Riad 72

Style

Art-school riad

Setting

Alleys of Bab Doukkala

Riad 72 is laid out in traditional riad style, with a twin rectangular central courtyards (complete with banana trees), flanked by rooms on each side. One has an elegantly decorated communal room with an intricately carved ceiling, earth-toned furnishings and beautiful copper lanterns. The second has a floor tiled by traditional craftsmen and a light, modern colour palette of rose and vanilla. Hungry? Breakfast and lunch can be arranged wherever you’d like, and there’s a locally loved eatery on the rooftop too. Catch a bird’s eye view of the Medina while you enjoy leisurely evening meals en plein air.

Facilities

Rooms

14, including three suites.

Checkout

Noon; check-in from 2pm; both times are flexible, subject to availability.

More Details

Rates include breakfast, afternoon mint tea and pastries.

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pet Friendly

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

Spa

At the Hotel

Hammam, massage (techniques depend on masseur available), roof terrace, WiFi. In rooms: WiFi, daily bottled water and fresh fruit, minibar, slippers, organic bath products and air-conditioning; suites also have Nespresso machines and Bose Bluetooth speakers (some come with private terraces and hot tubs too).

Our Favourite Rooms

The Grand Suites are light-filled and have original carved wooden ceilings; some are split over two levels and one has a Japanese-style square tadelakt bath.

Poolside

The outdoor pool is open from 10am to 6pm, but there's no lifeguard on duty so little Smiths will need to be accompanied by an adult.

Spa

Wa Marrakech is decked out with three traditional Tadelakt treatment rooms, a relaxation room and two hammams. Massages, body scrubs and facials focus on holistic healing methods and use locally-sourced Argan oils and herbs (grown in the Ourika Valley).

Packing Tips

A compass to help you through the labyrinthine souks – although the detailed and personalised map of the Medina provided by the hotel might make the compass more of an accessory than a necessity.

Children

Welcome; extra beds can be added on request from €40 a night for under-12s (€60 for older children).

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

In summer, on the roof terrace by candlelight; in winter, in the dining room.

Dress Code

As though you’re at home.

Hotel Restaurant

Moroccan cuisine, whenever and wherever you choose. Breakfast can be served in the courtyards, on the terrace or in your room (for an extra charge). Orders must be put in at breakfast for lunch, and by 2pm for dinner, since fresh produce is bought daily from the market. Open-air La Table du Riad is open for dinner; book ahead to ensure a seat at one of this bijou restaurant's 11 tables, and settle in for sumptuous seasonal dinners of saffron-spiced chicken tagine, traditional tanjia and hand-rolled Moroccan pasta.

Hotel Bar

The Dolce Far Niente Terrazza rooftop bar pours well-crafted concoctions with views over the Marrakech skyline and Atlas Mountains in the distance.

Last Orders

Breakfast is from 8am to 11am; lunch is 12.30pm to 3.30pm; afternoon tea is served between 4pm and 6pm, and dinner is dished from 7pm till 10pm. The bar pours from noon to 11pm.

Room Service

Order from the restaurant menu between 8am and 10pm.

Planes

The nearest airport is Marrakech’s Menara Airport – fly there direct from the UK and elsewhere in Europe. Transfers are available on request and can be arranged as follows: MAD300 for a Mercedes Viano minibus (up to two guests). Transfers from the hotel back to the airport are complimentary.

Trains

The Moroccan state railway, ONCF (www.oncf.ma), runs inexpensive (but limited) services to Marrakech from Casablanca, Fez and Tangier. Look for TCR (Train Climatisé Rapide) trains to guarantee an air-conditioned journey in summer.

Automobiles

Driving in Marrakech can be horn-filled and hectic, but if you insist, our Smith24 team can arrange a hire a car for you to pick up at the airport. To reach the hotel, follow Avenue de la Menara to the city centre. There’s parking at the hotel.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Relax with leafy mint tea in the equally verdant inner courtyard, hop into the hammam or ask for a masseur to be sent to your room, then listen for the muezzin’s call to prayer from the rooftop terrace. The hotel is tucked into the winding streets of the Medina, so try your luck at haggling for tea sets, lanterns, Berber-woven rugs and leather babouches. Or watch the acrobats, gather round the griots and immerse yourself in the scents and sights of main square Jemaa El-Fnaa. The Ensemble Artisanal Marrakech has it all under one roof, just a 10-minute walk away.

You can see the Koutoubia Mosque from the hotel rooftop; it’s especially majestic at sundown. Beyond that, to the south, is decorative-arts museum Dar Si Said and Bahia Palace – where you can see just how intricate Moroccan tilework can be. For more modern design nous, swing by Yves Saint Laurent’s old pad, the glorious Jardin Majorelle, for sizzlingly bright hues and the loftiest of cacti. Then get better acquainted at the Yves Saint Laurent Museum next door. The Musée d'Art Contemporain Africain Al Maaden (aka MACAAL) is another snapshot of Morocco’s more up-to-date arts scene.

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. .