Shared Riads in Morocco

The idea of taking a holiday in Morocco, only to stay in an anonymous, European-style hotel is anathema to many people. Holidaymakers who would like their holiday experience to include staying in a traditional Moroccan establishment have a choice between staying in a historic Moroccan hotel, renting an exclusive riad or staying in a shared riad.

What is a Moroccan Riad?

A riad is a traditional Moroccan townhouse built around a central garden courtyard. Riads are the predominant type of house in the old towns or medinas of Morocco's ancient settlements and although many remain as private residences, in recent years a number have been converted to provide holiday accommodation for tourists. Holiday riads fall into two distinct types. In the case of exclusive holiday riads, the whole riad is available for rent and the hirer has the exclusive use of the property, its facilities and staff. Shared riads operate rather in the manner of a guest house or hotel, with guests renting a room and having shared use of the common parts of the riad. Many shared riads have all the luxuries and facilities of a hotel and offer guests breakfast and an evening meal, although some are very much more in the style of a guesthouse, in which a room is rented and other services are kept to a minimum.

Shared Riads in Morocco

The attractions of spending a holiday in a Moroccan riad are threefold. Firstly, one has the opportunity to stay in an architecturally and historically interesting building which will have the charm and ambience of a bygone age. Depending on which riad you choose for your holiday, this may be the faded charm of authentic funishings and period decoration, which are in fact verging on the tatty, or it may be a beautifully restored property with opulent interior rendered in the traditional Moroccan style. Secondly, most traditional riads available for holiday rentals occupy stunning locations either in the medina or very close by, something that you don't get staying in a modern hotel or villa. Finally, riads are smaller and more intimate establishments than hotels, and very often you will find that you are receiving personal attention from the owner or his family.

Luxury Marrakech Riad Holidays

In recent years, staying in a riad has been the fashionable choice for those taking a Moroccan holiday, with the English showing a particular predilection for the riads in Marrakech. This is understandable, for not only is Marrakech the most popular tourist destination in Morocco, but it is also the most sophisticated in terms both of its accommodation and its restaurants. Two fashionable and justifiably popular riads in Marrakech are La Maison Arabe and Villa des Orangers. La Maison Arabe, which is located on Derb Assehbe in the heart of Marrakech's medina, began life simply as a restaurant, but the property was converted in the late 1990s to provide rooms for paying guests. It offers 13 tastefully decorated bedrooms and a romantic atmosphere underpinned by discreet, but friendly, service. Villa des Orangers is something of a paradox, a Marrakech riad which is named as though a villa, but run by a professional hotelier to a standard the equal of any of Marrakech's hotels. Located in the Nouvelle Ville some little distance from the medina, Villa des Orangers has only 16 bedrooms and a warm, intimate feel, but the highlight of this riad for many guests is the rooftop swimming pool which affords spectacular views over Marrakech.