A traditional riad full of colour and charm with just three comfortable suites decorated with examples of centuries-old craft work. A great homely alternative in a sea of designer guest-houses.
Set in a secluded spot in the north-west of the old city, near Bab Tarzout and the thriving, local Bab el Khemis market. It’s a good 15-minute walk to the Medersa Ben Youssef and the Marrakech Museum and a 20-minute walk to the Djemaa el-Fna.
Riad Samsara is a meticulously restored old city house with a pretty, zellij-tiled courtyard draped in huge swathes of hot-pink bougainvillea and trailing roses. The house has been designed with space, seclusion and personal service in mind. There are just three large guest rooms and two jewel-like salons all decked out with thick rugs, silk cushions and richly tinted tadelakt plaster walls. They are all imbued with colour and cosiness. What’s more, the house has some delightful, hand-carved stucco and cedarwood detailing, making for endlessly interesting angles and views.
Owner Jacqueline Brandt welcomes travellers in search of an original old city experience. She has lived here since 1999 and the house, along with the long-serving staff, has the feel of a well-loved home. Guests in search of adventure may want to combine a stay here with a few days in Jacqueline’s mountain refuge, Douar Samra, in Imlil on the slopes of Mount Toubkal. Although staff speak a little English, you should brush up on your French.
Each of the three bedrooms is individually decorated with a mix of Moroccan and European furniture and crafts. The Jacaranda room is the most romantic, with it’s four-poster brass bed and turquoise tadelakt bathroom, while the Olivia suite is the largest with a high, hand-painted ceiling and hot-red bathroom. All rooms are air-conditioned and heated, and each has a snug brick fireplace for those cold desert nights.
Breakfast is usually served on the flower-framed roof terrace, which has good views over the old city rooftops. All other meals need to be requested in advance and can be served either on the terrace or seated on floor cushions in the salon. Milouda serves classic Moroccan dishes such as tagine, tangia (lamb stew) and bastilla (a savoury, pastry dish layered with either pigeon or fish), and you’ll usually find a complimentary cup of mint tea awaiting you on your return from old city jaunts.
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Children are warmly welcomed at Riad Samsara although there’s limited space and there’s no pool. The Hibiscus room and Olivia room can both accommodate extra beds, which are charged at £19 per night.
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