Marakesh
Hotel of the Week: Riad Dar Sbihi
If you’re looking for a relaxing break a stone’s throw from Marrakech’s medina, Riad Dar Sbihi could be the one for you.
Hotel: Riad Dar Sbihi
Address: 25, Derb Taht El-Khochba, Zaouia El-Abbassia
Rating: ***
Riad Dar Sbihi sits to the north of Marrakech’s medina, away from the hustle and bustle of city life but just 15 minutes walk from the souks and main square.
Owners Sibylle and Saad Sbihi live in the riad full time, meaning they can always give advice and information to travellers and are more than happy to share their expert knowledge of Marrakech and surrounding area.
Dar Sbihi is a classically designed riad with four arcades giving access to all the rooms. Inside, the riad has been decorated by local craftsmen with Fes-style sculpted plaster, furniture carved from cedar wood and coloured glass windows surrounded by prettily patterned curtains.
This is a large riad, with five standard rooms, three mini suites and two large suites. One of the suites has its own private terrace.
The bathrooms are tiled in a traditional Moroccan style but are European in style. A real treat is contained within, as shower gels, soaps and other toiletries made locally using the famous Moroccan argan oil are on hand for guests to use.
Home made toiletries are also used in the marble hammam, where body scrubs and massages are on offer.
Breakfast is included in the price of your stay and there are also options for lunch and dinner, serving a range of traditional Moroccan cuisine. Mint tea and a selection of pastries are also available.
Indoors, there are two lounges in which to relax, also doubling up as a restaurant in the unlikely event that bad weather prevents eating in the courtyards.
The courtyard itself is beautiful and relaxing with a huge variety of fauna, including peach, banana and lime trees. A fountain filled with fresh flowers provides a central focal point.
Riad Dar Sbihi’s four terraces enable guests to view the Atlas Mountains and nearby sanctuary of Sidi Bel-Abbes. There’s a sun deck on one terrace to soak up the rays, and inside the Douiria (‘small house’) is a small swimming pool for guests to cool down in during the day.
If you’re planning an energetic holiday, there are bikes available for hire, and you can also explore the surrounding area on camel back or quad bike, go horse riding or take a flight in a hot air balloon. All in all, a hotel with something for everyone.
Morocco Gateway can offer special rates for guests at Riad Dar Sbihi. For more information, contact us via our booking enquiry page.
We also have many special offers on Morrocan hotels and riads, both in Marrakech and beyond.
Family holidays to Morocco
Morocco is a great destination for all the family. A family trip to the North African country promises adventure, excitement, the chance to experience an ancient culture, and a large smattering of fun.
Generally, Morocco is very welcoming of children and a child friendly country to visit. Depending on your destination and the age of your children, there are a range of activities for all the family to enjoy.
Activities such as camel trekking are a great way of entertaining older children and teenagers, enabling them to get out and about and experience the richness of Moroccan countryside and stunning Atlas mountains.
If you have younger children, a family excursion in a jeep may be a better option, enabling the younger ones to have a sleep if the heat gets too much for them.
Visiting Marrakesh is an excellent family holiday because there’s lots to do within easy access of the central city. Oasiria Water Park is open throughout and a shuttle bus runs from the city to take you there. There is also an amusement park adjacent to the water park, with bouncy castles and other entertainment to keep the young (and young at heart) occupied.
In the Menara Gardens you can go on cycle rides, climb trees and enjoy a picnic, while at the Royal Equestrian Centre the whole family can have riding lessons and go for a pony trek.
If your children like to try new foods, you can usually ask for a smaller portion of food. In Marrakesh there are also familiar chains such as KFC and Macdonalds. You can also get pizza quite readily here.
Many of the Morocco hotels and riads that Morocco Gateway work with are family friendly, although it is always best to check before making a booking. In general, however, the noise and buzz that children create is welcome and expected in Moroccan destinations.
You can find Morocco Gateway’s family friendly riads and hotels here.
Image credits – CCA: Camel by Mr Angeloux; Marrakesh by Cafe du Monde.
Hotel of the week: La Maison Arabe
If you’re looking for a getaway with a culinary flavour then here’s a Marrakech riad that will really tickle your tastebuds. La Maison Arabe was originally the site of popular Marrakech restaurant during the 1920s. It opened as a riad in 1946 and is now one of the city’s most popular and well-known places to stay.
Hotel: La Maison Arabe
Address: 1 Derb Assehbé, Bab Doukkala , Médina Marrakech
Rating: ****
Food remains central to La Maison Arabe. The riad has two restaurants that are open to guests and visitors alike. Le Restaurant is highly decorated in a traditional Moroccan style, with a hand-painted zouaké ceiling and traditional Moroccan menu.
You will dine accompanied by the gentle tones of lute and guitar and can sample the specialities of the house with some dishes unique to the hotel.
