Morocco Gateway
English-owned Riads and Hotels in Morocco
We are often asked about English-owned and therefore English-speaking riads and hotels in Morocco – Marrakesh and Fez in particular.
There are a number of these riads and hotels, which we have listed here for viewing ease.
It is useful to remember that whilst these riads and hotels are owned by English people, that is not to say that these owners are there on site when guests are there. Often, in our experience, the English owners (like French and other nationality owners) will travel to and from Morocco throughout the year. Do not expect them therefore always to be your hosts.
Often however, the English owners are on site or can be contacted during a stay if needed. They also tend to ensure that their staff speak a high standard of English.
Dar Zemora was purchased in summer of 2001 by its English owners and opened in September 2003 as a guesthouse comprising four suites and three bedrooms. Created as a “country house hotel” Dar Zemora is a convenient retreat, situated in the peaceful Palmeraie area but within a short drive to the city of Marrakech. Read more about Dar Zemora here.
Dar Zemora pool above.
Originally home to a fortune-teller, Riad Zamzam is located in the historical and religious site of Zaouia Sidi Bel Abbess, the shrine of Sir Bel Abbess. It is now owned by Emma and Marcus Joyston-Bechal who moved to Morocco from the UK in order to restore the riad (you read more on their adventures in coming to Morocco at their blog here). Or read more about Riad Zamzam here.
View over Fez from Dar 47
In Fez, Dar 47 was purchased in 2007 by owners Michael and Emma Crane for its panoramic views of the medina. The house offers exclusive rental from two to nine people, with a minimum of a two-day stay. Located near the centre of Fez, guests can expect a short drive to the city centre and places of interest, or slightly longer walks. Read more about Dar 47 here.
A full listing of English-owned and English-speaking riads and hotels in Morocco can be viewed by clicking here.
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Honeymoon options in Morocco
For soon-to-be married couples who are planning a honeymoon in Morocco, there are many good specialist honeymoon providers who offer a full service including flights, concierges, activities and transfers. A google search will uncover these providers.
But they can charge royally for these services and this can be expensive on top of the cost of the wedding.
Fortunately there is a good alternative in going for a self-arranged honeymoon. Not only is this far cheaper, it is also more personal as you have control and discretion over all elements of the honeymoon.
For couples looking for a high-end luxury bolt-hole, good options include Ana Yela, Jnane Tamsna, Riyad al Moussika , Tigmi (image below) and Dar Zemora. More luxury hotel and riad options can be found here.
We have also put a list together of romantic hotels and riad getaways across Morocco which is a good starting place for accommodation ideas. You can view this list by clicking here.
If there is more of a budget, there is a good range of mid-priced riads and hotels in Marrakech including Riad L’Orangeraie , Riad Dar One, and Riad El Cadi. More mid-price option in Marrakesh can be found here.
People tend to head for Marrakesh as a first option on an honeymoon, but Fes is also worth considering– it is less visited than Marrakesh but perhaps more intensely romantic. There is a good selection of mid-priced boutique riads and hotels listed here. Riad Fes and Riad Alkantara are good starters for a search in Fes.
Finally, who can beat a trip to the Sahara desert for a honeymoon?? We list a number of kasbahs and hotels which are familar with taking care of people on their honeymoon. You can view these by clicking here.
Remember that all the hotels and riads listed on Morocco Gateway can arrange transfers to and from these desert hotels for those honeymooners who want a mix of sand and city.
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children-free, honeymoon fes, honeymoon fez, honeymoon in Morocco, honeymoon marrakech, honeymoon marrakesh
Morocco self catering accommodation
For people looking a self-catering accommodation option in Morocco, many of the riads and hotels clearly do not fit the bill.
But good news! There are a small number of riads and private apartments which do offer self-catering, most of them also providing a house-keeper who can very usefully assist with food ingredients buying and preparation.
Located near the centre of Fez, Dar 47 offers exclusive rental from two to nine people in its five bedrooms. Dar 47 has two terraces – the front terrace is a good place for guests to sunbathe with sun loungers, parasols, tables and chairs and a “rainforest” shower to cool off in while the rear terrace on the other hand becomes an al-fresco venue. A built-in barbeque, dining table and lounging chairs adjoins to a terrace kitchen which is fully equipped for guests to use. Although Dar 47 is generally thought a self-catering accommodation choice, the live-in housekeeper provides breakfast and daily cleaning. Additionally, guests can request lunch and dinner for a supplementary cost. Read more about Dar 47 here.
Dar 47 terrace above
Chez Rebecca in Essaouira on the Atlantic Coast is a self-catering apartment in Essaouira’s historically listed medina. The house itself is round 150 years old and renovated in 2008 by four English friends and managed by a Moroccan team of staff. Its location is central, with food souks on the doorstep, and the beach only a ten minute walk away. Chez Rebecca includes a fully-equipped kitchen, spacious living room and dining area. Read more about Chez Rebecca here.
Chez Rebecca terrace above
You may also want to look at the private riad and house options across Morocco here which do provide all meal catering but without the need to share with other guests.
