RIADINNHOTELHOTELOffline map Google map ( 0524 42 63 24; www.jnanemogador.com; 116 Derb Sidi Bouloukat;
s/d/tr/q Dh360/480/580/660; ) A 19th-century riad with 21st-century amenities: a prime
location off Rue Riad Zitoun el-Kedim, in-house hammam, tea salon, double-decker roof
terraces and owner Mohammed’s laid-back hospitality. A favourite with visiting diplomats and
artists; book well ahead and enjoy fascinating conversation over breakfast (Dh40). Ask for
quieter, airier upper-floor rooms.
Riad Julia $
Offline map Google map ( 0524 37 60 22; www.riadjulia.com; 14 Derb Halfaoui; d incl breakfastDh600-800, tr Dh800; ) Each room pays tribute to a Marrakesh handicraft, from mother-
of-pearl inlay to chip-carved cedar wood. Five of seven comfy rooms have air-con; all have soft
bathrobes and bright Berber wedding blankets. There’s a small plunge pool and TV in the salon,
and English-speaking Ziad arranges excursions, babysitting services, henna tattooing, and
candlelit dinners.
Hotel Essaouira $
Offline map Google map ( 0524 44 38 05; www.jnanemogador.com/hotelessaouira-
marrakech.htm; 3 Derb Sidi Bouloukat; s/d with shared bathroom Dh50/100, r with private
bathroom Dh400, mattress on roof Dh30) Quite the colourful character, this family home was
converted to a 28-room hotel back in the 1960s, and psychedelic painted-wood ceilings and
polychrome stucco may induce flashbacks. A tiny spiral staircase leads to a sociable roof
terrace, where breakfast (Dh22 to Dh40) comes with glimpses of the Koutoubia.
Hôtel Central Palace $
Offline map Google map ( 0524 44 02 35; www.lecentralpalace.com; 59 Derb Sidi Bouloukat; dwith shared bathroom Dh155, with private bathroom Dh255-305, ste Dh405; ) Surprisingly
stately, with 40 clean rooms climbing four floors around a courtyard fountain, and breakfasts
(Dh25) on the roof terrace. Wrought-iron beds and stained-glass windows cheer somewhat dim
rooms; 1st-floor rooms are cooler, while suites are slightly bigger air-conditioned rooms.
Hôtel de Foucauld $
Offline map ( 024 440806; Ave el-Mouahidine; s/d Dh215/280; ) One block from theDjemaa el-Fna, Foucauld offers tiled, backpack-scuffed rooms with teensy private bathrooms
and a reliable restaurant at the right price. Consult trekkers and bikers converging on the buffet
breakfast (Dh30) about High Atlas conditions, request rooms with balconies overlooking Pl
Foucauld, and bring earplugs for 5am calls to prayer from the Koutoubia next door.
WHERE TO STAY WITH KIDS
Fair warning: riad plunge pools and steep stairs aren’t exactly child-proof, and sound reverberates through riad courtyards.
Most riad owners and staff dote on babies, but the same can’t always be said of sleep-deprived fellow guests giving you the
evil eye over breakfast. But bringing the kids doesn’t mean you have to settle for a generic hotel. Standout accommodation for
families in Marrakesh include the following.