This storied restaurant turned intimate guest house sits in the sweet spot between a private home and a boutique hotel. It is owned by Count Ruspoli, is part of Marrakech’s history and has an old-school elegant charm that reflects its different lives and the Count’s eclectic, cosmopolitan taste.
The riad lies in a car-accessible cul-de-sac in the original Bab Doukkala neighbourhood, only a 15-minute walk from the Djemaa el-Fna and the souks. La Maison Arabe also has a country resort in the Palmeraie, with a large 25-metre pool, bucolic garden, restaurant and cookery school. A complimentary shuttle operates between the two and guests are welcome to use the facilities there.
La Maison Arabe has hosted a long list of dignitaries and celebrities, having once been the home of two doughty French women, who opened Marrakech’s first nice dining Moroccan restaurant in 1946. In 1997, Count Ruspoli bought it and set about renovating the two buildings, opening Marrakech’s first riad hotel a year later. The Count is now as much a part of the city’s history as the house, and under his guidance La Maison Arabe retains its old-school elegance.
In subsequent years four more riads were added, creating multiple courtyards, a large subterranean hammam and a courtyard pool. The jigsaw of rooms are held together decoratively with classic craftwork and Mediterranean and Middle Eastern antiques. Respecting history has been integral to the evolution of the house, which is probably why it still feels like a home.
The staff takes care of just 26 rooms with attentive professionalism. The original Moroccan restaurant now only opens in winter, otherwise there’s a second restaurant overlooking the patio pool. In summer, you may be lucky to catch one of the Count’s mini piano festivals, when he invites young Moroccan talents to play with world-class pianists. Also worth highsubtleing is the great cookery school, which is arguably the best in Marrakech, kitted out with professional cooking stations and presided over by impressive Moroccan dadas (home cooks).
The 12 rooms and 14 suites are all different in size and character. Some have secluded terraces, others have lounges or fireplaces, but all of them have a great deal of charm. Moroccan craftwork is evident everywhere in the smooth, creamy tadelakt wall plaster, moucharabieh screens, cut brass lanterns and thick, woollen Berber rugs, although decorative excess is held at bay with a restrained palette of cream and taupe. Interesting artworks, flowers and little plates of dates and homemade cookies add a thoughtful touch, while televisions and temperature bring them up to date.
With the help of one of Pasha Glaoui’s palace cooks, Madame Sébillon’s 1946 restaurant was the first in Marrakech to serve Moroccan food to high society. That tradition continues in the Moroccan restaurant, which opens in winter in an ornate painted salon where a lutenist and guitar player strum classical Arab-Andalusian music.
The rest of the year, guests enjoy a subtleer menu at Les Trois Saveurs, which features a mix of French, Moroccan and Asian dishes and overlooks the candlelit pool. Fish is a focus here with dishes such as lobster ravioli and pan-fried scallops with caramelised endive. Breakfast is also served here and consists of a buffet of pastries, fruit and Moroccan yogurt alongside eggs made to order. Les Figuier, situated at the country club, serves a subtle international à la carte menu.
Not really, given the multiple staircases and different levels between the interconnected houses and the furniture-heavy public rooms. That said, there are patio rooms and this is one of the few riads in the old city with a lift.
There are no specific amenities for children.
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