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New year in Marrakesh and Morocco
For those people who have not yet arranged their new year’e eve and day, Morocco and Marrakesh in particular represents a great destination, only a few hours from the UK and Europe, and offering sun, clear skies (usually!) and a party atmosphere!
Most riads and hotels stay open for the Christmas and New Year season, and some of these have interesting special offers for their remaining rooms – you can read more about there in our recent article on special offers here. Remember that most of these special offers have been negotiated by Morocco Gateway and are therefore only available through ourselves.
For those people who want to get away but for peace and quiet, there are a number of riads and hotels on the outskirts of Marrakesh such as La Palmeraie area, which are always popular over the Festive season. We have listed these in a selection called “Marrakesh Borders” here.
Almost of interest may be our list of clubs and restaurants in Marrakesh here.
For family trips in Marrakesh and across Morocco, have a look at our selection of family-friendly riads and hotels here, and for multi-family parties, you may also want to look at a choice of riads and hotels that cater for large parties by clicking here.
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Erg Chebbi – Sand Dunes on the periphery of the Sahara Desert
Morocco’s Erg Chebbi sand dunes are located close to the town of Merzouga, which is located about 45 kilometres south east of Erfoud and about 35 kilometres southeast of Rissani. Click here to see a map of Merzouga and the nearby towns or here to start looking at hotels and kasbahs close by.
The Erg Chebbi is roughly 20 km long and 5 km wide and belongs to the Sahara desert.
Image by atsjebosma
An erg is a large, relatively flat area of desert covered with windswept sand with very little or no vegetation. The term takes its name from the Arabic word erg, meaning “dune field”. An Erg is defined to be a desert area that contains more than 125 square kilometres wind-blown sand and where sand covers more than 20% of the surface. The largest hot desert in the world is the Sahara (9,000,000 km²). It contains several ergs such as Erg Chebbi.
Activities that people are drawn to in Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes include:
- Sunset or Sunrise Camel Trekking
- Sand Board
- Quad Adventure
- Desert Hiking
- Night Camp Oasis inside the Dunes
- 4X4 Around the Dunes Tour
- Local Berber Culture experiences such as live desert village music
All of the hotels and kasbahs shown here will arrange the full range of these activities as well as offering good value accommodation. These are Auberge Derkaoua, also known as Desert Inn, in Erfoud, Kasbah Ennasra in Rissini, and Ksar Jenna and Dar Azawad in Zagora. We have negotiatied unique special offers with many of these for Morocco Gayeway users – so look out for these!
All these hotels are within a short car journey of the Erg Chebbi and benefit from being away from Merzouga, which is more of a functional gateway town than a destination to stay in.
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The Barbary Macaque of Morocco
The Barbary Macaque (Macaca sylvanus) resides chiefly in Morocco and in the mountains of Algeria, with a much smaller population making their home in Gibraltar. The species is considered one of the Old World monkeys and are the only free living primates in Europe, with the exception of humans. Often referred to as the Barbary Ape they are however true monkeys.
Morocco’s Barbary Macaque measures somewhere between 38 and 76 cm in length and has a mass between 5 to 13 kg. They are tailless macaques and their front limbs are longer than the hind limbs. The fur of the Barbary Macaque is yellow-brown to grayish with paler undersides. Their faces are a dark pink color. In general, they are recorded to live for approximately 22 years.
So where will you find Barbary Macaques in Morocco? They are typically found at elevations between 1 600 and 2 100 m or higher, in the Atlas Mountains. They prefer forests consisting of oak, cedar and pine trees. Their waking hours, which are during the day, are spent both in the trees and on the ground. They are an herbivorous species and thus feed on fruit, leaves and roots, but are also known to nibble on insects.
Barbary Macaques are gregarious and live in troops of between 10 to 30 monkeys. It is a matriarchal system, which means that the head female leads the group. However the troop is generally a blend of males and females. The lead female is determined through family lineage and the entire troop hierarchy is also run according to lineage. Barbary’s are unique amongst the macaques in that the males play a vital role in rearing and caring for offspring. They participate in grooming and playing with the young monkeys and thus form close social bonds. They have even been noted to have favorite youngsters with whom they spend more time. It appears the females prefer to select males which show greater parental ability and willingness.
Mating season for the Barbary Macaques is between November and March. Following conception, the gestation period lasts 196 days. The female will give birth to a single offspring. These young monkeys will only reach maturity at around 3 to 4 years of age.
Sadly, the Barbary Macaque is under threat due to habitat loss and ignorance. The IUCN Red List has added the species to the “Vulnerable” list.
The Barbary Macaque can be seen in the OUzoud valley, a day trip from any riad and hotel in Marrakesh and from any hotel in the Atlas Mountain area.
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Marrakesh’s Dar Si Said Museum
The DAR SI SAID MUSEUM is a sumptuous palace in Marrakech which houses the very quintessence of Moroccan art.
On the ground floor you can find clothes, objects in beaten copper, arms and Berber jewellery.
