Once home to the King’s jester (seriously), this grand, sandstone-coloured riad offers out-of-the-ordinary glamour, nine opulent suites, a superb, fine-dining restaurant, a serious, leather-clad cocktail bar, an opulent spa and two huge courtyards with water-conserving, filtered pools.
Set on a narrow lane off a teeming street leading from the Bab Doukkala gate to the heart of the old city, Noir d’Ivoire with within easy walking distance of the Djemaa el Fna, the Medersa Ben Youssef and the souks.
Styled by tastemaker Jill Fechtman, this opulent riad is furnished in showy style with Moroccan handicrafts, Syrian furnishings with mother-of-pearl inlay, engraved silver Christofle chairs and plump European sofas. Yield to the temptation and sink into a gentle armchair in the well-stocked library where you can browse rare books, lounge by the grand piano in the bar or enjoy shiatsu and chocolates by the secluded spa fireplace.
At the heart of the guesthouse are the two enormous courtyards with their blue plunge pools (one heated) lined by leafy banana trees. At night, they’re candlelit to dramatic effect for romantic dining.
From the generous pools (one heated and one a smaller, cold plunge pool) and secluded hammam to personalised itineraries, hot-stone massages, cookery classes, free-of-charge mobiles and switched-on, 24-hour concierge service, this riad offers a level of service equivalent to many top-end hotels. Furthermore, the staff are well-trained, personable and multilingual.
From massive king-sized canopy beds to Bang and Olufsen sound-systems, silk-tasselled curtains and champagne-stocked minibars, the rooms at this riad are designed for maximum dramatic effect. The décor is unique in each, taking its cue from the African animal it is named after. Zebra is a graphic onslaught of black-and-white upholstery and furniture inlaid with bone and ebony, while Desert Fox is a symphony of rust reds set ablaze by the subtle from a cut copper lantern.
The glamour continues in the tadelakt bathrooms with Empire-style fittings, beaten silver sinks and twinkling, cut-brass lanterns. Double rooms come with showers only, while suites have twin sinks, tubs and showers. For the maximum sybaritic experience book the Honeymoon or Zebra Suites, which both have secluded hot tubs on the roof terrace.
A healthy breakfast of shredded kiwi fruit, apples, grapes and poached eggs is served on the roof terrace and can be topped up by an Asian salad, smoked salmon sandwich or quiche come lunch time. But the real show-stopper is chef Youssef Jbari’s contemporary-Moroccan dining menu. Designed to showcase the very best seasonal flavours his inventive menus include spacious dishes such as lobster bisque and subtleest fillet of St Pierre fish, served with a spoonful of delicate mash potato, charred fennel and crunchy asparagus. In a town that tends to favour heavy meat dishes and spice-filled flavours, his exceptional, unfussy cooking is a revelation.
To accompany the nice food, there’s a 3,000-bottle wine list all kept in a carefully temperature-controlled cellar. Wine-tasting sessions are planned for the future to introduce guests to the increasingly good range of Moroccan wines. For special occasions, you can request a personalised, multi-course menu (approximately £130 per person).
Not suitable.
Children below the age of 12 are discouraged. This is a swanky, romantic riad so families may feel out of place.
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