Riad Botanica
For the warmest welcome in the medina, head to Riad Botanica, where Angela and Mohamed Mellak have combined classic Moroccan hospitality with Australian flair to create something totally unique. The gorgeous interiors combine wallpaper by Aussie design icon Florence Broadhurst with traditional Marrakech craftmanship to create a space that’s homely but also grand: the courtyard swimming pool is surrounded by orange trees, and the rooftop restaurant is the perfect spot for sun-dappled breakfasts.
If you can, be sure to book one of their storytelling dinners, where a local wordsmith regales you with classic Arab fables as you tuck into delicious tagines and Moroccan salads. For families, the Zahara suite might just be the best room in the medina: kids will love the cosy built-in bunkbeds in a separate adjoining space. The Mellaks are planning a second space nearby with a daytime wellness focus. For now, be content with their great warmth, encyclopaedic knowledge of the area and unerring ability to open doors elsewhere – it guarantees a good time.
78 Derb Sidi Lahcen o Ali, Bab Doukkala, Medina 40030; riadbotanica.com
Riad Dar Al Dall
The Morocco outpost of new luxury travel group This Time Tomorrow, Riad Dar Al Dall just might be the princeliest of all the medina’s riads. The central Charbagh courtyard has a towering grandeur, and all the bedrooms blend traditional Moroccan design with top end pieces of European furniture (stay in Iming on the first floor if you can for its stunning ceiling).
The majesty of the interiors is matched by the artistry of the in-house chefs; every meal is a multi-course event of savoury pastries, courgette zaalouk and swordfish tagines. The delightful resident curator Youssef Mouhssan worked for year at La Mamounia, and he can arrange a number of authentic experiences including an afternoon with a spice-dealer and couscous feasting on Fridays.
93/97 Kàat Benahid, Tichnbest, Marrakech Medina; thistimetomorrow.io
Brummell
Done out in understated Moroccan style – all arches and columns, powder-pink tadelakt and handspun wall hangings – this adult-only riad manages to be both achingly cool and also full of warmth. Ideally located in the heart of the action, it’s far enough down a little alley to be peaceful, and there are all kinds of reasons to hole up there for the day – not least the cute little plunge pool on the roof. Owner Christian Schallert has two sister properties Riad El Aaiún, also in the medina and the gorgeous Maison Brummell Majorelle in Gueliz.
20 Derb Assabbane, Marrakech 40000; riadbrummell.brummellprojects.com
IZZA
This beautifully designed space takes its cues from American architect and interior designer Bill Willis, who moved to Marrakech in the 60s and popularised a kind of maximalised Moroccan style. There’s a snug little wood-panelled library, and the hotel’s extensive art collection contains digital art from a roll-call of top international talent including Refik Anadol and Tyler Hobbs. And there are two very pretty pools; one unheated, the other decked out in shimmering green tiles and as warm as bath.
Rooftop restaurant, Noujoum, turns out deeply decadent breakfasts in the morning, and at night it transforms into an open-air candlelit oasis, the tables heaving with plates of monkfish tagine and grilled octopus.
46, Driba Laarida, Sidi Ahmed, Soussi, Medina 40000; izza.com
Dar Darma
In terms of its layout, Dar Darma is basically the souk in miniature: all low lighting and shady corners offering respite from the heat; nooks and passageways down which to duck; snug spots; a hidden hammam. In terms of its atmosphere, it’s the polar opposite: there’s chaos beyond the door, tranquillity within. All of the six suites are fadedly grand in the best possible way, with four-poster beds and huge mirrors, punchy prints and gilt-edged divans. You take breakfast up on the roof where there is a small pool.
11/12, Trik Sidi Bohuarba, 40000; dardarma.com
Rosemary
Rosemary’s five plaster-pink rooms are a delight: all marble baths, percale cotton sheets and breezy balconies. Thought up by Belgian artist Laurence Leenaert, the hotel has a look that called up on the talents of dozens of local artisans, but shies away the classic Moroccan design tropes, opting instead for a very organic, understated aesthetic. Stay there and you can book a one-on-one ceramics workshop with him so he can show you how it’s done.
25, Rue de la Bahia, Medina, 40000; rosemarymarrakech.com
