The most authentic way to experience Marrakech is by staying in a Riyad. A Riyad is a former private house made into a little boutique hotel. They often have 8 – 20 guest rooms, a courtyard and a roof top terrace.

This kind of accommodation appealed to us and after some thorough research we chose to stay at Riyad El Cadi: A wonderful house with an authentic interior, close to the main square and the souks, owned by a German family for two generations.

When walking through the hectic streets of the Medina it’s hard to imagine that behind those thick walls are the most enchanting small hotels. The streets leading to the Riyads are often narrow and only accessible by foot.

As first timers in Marrakech, we had hired a transfer from the airport to the main square as we knew we would get completely lost on our own. A porter from El Cadi picked us up by foot at the main square and took us down the cutest little streets until we reached a large antique porch with a little sign “Riyad El Cadi”. We had arrived!

Once inside Riyad El Cadi we were warmly greeted by the staff and went straight out to see one of the three courtyards.

Riyad El Cadi has 15 guest rooms and we stayed in one of the suites.

Every morning we enjoyed our breakfast on the roof top terrace, which included freshly made croissants and Moroccan pancakes.

And one evening we enjoyed a romantic dinner in the courtyard…

We spend our time in the Medina strolling in the souks and relaxing at the Riyad in the mornings and late afternoons. The little pool in the second courtyard was the perfect place to unwind and cool down the tired feet after a day of shopping in the souks.

Riyad El Cadi was everything we had dreamed of: beautiful interior in an authentic and not too polished style, centrally located, but away from the hustle and bustle, and just such a nice experience thanks to the amazing welcoming local staff.

 

Nice to know:

• Riyad El Cadi is located just 5 minutes walk from the min square Djemaa el Fna
• It is extremely quiet and peaceful
• They can arrange a transfer from the airport to the Riyad for only 20 €
• You can pay with credit card
• Visit the website here