Riad No 37

Style

North African Nordic

Setting

Time-out from the Medina

The morning birdsong rings through the peaceful courtyards at adults-only Marrakech hideaway Riad No 37, juxtaposing the heaving bustle of Marrakech’s Medina just outside. A riad was traditionally a place where guests were received and shown hospitality, and that tradition continues (with a Scandi feel) inside these old tadelakt-daubed walls. Cleverly executed design brings just 16 guests together for shared experience, but equally gives space for secluded relaxation, and a home-style kitchen lovingly prepares fresh and healthy meals. They’re served around a communal dining table or up on the rooftop terrace with views over Marrakech’s landmarks, a dreamy start to an expedition in the souks or to the desert beyond.

Facilities

Rooms

There are just eight double rooms, three of which are suites, so peace is ensured. The hotel will never have more than 16 guests at any one time.

Checkout

Check-in is from 2pm, and check-out by 11am. Both times are flexible, subect to availability.

More Details

Room rates include a healthy local breakfast (with homemade Moroccan breads, jams and yoghurt, plus fruit salad, avo and omelettes), served on the rooftop terrace as the Medina wakes for the day and a welcome mint tea. There is a two-night minimum stay.

Also

Unfortunately the historic riad layout here doesn’t allow for accessible rooms and public spaces.

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

At the Hotel

Rooftop terrace with sunloungers, break-out spaces with lounges, free WiFi, free steaming service (and charged laundry service), and airport shuttle. In rooms: air-conditioning, free bottled water, tea- and coffee-making kit, luggage rack, handmade furniture, bathrobes, and Les Sens de Marrakech bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

Room 8 has lush indoor plants and the original latticework on the windows, casting intriguing shadows as the sun traverses the sky. And rooms 1 and 2 share a green-tiled patio.

Poolside

Respite from the searing Moroccan heat comes from either of Riad No 37’s two pools. On the rooftop terrace, plunge into the cool water with views across the Medina to the Dar el Bacha Museum and out to the 12th-century minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque. Sunloungers are plentiful for lazy post-swim naps in the afternoon heat, and even though it never gets truly cold in Marrakech, there are fireplaces to soften the chill of the balmy winter evenings. On the ground floor, follow the path to a secluded patio where you’ll find a second plunge-pool nestled among orange and olive trees. A cleverly placed day-bed allows the dangling of legs into the pool during naps – all the better for keeping cool.

Spa

In-room massage therapies and spa treatments can be arranged via the hotel concierge.

Packing Tips

A secret notebook to jot tips down as you observe the chefs cooking up a storm.

Also

Book the entire hotel for your party – not only will the kitchen team design a bespoke menu for your event, but you’ll have the entire rooftop terrace with its enchanting sunset views, too.

Children

A place of peace, this riad is adults-only.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Fresh fruits at breakfast served on the rooftop terrace as the Medina wakes up.

Dress Code

Whatever feels appropriate – the table is yours…

Hotel Restaurant

In keeping with the aesthetics, the kitchen at Riad No 37 whips up storied dishes that blend the best of local and Nordic influences. The kitchen team all trained at Um Mami, a Danish non-profit foundation with an outpost in Marrakech that teaches culinary skills to vulnerable people. It’s a project of Claus Meyer, co-founder of Copenhagen’s storied triple-Michelin-starred restaurant Noma, so the curriculum is world-class. Despite the influence, dining at Riad No 37 is not so much a fine-dining experience as it is a communal gathering around the family table. When it’s not too hot, breakfast is served on the rooftop terrace on specially designed breakfast bars that take in the Medina skyline. And for dinner there’s no menu as such, it’s more of a ‘this is what we’re making tonight’ kind of attitude. The hotel doesn’t usually serve dinner as there are countless options in the Medina, and trying as many as you can is one of the primary reasons to come here. But if you’d prefer to dine in, they’ll happily cook up something you’ll love with the best seasonal local ingredients to hand. It’s all served on a long marble dining table in an ornate room off the main terrace, which offers the potential for outrageously extravagant group meals lasting late into the night.

Hotel Bar

There's no set bar at the riad, and no current licence to serve alcohol, but you can waft from peaceful courtyard to peaceful courtyard with a signature Aéris mocktail or refreshing lemonade in hand. There's also a ready supply of mint tea and strong coffee from Marrakech's Bloom roasters.

Last Orders

Breakfast is from 8am until noon, lunch from noon until 3pm, and dinner from 7pm until 10pm.

Planes

Marrakech Menara Airport is just 20 minutes away by car and is well connected to many European destinations; airport transfers are €25 one-way for up to two guests and €35 for up to six (let the hotel know your flight details in advance).

Trains

Marrakech Railway Station is connected on a direct line to Casablanca, and to Tangier in the north (hotel transfers one-way are €25). European travellers can catch a train to Algeciras in southern Spain, and then hop on a short ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar to the port of Tangier Ville.

Automobiles

A road trip through Morocco is an exciting prospect and Marrakech a brilliant waypoint – how often can you say you’ve driven to the Sahara Desert? Parking in the Medina is limited and often inconvenient (some streets are closed off to cars), but there’s a safe garage five minutes’ walk from the hotel.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Situated in the heart of the Medina’s most revered Bab Doukkala quarter and with the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert not far out of town, there’s really no limit when it comes to filling your days. Riad No 37 is close to Marrakech’s most famous sights, so it’s an ideal base to discover this exciting city. Nearby is the Dar el Bacha, the palace of Pasha (governor) Thami El Glaoui from 1910. In its day it hosted the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Winston Churchill, but now you should visit for the exemplary Moroccan architecture, the chequered marble floors, and the remarkable hand-cut zellige mosaics. In 2017 it was restored and opened as the Musée des Confluences, focused on science and anthropology. Yves Saint Laurent fell for Marrakech, and two properties mark his legacy – his mansion Jardin Majorelle and the Musée Yves Saint Laurent, where you’ll find an impressive collection of the revered designer’s work. Gain an understanding of royal burial practises at Saadien’s Tombs, the necropolis of the Saadian dynasty, and find peace at Koutoubia Mosque, which is less than a mile away. The most important mosque in town was founded in 1147, and its 77-metre-tall minaret (no other building in the city can be built higher) dates back to 1195. Wander through Le Jardin Secret, an impressively preserved Arabic palace and gardens that have recently been opened to the public for the first time in its 400-year history; and, Bahia Palace, royal residence of King Hassan II until 1956, is just a few minutes away on foot, too. For some fancy digs of your own, if you need some space to delve into your life’s work? Riad No 37 offers residencies for artists and creatives – contact the hotel for details.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .