We stayed at this Riad for a long weekend at the tail end of last year.

The advantages of staying at this Riad are evident before you’ve even entered the building – our taxi from the airport was able to drop us off at the end of the alleyway in which the Riad was located, meaning we only had a short walk to the front door and the taxi driver walked us there. The access route via the alleyway isn’t the most impressive, however, once you’re through the outside door the Riad itself is a pleasant retreat.

The ground floor contains two separate bedrooms, a lounge area (with piano), a second lounge area (with soft sofas, music player, PC and log fire) and, in the courtyard space, several dining tables. On the first floor you’ll find another two bedrooms (including the Arabesque Room that we stayed in) and a small seating area in an alcove. Finally, on the roof there’s a small heated pool and a selection of seats / loungers including a shaded area. Our bedroom had a double bed, wardrobe, bedside tables and ensuite bathroom with plenty of space for two (although we had travelled with hand luggage only). Given the nature of the building, with all rooms surrounding an open central courtyard, noise could be a problem for some, so earplugs might be a good idea (we had slightly noisy neighbours for part of our stay), however, we suspect this would be the case in any traditional Riad.

The staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful, with any request being fulfilled with the minimum of fuss. For the night manager, Moushine, nothing was too much trouble. He kept the log fire in the lounge burning in the evening, offered and provided mint tea and always had a smile and time for a chat.

Breakfast was plentiful, enough to keep you going until a late lunch if need be.

We had arranged two excursions in advance via the Riad (a trip to Kasbah de Toubkal and a guided walk in the Souk) and both were provided exactly as expected. The walk through the Souk with Mohammed was a particular joy – he guides you to places of interest you’d never find on your own, providing the right amount of commentary to keep you interested without being overloaded.

As on any trip, there is always the possibility of a slight hiccup. Here, it was a misunderstanding over the timing of our pre-booked evening meal on the day we arrived. We headed downstairs at the appointed time to find no-one around. A quick phone call to Aidan, the Riad Manager, soon had things sorted. The way in which problems are handled is a good indicator of the quality of any establishment – in this case, the issue was resolved quickly and satisfactorily, so, no harm - no foul. In any case, the Tagine dinner itself was lovely, well worth any wait.

We’ll certainly return here if we go back to Marrakech.