{"id":96290,"date":"2023-08-25T12:28:52","date_gmt":"2023-08-25T16:28:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.tablethotels.com\/en\/?p=96290"},"modified":"2025-08-07T15:27:04","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T19:27:04","slug":"lost-in-the-labyrinth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.tablethotels.com\/en\/2023\/08\/lost-in-the-labyrinth\/","title":{"rendered":"Lost in the Labyrinth"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"La
La Sultana Marrakech<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Morocco\u2019s labyrinthine medinas were built to slow and confuse invaders. Now, those twisting streets are a desirable feature for modern travelers. So are the riad hotels hidden throughout.<\/h4>\n

Most of us associate Moroccan cities with their medina quarters: walled labyrinths in which curious explorers can find all sorts of palaces, mosques, fountains, and vendors. Legend says they were deliberately built to slow and confuse invaders with ultra-narrow passages and illogical twists. But what might have been an inconvenience for ancient attackers is now a sought-after attraction for modern travelers hoping to lose themselves in the serpentine streets.<\/p>\n

And scattered throughout those streets, something equally seductive: riads<\/em>. The\u00a0riad\u00a0\u2014 from the Arabic ryad, meaning \u201cgarden\u201d \u2014 is the quintessential Moroccan residence. Stately and comfortable, their concept was borrowed from the Roman villa and adapted to the region. Riads (or dars<\/em>) are situated around an interior courtyard, with rooms, windows, and walkways all facing inward, ensuring privacy, peacefulness, and cooler temperatures.<\/p>\n

With such a distinctive central feature tucked away inside, riads became a popular home for boutique hotels. Our selection features dozens of them in cities like Marrakech, Fes, and Essaouira. Add in rooftop terraces and stunning views out over the quarter, and riads are the ideal way to immerse yourself in the surrounding culture while getting a uniquely pleasant respite from the bustle outside. <\/p>\n

Get lost.
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Riad Sakkan<\/a><\/h2>\n
Marrakech, Morocco<\/h5>\n

\"Riad<\/a><\/p>\n

The Marrakech medina is in some ways a trip back in time, but this is also a living, evolving city \u2014 perhaps nowhere more so than Mouassine, the corner of the medina that\u2019s home to Riad Sakkan. This is the glamorous, youthful, fashionable side of Marrakech, which explains why Riad Sakkan is, in contrast with most other riad hotels, so strikingly contemporary.<\/p>\n

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Riad de Tarabel<\/a><\/h2>\n
Marrakech, Morocco<\/h5>\n

\"Riad<\/a><\/p>\n

The riad hotels of Marrakech, by their very nature, are small \u2014 these walled residences simply don\u2019t scale up to grand-hotel proportions. So if you feel like there too many riads to keep track of, you\u2019re not wrong. But within the endless repetitions of the form there\u2019s plenty of subtle diversity, and what sets Riad de Tarabel apart is two things: its sheer grandeur, and its aristocratic French Colonial style.<\/p>\n

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Karawan Riad<\/a><\/h2>\n
F\u00e8s, Morocco<\/h5>\n

\"Karawan<\/a><\/p>\n

Even in F\u00e8s, the city that invented and perfected the riad form, Karawan Riad somehow manages to distinguish itself. That may be due to its former incarnation as a 17th-century Maqfia harem-palace, or the decade of renovations by its forward-thinking proprietors. This is a textbook case of translating a classic formula for the 21st century without sacrificing an ounce of grandeur.<\/p>\n

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Ryad Dyor<\/a><\/h2>\n
Marrakech, Morocco<\/h5>\n

\"Ryad<\/a><\/p>\n

Brighter, sunnier, somehow friendlier than the average riad hotel \u2014 maybe it\u2019s the owners, a couple of designers, one Dutch and the other Spanish, but for whatever reason, Ryad Dyor stands out. It\u2019s as private as any riad in the medina, but where many go dark and heavy, this one goes for graphic and sun-drenched, a look that\u2019s probably more accessible than the traditional riad hotel.<\/p>\n

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La Sultana Marrakech<\/a><\/h2>\n
Marrakech, Morocco<\/h5>\n