For a less formal dining experience, La Maison Arabe’s second restaurant, Saveurs d’Ailleurs, offers a more modern fusion cuisine of several international dishes in a tapas style. Here, the musical accompaniment is provided by Andalusian pianists.
La Maison Arabe has a famous cookery school, so if the delicious dishes you taste in the two restaurants have whetted your appetite to learn the secrets of Moroccan cookery you can do it without leaving the hotel.
Moroccan chefs will teach you how to cook a variety of dishes, and English, Arabic and French interpreters are all available to help.
Step out of the kitchen and you’ll enter a world of relaxation. An on-site hammam offers traditional steam baths, massages, facials and mud baths, with many of the treatments using locally produced herbs and plants.
There is a private swimming pool, gardens and kasbah located just outside the city, accessible by the riad’s free, private shuttle service in just 15 minutes.
Here there are shaded areas in which you can relax and enjoy light refreshments from the snack bar.
At the main hotel there are two patios, one with an impressive water feature, the other shaded by olive trees and both full of flowers.
Staff at the hotel can arrange activities a little further afield. Golf, tennis and camel riding are among the activities available. Additionally, Maison Arabe is located just minutes from the heart of Marrakech medina.
Morocco Gateway can offer special rates on La Maison Arabe, as well as other riads in Marrakech and beyond.
Click to make a booking enquiry and find out more about this hotel.
Hotel of the Week: Tigmi
Looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life? This riad in Marrakech region is perfectly located just 20 minutes away from the city.
Hotel: Tigmi
Address: Douar Tagadert el Kadi, Km 24 Route d’Amizmiz, Outside Marrakech
Rating: ***
Tagadert is a small village not far from central Marrakech, ideally located between the bustling city and the tranquil beauty of the Atlas Mountains. The main house of Tigmi has stood on this site since 1840 and was recently renovated by teams of local master artisans.
A second house, on the other side of the farm track, was built in 2008 and provides more modern accommodation that nevertheless retains its rustic roots.
There is one swimming pool in each house and relaxation is an important part of the Tigmi experience. It’s very peaceful and you can enjoy being pampered in the large hammam, which has rooms for each separate therapy for an intimate and private experience. Treatements include steam room, gym, massage and skin care.
Outside, you can chill in the shade of banana palms, citrus and olive trees or catch some sun on the stretch of lawn beside the pool. Some of the suites have their very own private plunge pool, others a private courtyard, and for groups of family and friends there are some rooms that are interconnected.
For a break from the sun there are lounges full of books – all written in English – where you can marvel at the high ceilings and authentic decoration as you read. The lounges benefit from a great deal of natural light thanks to courtyards connected to them.
Tigmi’s restaurant serves delicious food made from local ingredients where possible – the olive oil used is produced just 500 yards from the riad! Vegetarian and other special diets can be catered for so long a you let the hotel know in advance.
The vast majority of the staff come from the village and can fill you in on what to do during your stay. Because of the remote location of this riad, sports including hiking, mountain biking and water sports are popular activities – you can even try microlight flying if you so desire!
Take a wander into the village and return with many authentic Moroccan goods. Tigmi even employs its own weaver, who will make you a piece to order.
Morocco Gateway can offer special rates on Tigmi, as well as other riads in Marrakech and beyond.
Click to make a booking enquiry and find out more about this hotel.
Hotel of the Week: Riad Zina
Fancy a city break in Marrakech? That’s probably a silly question – who wouldn’t want to visit this hotbed of culture and history at the gateway to North Africa? If you’re considering spending a lot of your time in the historic city, Zina is a riad in Marrakech’s heart – ideal for exploring the city.
Hotel: Riad Zina
Address: 38 Derb Assabane, Riad Laarouss, 40008 Marrakech Medina
Rating: ***
Riad Zina is a 350-year-old family house converted into a riad in 1998. Just north of Marrakesh’s ancient medina, this is the perfect base from which to experience the many attractions of the city and beyond.
When the riad was renovated by owner Beate Prinz, the guest house’s original architecture was preserved and the resultant feel is very much of a traditional Moroccan house with the added benefit of modern comforts.
Many worlds are fused together for a leisurely and relaxing atmosphere, contemporary furnishings and original features blending seamlessly. In the Alkamar Suite cedar wood ceilings and intricate plasterwork remain from the original house, while elsewhere throughout the riad Beate displays the work of modern Moroccan artists.
The whitewashed walls and ochre tadlekt are contrasted with retro furnishings from 1970s France and lovingly collected from local flea markets.
Outside, there is a traditional Islamic garden and courtyard with some gigantic cacti that have to be seen to be believed – they’re as high as the roof of the riad. There is also a fountain full of fresh roses around which there is seating for you to relax. There’s also a resident tortoise who’s always eager to meet guests.
