Riad Le Rihani - a perfect stay in Marrakech

It’s late. A couple of minutes to midnight. We are walking through the narrow streets of Marrakech medina, accompanied by a staff member of the Riad Le Rihani, our base for the first two Moroccan days. We can already feel the chaos of this city. The maze leading to the accommodation leaves just one impression – we will never find the way to the square again. Never. Next day, we found out how wrong we were. Somehow, every street leads to Jemaa el-Fna Square, the most vibrant part of this unusual city, situated just a few minutes of walking from Le Rihani.

When we opened a large wooden door, we entered into another dimension.

Outside – noise, people, donkeys, motorcycles. Inside – peace. Oasis of harmony, silence and incredible beauty. Riad Le Rihani swept us off our feet.

Outside the walls of Medina, Marrakesh is a beautiful and modern town. But staying in one of the hotels outside the walls will not provide you true Moroccan experience. Riads – small guest houses with just a few rooms are a true escape from the busy vibe of the city. The most beautiful part of riads are interior gardens or courtyards, often with a pool, all decorated in a perfect Moroccan style. Riad Le Rihani was no exception. It offers 4 rooms and 4 suites. We had three beds, two twins and one for the kid. OMG, I will have a bed for myself, it was my first thought when I saw the room. Yeah. I don`t think I have to say – we all slept in the same one.

Upon arrival, we were offered with tea and biscuits. Soooo delicious. When we wanted to pay for that service, our host said: “This is the difference between hotel and riad. You are OUR guests. At more personal level”. And it is really like that. We felt like we were at home. Just the nicer one : D.

Riad it`s managed by Cecile, a Belgian woman who moved to Morocco. Now she can not imagine living somewhere else. Why should she? Cecile created a wonderful family business that she is extremely proud of. Today, travelers from all over the world are staying at Le Rihani, amazing riad that offers everything you need. Each room is decorated completely different. It offers tasty food. Hammam treatments. Transfer service to the airport.

And breakfast… Oh, breakfast. We could choose where we want to eat. Although the pool area is very charming, we choose the roof terrace. We ate the finest marmalades (the strawberry one was soooo delicious), pancakes, fruits, along with the natural orange juice, coffee for him and tea for me. The view from the terrace led us through the Moroccan roofs, up to the impressive Koutoubia mosque. We even saw the snowy Atlas in the distance.

Here we celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary. With dinner – the traditional tajines, one of the best we’ve tried in Morocco. We raised our glasses for another decade on the road. As a couple, as parents, as best friends, as travelers.

Two nights and two days. They were gone in a moment. After Le Rihani we stayed in six more riads. Lara said, “I want to live in the first one. It was the best.” And you know kids. They are always honest. 😉