Splendours from the past? Not at all, for many of the objects on display are still used and worn in mountain areas of Morocco.
The first floor salon impresses with its Hispano-Moorish decoration and elegant furniture in cedar wood.
The other rooms are filled with an abundance of carpets such as those originating from the Sahara region, characterised by the use of leather, and large, simple mats evoking the dry beauty of the semi-desert.
A remarkable collection of door and window frames is to be found around the courtyard, all encrusted with delicate and refined ornamentation.
And once back in the streets of Marrakesh, one can often better appreciate that the City’s inhabitants know how to keep the traditions of their culture alive.
The DAR SI SAID MUSEUM is located within a short distance of many of the riads and hotels of Marrakesh listed here.
El Badi Palace in Marrakech
Commissioned in 1578 under the Saadi dynasty in celebration of victory at the Battle of Three Kings, the El Badi Palace in Marrakech is still a popular attraction in Morocco despite its quite poor state.
It took approximately twenty-five years for the massive palace to be constructed, and the riches and decoration were so overwhelming that it took Alaouite Sultan Mawlay Ismail twelve years to destroy. Mawlay used the pieces from the El Badi Palace to create his own palace in Meknes, leaving just the shell of the palace behind, which has become a historical landmark in Marrakech.
It is said that the palace once had three hundred and sixty rooms and was decorated in Sudanese gold, ivory, Italian marble, semi-precious stones and cedar wood. Visitors to the palace will still be able to walk through the courtyard with its large pools and sunken gardens, even though the fountains that once graced this courtyard are no longer there.
The small dungeon with four cells, where the sultan kept his prisoners, has also survived and can be viewed. The palace that used to host lavish parties and royal gatherings is still the venue for music and festivities, as the National Festival of Popular Arts is hosted here annually. The entrance fee for the El Badi Palace is ten Dirham (c.€1).
The El Badi Palace is a short distance from any of the hotels and Riads of Marrakech listed here.
Christmas and New Year 2010 in Marrakesh and Morocco
Looking to spend Christmas and New Year 2010 in Marrakech or elsewhere in Morocco? Here are some ideas of what is available (at the time of print!) in Marrakesh and elsewhere across Morocco.
Riad Ksiba in Marrakesh is a small riad has 2 suites still remaining for Christmas and New Year. And for people who stay more than 6 nights, they offer a complimentary dinner the day of arrival and put maroccan patisseries, a bottle of water and flowers in rooms upon arrival.
Close by in Marrakesh also, The Zen House has some availbaility and offer group discounts – ask the owner Carla both these in any enquiry you submit through us. Special occasions can also be celebrated at Zen House. Recent celebrations the riad has organised include a 4-day birthday celebration for a group of 12 and dinners with live traditional music and dancing.
Image byPigFromSpace
La Maison Arabe has a selection of rooms and suites over the Christmas and New Year. Ask also about their popular cookery classes.
Just outside central Marrakesh, and for a luxurious and preaecful Christmas and new Year holiday, Caravanserai is a boutique hotel offering seventeen stylish rooms in the tranquil northern Marrakech region of La Palmeraie. It still has some available Suites or Superior Suites. Read more about the hotel here.
If you fancy avoiding the city, then Ksar Shama is located in Ouirgane in foothills of the Atlas Mountains, just an hour by car from Marrakesh. They also offer Morocco Gateway users a number of special offers where they stay for 5 days or more – read more about these offers and the hotel here.
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Riad Attajmil’s New Farm
One of the Marrakech riads on Morocco Gateway, the popular Dar Attajmil, has recently acquired a small farm, Farm of Lalla Abouch, located 25 km south of Essaouira.
The owner of Dar Attajmil, Lucrezia Mutti tells us more about the Farm and what it offers it guests:
“Working with families of the area, we cultivate and process our products using local materials and traditional techniques” under the caring eye of Argan Abouch, a hundred year old argan tree to whom locals are devoted. We welcome guests to visit us and enjoy a healthy way of life that can only be found in rural Morocco.”
“During their stay, guests can enjoy privacy, a tranquil setting, traditional rustic meals and also easy walking treks through the surrounding area, donkey trails and other farm activities. Breath-taking sand beaches and the lovely beachside town of Essaouira are close by. We also offer massage and yoga classes at the farm, and for those who appreciate culinary arts a cooking experience is available, introducing guests to some of the most typical and authentic Berber dishes.”
The Farm of Lalla Abouch grows a variety of herbs, vegetables, and grains including barley and wheat for our breads and couscous. They also raise poultry, rabbits, and goats for milk and goat cheese – all organic.
They also produce their own organic olive oil and argan oil for both culinary and cosmetic purposes.
Guests are welcome to share in any moment of the farmer’s life, from barley harvest in May and olive oil extraction at the old mill in October, to caring for the goats and cultivating the orchards and gardens all year round. If preferred, guest can just rest in a hammock, have a dip in the pool, or go on a walk with the farm’s dogs.
To get in contact with Lucrezia directly and to learn more about staying at the Farm, visit our Dar Attajmil profile.