Rosemary is an absolute labour of love and the fullest expression of the joie de vivre of talented local artist Larence Leenaert and her partner Ayoub. It took them five years to apply their creative magic to every wall, floor, surface and piece of furniture in this fun five-bedroom riad.
The riad sits next to the Bahia Palace in a well-to-do neighbourhod in the south of the old city, well away from the fray of the souks. From here, it’s an enjoyable 15-minute walk to the Djemaa el-Fna up Riad Zitown el-jDid: a great street full of classic tailors, babouche makers and popular restaurants. For jaunts out to the Gueliz pick up a taxi at Place des Ferblantiers near the Mellah (Jewish Quarter), another great area to explore.
“The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it” reads the Emerson quote on Rosemary’s website. This says a lot about Laurence and Ayoub’s people-centric approach which is what makes this riad so delightful. But Rosemary is also a place where the house really is as interesting as the arty crowd that fill it. For starters, the building is a stunning mansion centred on a giant Jacaranda tree that rains surreal showers of violet blossom two or three times a year. It took 40 artisans five years to decorate the place in a palette of gentle, earthy colours. Underfoot is a bespoke terrazzo floor and on the walls and on table tops handcut zellij tiles depict Laurence’s original designs.
Each room features a stained glass door which all look like artworks around the patio. Bulbous plaster subtles are an experimental new addition to the LRNCE portfolio and sit alongside wrought-iron chairs with back-rests like flowers. It’s a marvel and you’ll find yourself instagramming endless pictures of stools, tables and chairs.
This is very much a home style stay so while there is someone on reception until late and bar service on the roof terrace, you are largely left to enjoy the house as if it were your own. That generally means lounging on the two-person sunbeds on the huge roof terrace or reading a book and taking a dip in the plunge pool on the patio. If you want lunch or dinner or to plan an excursion, Michelle (Laurence’s sister and the hotel manager) is at the house most mornings to help with arrangements. There’s also a handy list of favourites sites, restaurants and bars in the room.
The riad’s great hammam is available on request for full body scrubs and massages. Best of all are the fun pottery painting workshops Laurence runs personally on the roof terrace (check the website for dates). If your pot doesn’t quite live up to expectations, you can swap it for one in the shop which carries a fab selection of LRNCE (Laurence and her partner Ayoub’s interior design studio) homewares.
Rosemary’s five suites are some of the best in the old city in terms of size, comfort, finish and originality. All of them have a separate dressing room or lounge, as well as a huge bathroom. The largest suite, Rosemary, is around the size of an apartment. Four of the rooms are on the first floor and two of those have secluded balconies. The multi-coloured Arabescato marble in the bathrooms have fun towel hooks on which hang LRNCE bath robes. Three of them come with baths, the rest walk-in showers.
In the rooms, just as the rest of the hotel, you’ll be dazzled by the carved cedarwood sideboards, the hand-embroidered percale bedsheets and handloomed carpets. It is a joy to exist in such creative spaces.
Breakfast is served on the plant-framed roof terrace. It’s a simple but plentiful local feast of batbout bread, pancakes, homemade jam and yoghurt, granola bowls and an omelette or egg if you want it.
Lunch and dinner need to be booked in advance. There’s a set weekly menu for the latter which focuses on classic tagines, pastilla (layered pastry pie filled with chicken or fish) and couscous on Fridays. They come with a Moroccan salad starter and desserts such as “muhallabia”, a Moroccan milk pudding flavoured with orange blossom or rose water.
There are no adapted rooms and no elevator to the roof terrace. That said, there is a ground floor suite that has minimal steps to reach, though this would not suit a guest using a wheelchair.
Rosemary is an adults-only riad with a tranquil atmosphere. Older children from the age of 14 are welcome but beds can’t be added to rooms. It is possible to hire the whole riad, which is a great family option as it has just 5 rooms. In that case, children of any age are welcome.
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