The main square of Marrakech is just 20 minutes walk away and here there are plenty of places to experience traditional Moroccan cuisine. Within the riad itself, authentic Moroccan meals are available and if you wish you can get involved in the preparation of these meals.
Friendly and knowledgeable, the staff are always willing to recommend and help organise excursions for guests. Horse riding, swimming, golf and spa trips are just a few examples, and if you happen to be celebrating a special occasion during your trip to Morocco, they will be more than happy to organise celebrations for honeymoons, birthdays and the like.
Morocco Gateway offers special rates for guests at Riad Zina. For more information, contact us via our booking enquiry page.
We also have many special offers on Marrakesh hotels and riads.
Hotel of the week: Riad El Cadi
Fancy a Moroccan holiday in a riad steeped in culture? If visiting museums and antiquing are among your favourite pastimes, a hotel full of artefacts will suit your perfectly. El Cadi, a riad in Marrakesh, is that hotel.
Hotel: Riad El Cadi
Address: 87 Derb Moulay Abdelkader, Dabachi, Medina, Marrakech
Rating: ***
The central building of Riad El Cadi was originally a 14th Century house owned by a nobleman. Far later, a former German ambassador combined that dwelling with seven surrounding buildings to create a larger than average riad.
The result is a spacious and winding guesthouse and a meander through the courtyards, staircases and corridors of the seven houses providing the perfect view of ancient Moroccan architecture.
Clay pots, watercolour paintings and prints – artefacts you’d expect to find in a museum – line the walls of the 12 guest rooms, but there’s more. Not only are early Berber textiles, Islamic and Byzantine art worked into the rooms, there are also many pieces of modern art produced by friends of the ambassador.
Outside in the courtyard there are alcoves perfect for reading and relaxing and there are plenty of shady areas to take a break from the sun. There’s also a roof terrace where you can sunbathe, with sun shades available, overlooking the medina.
Just minutes from the main Jemaa el Fna square, Riad El Cadi offers all the benefits of a city centre riad while remaining quiet and peaceful.
Because of the design of the building, many of the guest suites interconnect, making it ideal for groups and families travelling together. Many of the suites have a private balcony or access to the courtyard.
For those requiring a more intimate room, the petite suite is a cosy choice, while the Blue House is a good choice for groups who want to stay together, with two bedrooms, kitchenette and own courtyard.
Riad El Cadi serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The former meals are usually light in style, while dinner is a three course affair. The cuisine is traditional Moroccan fayre with a few international touches. El Cadi’s chef can cater for a range of diets – including fussy eaters!
From the riad’s central location you can visit many of Marrakech’s attractions on foot, and the hotel can also arrange local activities such as tennis, golf and camel riding.
For special deals on Riad El Cadi, contact Morocco Gateway.
We can also offer a range of special offers on many Morocco riads and hotels.
Welcome to our new blog!
Welcome to Morocco Gateway’s brand new blog. As you’ve landed up here we suspect you may be planning a trip to Morocco and we have to say we thoroughly recommend it! Morocco Gateway is the brainchild of two Morocco fanatics and we hope through this blog to share our enthusiasm for this marvellous country with you. We’re going to explore some of the best Morocco hotels & riads, and share some very special offers. But for now, read on to discover what you can expect from visiting Morocco.
Morocco is an ancient kingdom that’s becoming increasingly popular as a destination for tourists. There’s something for everyone, from seasoned travellers to first-time holiday makers. A land of adventure, excitement, culture, history and extremely friendly people, you’re sure to fall in love with this beautiful country. Staying in one of the small hotel or riads in Morocco will give you an unforgettable cultural experience.
One of the first things you’ll notice about visiting Morocco is how colourful it is. From jewels to magical carpets, there is an amazing array of colour on display wherever you turn.
One of the first things you’ll notice about Morocco is how colourful it is.”
The markets and towns are bustling with people and a range of crafts can be seen (and bought) on the streets or Marrakesh. The area is also steeped in rich history dating back to ancient times. If you are staying in a Marrakesh hotel, a day trip to the Kasbah of Tinerhir would be the perfect escape from city life. Kasbahs are rural fortresses that protected Moroccans from invaders and are breathtaking sites.
You could also escape with a relaxing camel trek, have a fortune teller reveal your future, or learn to bellydance from a professional bellydancer.
Morocco has so much to offer. On this blog we will share some top things to see while staying in a Morocco hotel or riad, give some advice for visiting Morocco and advice for particular travellers (including women, those seeking adventure and vegetarians) and share some of the stories behind these Morocco hotels & riads in our new Hotel of the Week feature.
Let us know what you think of our blog, and share your experience of visiting Morocco by leaving us a comment. If you have any questions about your trip, don’t hesitate to ask.