With its striking colonnaded patio modelled on the Medersa Ali Ben Youssef, this riad’s soaring architecture accommodates six sumptuous suites, a library, a couple of Colonial-style lounges, a rooftop solarium and sleek jade-green pool as the centrepiece.
It’s extremely well located just steps from the Koutoubia mosque, which you can spy from the roof terrace. Access is from Bab Ksour and cars can drop you practically at the door. The souks and Djemaa el Fna are a five-minute walk and the Ville Nouvelle is a 10-minute taxi ride.
This riad comes with serious design credentials created as it was by Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty, the stylists behind the iconic Café de la Poste. The house has the same comfortable Colonial vibe although it’s set within some impressive architectural bones. White wicker chairs and chaise longue adorn the great colonnaded patio with its intricately carved columns and cedar wood ceilings. In the lounges, fat leather chairs sit squarely in front of delightful fireplaces with walls wrapped in woven matting or lined with leather panels. African statuettes and black-and-white vintage portraits add to the Out of Africa atmosphere. Even the staircase is a statement, swirling like a snail’s shell up to a roof terrace lined with loungers and floor cushions.
Like its looks, service at this riad is organised and sophisticated from seamless airport transfers to in-room massages and a full concierge service from 8am to 8pm. Other than that it’s a pretty low maintenance sort of place with guests spending most of their time sunbathing on the roof terrace and dipping in the unheated patio pool.
The riad has three rooms and three suites. All are large, bright and comfortable with striking graphic décor, enviable hand-carved furniture and inviting plump beds swathed in white linen. Bathrooms – some with freestanding tubs, others with walk-in showers – come in polished tadelakt with shining marble sinks and retro Colonial fittings. All are equipped with dual-function air-conditioners, safes, complimentary bath products and water.
Atika and Souad turn out some very nice Moroccan fare from the kitchen. Breakfast can be served wherever guests want it, while lunch and dinner need to be pre-booked. There’s a separate dedicated dining room, which gives dining a nice sense of occasion. Cookery courses are also available and involve a trip to the market and then a half-day lesson.
No.
Not particularly although children are accepted. Under fives stay free and cots are available. Extra beds cost £22-37 for five-12 year olds/12 years plus. The additional breakfast costs £9 and babysitting is available by request.
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