do: pounding the pavements of the Medina.