Riads and kasbahs of Morocco

No trip to Morocco would be complete without a stay in either a riad or kasbah — traditional Moroccan accommodation.

Effortlessly charming, riads and kasbahs are undoubtedly one of the major reasons to visit this diverse and exciting North African country, and spending a night or two in one of our carefully selected properties allows you to experience Moroccan hospitality at its very best.

Stylish and intimate, Marrakesh riads have been on the tourist radar for some time, but further off the beaten track there is also an exclusive selection of converted kasbahs that offer very high standards of character and charm.

Stay in a riad

Riads have developed a mythology and set of assumed conventions all of their own, but simply put, a riad is a house built around an interior garden.

They are often the former houses of merchants and noblemen that have been modernised to suit tourist needs. Most will now have a roof terrace, a small plunge pool and sometimes a spa and Hammam. Some of the more luxurious riads boast gardens replete with verdant orange trees, ornate fountains and opulent little cubbyholes where you can enjoy mint tea or a full private dinner.

The interior layout and aesthetic of your typical riad has had a great influence over contemporary interior design, but in truth there are now so many riads, particularly in Marrakesh, that there is a wide variance in style, quality and service.

The best riads of Marrakesh and Fez in particular provide an oasis of calm from the surrounding medina streets.

A selection of our riads

Stay in a kasbah

Perhaps not as well known but no less interesting, some of Morocco’s finest accommodations are converted kasbahs.

Built (or more often rebuilt) in traditional style, with walls made of mud and straw, they have been reinforced for modern needs with more solid structures within the walls that are not visible to guests and therefore take nothing away from the authentic feel.

The best examples tend to be found in the High Atlas Mountains and in the remote south of the country, in an area known as the “route of 1000 kasbahs.”

Again, there are a range of styles and standards to be found, from the more humble Kasbah Ait Ben Moro, where you can meet staff who were born in the original kasbah before it was renovated, to the top-end luxury of Dar Ahlam and Sir Richard Branson’s Kasbah Tamadot.

A selection of our kasbahs