A Riyad, or Riad, is a type of traditional Moroccan house or palace with an interior garden or courtyard.  Nowadays, its become synonymous with a hotel or guest house-style accommodation with shared common areas and private rooms.  In addition to hotels, visitors to Morocco have the options of choosing to stay at a Riyad in various cities.  On my most recent trip to Marrakesh, I had the opportunity to stay at the beautiful Riyad Al Cadi.

The Riyad

The Riyad El Cadi is located in the center of the bustling Medina.  It’s located down a small quit derb (alley) which makes you feel like you’re a world away from the hustle and bustle of the Medina.  It’s conveniently located right around the corner from hundreds of souks, the Djemaa el-Fna, the Bahia Palace and more.  There’s also a ton of taxis available in the Djemaa for you to get around town.

The original mansion of the El Cadi Riyad dates back to the 14th century.  It consists of the main building and seven interconnected side houses.  It was later acquired and renovated by Herwig Bartelsk, the German Ambassador to Morocco.  Bartels was also a connoisseur of the Arab world and passionate collector of Islamic arts.

Rooms And Decor

The Riyad is both exotic and stylish, decorated with numerous pieces of art from French colonial furniture, Arab pieces, and Asian arts, carpets, and handmade crafts.  The Riyad consists of 17 individually decorated rooms that are spread out over five interconnected courtyards.  You will most certainly get lost in the maze like patios, courtyards, and passages but this only adds to the charm of the place, as you’re always stumbling onto something new.

All of their suites are situated on the first floor and are air conditioned.  Rooms on the ground floor are not air conditioned, but due to the architecture of the Riyad, they don’t get too warm during the summer months.  All rooms have private bathrooms and provide various amenities from oils, to bathrobes, slippers, and hair dryers.

I had the luxury of staying in the Petite Suite.  This is a second floor suite on the rooftop.  It has a double bed with an adjacent bathroom and a separate living room area.  The suite sleeps three, with an extra twin bed available in the living room area.  This room can also be combined with another apartment on the first floor making for a two level suite. the My favorite part of this suite was definitely the private terrace with sun loungers and parasol.

Because I visited during the low season, many of the other suites were empty so I had the opportunity to view them as well.  I must say, they were absolutely stunning.  The Master Suite is a luxurious apartment style suite with a private courtyard and a private rooftop terrace.  The bedroom contains a chair, desk, and a small library.  The living room is nicely decorated and has seating, a fireplace and television.  There is a private patio where you can relax and also a private rooftop terrace with sun loungers.

Master Suite Private Patio

The Tangier room is one of the non-suites located on the ground floor.  It’s a double room located in the Palm Courtyard.  It also has a fireplace and a sitting area for relaxing.  Despite not being a suite, this room  is nicely decorated with antique furniture and pieces that gives off an exotic and stylish vibe.

Services And Amenities

From the time I arrived in Marrakech, Riyad Al Cadi was at my service.  They arranged to have a private driver to meet me at the airport and take me to the bustling Medina.  From there, Said met me to take my luggage and escort me through the Medina alongside other guests that arrived at the same time.  Check-in was seamless, and afterward, I was taken to my room.  You can arrange transportation by emailing Riyad El Cadi before your arrival and coordinating pickup.

If you’re looking to pamper yourself, the Riyad also offers a black soap scrub and ghassoul clay body mask in their onsite hammam.  You can also get a body massage, facial, and manicure if you so desire.

There is also a small pool onsite where you can relax and have a reprieve from the heat.  The pool also has a counter-current system which allows you to actually swim.  The chefs will serve you sandwiches and drinks pool side to further pamper you.

The staff is truly at your service can assist in literally anything you need from finding things to do in Marrakesh, booking excursions, recommending and making restaurant reservations and more.  I also found the staff to be very personable, chatting with them about Moroccan culture while they asked me about my own culture.

Food

Tired from my flight, I decided to have dinner in the Riyad my first night there.  They have an onsite restaurant that serves up salads, tangines and more.  As this was my first introduction to Moroccan cuisine, I was looking forward to what they served.  I dined in one of their beautiful courtyard alongside two other guests I’d met who were visiting from Germany.  From the first dish of pumpkin soup, I was not disappointed.  The soup was followed by three salads, and while all of them were delicious, the Moroccan salad, cabbage with cinnamon and dried apple, was my favorite.  For the main course they served up tangine chicken.  This is a traditional Moroccan dish made of chicken pieces braised with spices, garlic, onion, olives and preserved lemons.

While we dined in the courtyard, from spring to autumn, the restaurant will also set up tables on the roof terraces and serve dinner there if you please.  You’ll have views of the roofs of Marrakech and the Atlas mountains in the background.   Riyad Al Cadi also serves a continental breakfast in the mornings on their rooftop terrace featuring fruit, mountain honey, Moroccan pancakes, charcuterie and homemade yogurt.

Conclusions

The Riyad Al Cadi is truly an exotic and luxurious place to stay.  The service is top notch, as the staff goes out of their way to make sure you have everything you need.  It’s also perfectly located in the Medina, making it a great place from which you can explore Marrakech.

You can find Riyad Al Cadi online at https://www.riyadelcadi.com/

Follow the on instagram at @riyadelcadi

Geron P

Geron is an avid traveler, entreprenuer and mens style aficionado.  He love’s mac and cheese, getting discounts, his momma, and a good whiskey, not particularly in that order.  It’s alleged he lives in Miami, but no one really knows anymore.

Follow him on instagram at @geronp