Zamzam Riad

A  SYBARITIC CITY RETREAT in the heart of the medina, Zamzam Riad is one of the coolest new addresses in Marrakech. Hidden deep in the old city, it’s a sophisticated yet intimate boutique hideaway.

Zamzam Riad flaunts surprises from the moment you arrive. Enter through a burnished doorway glowing from a Moroccan brass lamp, leaving the medina maze behind in an instant. Step into a courtyard open to the skies, scented with jasmine and shaded by a lofty palm.

Sip a mint tea beneath the Berber tent on the rooftop, with its fabulous views of the snow-capped Atlas mountains, and listen to the call for prayer as the city mosques light up at twilight.

Swishy suites

This former merchant’s house has been restored to its former splendour by owners Emma and Marcus with the help of dozens of local craftsmen. The result is a treat for the eye. Each of Zamzam’s seven exotic bedrooms is individually styled with Berber carpets, luscious fabrics, French and Moroccan antiques and colourful objets d’art, with swish quarters to suit every mood.

We loved the Harem room with its open bathroom, gorgeous Moroccan lights and plum-coloured fabrics. Shades of soft pistachio and pretty hand-made tiles set off the Berber suite, with its curved bath and high vaulted ceilings. Even more lavish is the Palm suite, a masterful space done out in golds, black and burgundy with a red marble bathroom and its own cedar wood balcony.

Alongside all this old-time opulence you’ll also find wi-fi, iPod docks, crisp bedding, fluffy towels, scented candles and drench showers in smooth-walled tadelakt bathrooms.

Laze on the rooftop terrace on a sunbed or have a cooling dip in the petal-strewn plunge pool, heated in winter. And be sure to check out the hammam – all marble and tadelakt, with black olive oil soap for scrubbing – for an indulgent massage or body wrap.

Guests dine fireside in the downstairs salon in the cooler months, or in starlit surrounds beneath the Berber tent on the roof, with its Moroccan sofas and cushions.

Zamzam Riad’s super-helpful owners and their team offer a full concierge service and will be pleased to help arrange transport, daytime picnics, cookery demos and trips into the Atlas mountains. 

© Room for Romance