British Bee brothers Daniel and Richard bring their signature style of laid-back, affordable luxury to this grand old family riad near the Pacha’s palace.
Superbly located steps from the Dar el Bacha palace (a great place to pick up taxis) and only five to 10 minutes’ walk to the souks, the Medersa Ben Youssef and the Djemaa el-Fna.
So successful was the Bee formula in Fez that brothers Daniel and Michael thought they’d bring their brand of affordable luxury to Marrakech. Riad Tizwa follows the same winning recipe. The large, delightful house comes with a flower-filled courtyard, wraparound balconies draped in romantic curtains, six generous rooms with comfortable, unfussy furniture and warm, friendly service. Although thoroughly contemporaryised the riad still wears a warm patina of age and sports decorative flourishes of stuccowork and zellij tiling. The overall effect is unpretentious, casual and original.
With five full-time staff and extra on-hand for large parties and families, the service at Riad Tizwa is highly personal, but unobtrusive. They will gladly arrange day trips and are always on hand with old city recommendations. On-site there’s a hammam and spa treatments, and an airport pick-up is provided. The riad also holds a Clef Verte environmental award for responsible tourism practices.
The six generous guestrooms are spread over three floors and vary in size and configuration. The largest and most ornate is the courtyard room at nine metres long, with a gorgeous carved stucco ceiling. By contrast the smallest room, Room Five, is four metres by three metres and has as its bathroom the riad’s hammam. All other rooms are ensuite and come with comfy beds, feather duvets, iPod docking stations, hooded bathrobes, Havaiana flip-flops and locally sourced, natural bath products.
One of the best features of this riad is the cracking roof terrace with its far-reaching old city views. It’s a grand spot for the breakfast banquet of homemade yoghurt, fruit, pastries, semi-leavened Moroccan bread, pancakes and eggs. Other meals, which need to be ordered in advance, consist of Moroccan classics concocted from locally-sourced, organic produce. The beef, prune and almond tagine with its unctuous slow-simmered sauce is particularly good.
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One child under two years old stays for free; additional cots are charged at £18 per night. Extra beds for older children are charged at £30 per night. For family groups the riad is great value, costing just £300 per night and sleeping 12-16 people.
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