\"La<\/a><\/p>\n

You can only make a riad hotel so big. But if you\u2019re stuck for size, you can join them together \u2014 La Sultana, for example, combines four traditional Marrakchi courtyard mansions into one contiguous complex, and in so doing creates one of the medina\u2019s most complete luxury hotels. All that makes for plenty of space to spread out, and the pools, fountains, courtyards and rooftop terraces are seemingly endless.<\/p>\n

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Dar Darma<\/a><\/h2>\n
Marrakech, Morocco<\/h5>\n

\"Dar<\/a><\/p>\n

Too often \u201cdesign\u201d actually seems to mean an absence of design, as though the end goal were to empty the hotel of everything but beds and white walls. You don\u2019t need a designer for that, just some movers. Here, in Dar Darma, is an exception: a riad hotel that\u2019s quite obviously had some designer attention paid to it, and the result is a six-room fantasy that leaves minimalism in the dust.<\/p>\n

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L\u2019H\u00f4tel Marrakech<\/a><\/h2>\n
Marrakech, Morocco<\/h5>\n

\"L\u2019H\u00f4tel<\/a><\/p>\n

L\u2019H\u00f4tel has a memorable personality stamped all over it: that of Jasper Conran, favorite designer of Diana, Princess of Wales, and son of legendary luxury designer Sir Terence Conran. It\u2019s a bit of a paradox, this kind of design \u2014 an enormous amount of work went into remodeling and redesigning this riad, and the result is a hotel that feels as though it\u2019s been here forever.<\/p>\n

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Riad No. 37<\/a><\/h2>\n
Marrakech, Morocco<\/h5>\n

\"Riad<\/a><\/p>\n

Unlike the vast majority of riad hotels, No. 37 is visibly Scandinavian in its design inspiration, constraining its color palette to cool neutrals and warm browns, providing a subdued background that maximally contrasts with the ornamental carving and woodwork. The hotel\u2019s eight rooms hold a maximum of 16 guests, and it\u2019s an adults-only hotel \u2014 both ensure that the atmosphere is always tranquil.<\/p>\n

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72 Riad Living<\/a><\/h2>\n
Marrakech, Morocco<\/h5>\n

\"72<\/a><\/p>\n

Old-world Moroccan atmosphere is to be expected from a riad, and 72 delivers. More unusual, however, is the subtle undercurrent of contemporary Italian style that runs throughout the hotel. The proprietors are Milanese, and though they\u2019ve decorated the hotel with the utmost respect for the local tradition, their design heritage is visible as well, in the form of bold colors and thoughtful compositions.<\/p>\n

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Villa des Orangers<\/a><\/h2>\n
Marrakech, Morocco<\/h5>\n

\"Villa<\/a><\/p>\n

Key to the appeal of a riad hotel is the contrast between its city surroundings \u2014 in this case a busy neighborhood at the edge of the Medina \u2014 and the serene atmosphere within the riad\u2019s walls. Behind a heavy carved wooden door on the rue Sidi Mimoun lies La Villa des Orangers, a pair of early 20th-century residences surrounding a pair of tranquil courtyards, one with an eighteen-meter heated pool.<\/p>\n

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Riad F\u00e8s<\/a><\/h2>\n
Fes, Morocco<\/h5>\n

\"Riad<\/a><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve got nothing against riads owned by foreigners, but it\u2019s a mark in Riad F\u00e8s\u2019s favor that its owner is Moroccan, and an architect, no less \u2014 the interiors are a good bit more confident than in the average riad hotel, and you can tell it was laid out with some care. It\u2019s on the large size for a riad, but the intimate atmosphere and personalized service riad hotels are famous for are there, in spades.<\/p>\n

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Riad El Amine<\/a><\/h2>\n
Fes, Morocco<\/h5>\n

\"Riad<\/a><\/p>\n

Situated in one of Fes\u2019 two medinas, Riad El Amine is a feast for the senses. Classic Moroccan architecture and arabesque design dominate this riad, in extravagant ornateness. The hotel welcomes guests into their quarters with rich, warm colors and tiled floors. Suites feature high ceilings and sitting areas for guests and tea. A courtyard pool\u2019s blue oasis serves as the ideal social gathering area. <\/p>\n

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