Seven reasons to stay in Morocco

Just half a year after its opening, Angsana Riads Collection, Morocco has received its first accolades, the prestigious Condé Nast Traveller Hot List 2008 in the United Kingdom, as well as in the American edition of Condé Nast Traveler Hot List 2008. The property comprises a fascinating selection of seven heritage riads in separate locations in and around Marrakech, restored by the in-house Banyan Tree design team, to give the true Moroccan experience. Attractive summer rates seal the deal for a perfect holiday jaunt.

Angsana Riad Si Said
Riad Si Said offers a unique and luxurious experience of the refined Moroccan atmosphere that enchanted painters like Delacroix and writers like De Maupassant when they began traveling in Morocco during the 19th century. Their fascination with Moroccan domestic architecture and interior decoration gave rise to a major movement in European fine and decorative arts known as Orientalism. Staying at Riad Si Said, you will understand what inspired this aesthetic intrigue in the three top suites, the two-bedroom Africaine, the Mellah balcony suite, and the junior suite Bahia. Four other deluxe rooms offer aristocratic decorations and access to all of Riad Si Said’s facilities.

The magnificent Riad Si Said was created by combining three old riads. The heart of this property is an airy courtyard garden with stunning zellij (hand-made ceramic mosaic floors and walls) that date to 1880, when the largest of the three riads was built by a wealthy Marrakechi family. The courtyard is surrounded by three beautifully furnished lounges with fireplaces. One of the lounges also houses the riad’s wall-mounted plasma screen television and DVD player, and all of them are stocked with fascinating books about Marrakech and Morocco. A private turquoise tiled pool occupies the second courtyard and offers a delightful place to cool off and relax. This riad also has a stunning roof terrace with magnificent views of the surrounding quarter and Marrakech.

Angsana Riad Blanc
On hot afternoons, the trickling fountain and deep shadow bring a welcome cool to the sugar-white interior courtyard of Riad Blanc (“White Riad” in French), an intimate, elegant riad that references the famous perched white villages of Andalucia in southern Spain. Riad Blanc offers four superior rooms, two deluxe rooms and two romantic suites in which to enjoy the gorgeous views of the Atlas mountains.

The delicate Arab-Andalucian decorative style is reprised everywhere, from the intricately chiseled plasterwork on the capitals of the columns in the central courtyard to the exquisite moldings in the adjacent salons. Elaborate wrought iron railings and window grills, potted palms and orange trees, and a turquoise-tiled plunge pool also evoke the sensual languor and Moroccan roots of Andalucia. One of the most distinctive features of Riad Blanc is its duplex roof terrace—the first level of the terrace has an open-air jet-pool and cotton-canvas covered lounge beds under a tented ceiling, and the second, up a flight of stairs, has plump lounge chairs.

Angsana Riad Bab Firdaus
With a central courtyard ornamented with stunning gabbs (picked honey-comb-like plaster work) and tagguebasts (cornices of sculpted plaster) around its central columns, Riad Bab Firdaus (“Gateway to Heaven,” in Arabic) is the spa-lover’s choice.

A small plunge pool occupies a niche in the central courtyard, and through a set of heavy cedar doors is a superb jet-pool surrounded by a wooden deck in a room with a high coffered ceiling. This exquisite spa complex, one of the most intimate and luxurious in Marrakech, also includes a beautiful hammam (steam room) with a barrel-vaulted brick ceiling. This entire suite of spa facilities can be privately booked so that you can enjoy a traditional Moroccan hammam experience or Thai spa treatments for your own party.

The four deluxe rooms and three suites at this riad are individually furnished with a mixture of antiques, hand-woven carpets and custom-made contemporary pieces, accompanied by spacious bathrooms. In addition to a roof top sun deck, Riad Bab Firdaus features its locally acclaimed tented restaurant, which has extraordinary views over the Red City.

Angsana Riad Tiwaline
This riad is a feast for the tiwaline (eyes). Originally built 150 years ago, the intimate five-room Riad Tiwaline was stunningly renovated in 2001 by eminent local architect Nasreddine Njima to become a tour de force of sleek contemporary Moroccan design. Respecting the historical structure of this riad, he effected a subtle remodeling to make its rooms larger, more inviting and modern.

The visual signature of the central courtyard is a two-story gallery of ornately carved cedar-wood columns and paneling, which is accented by masonry columns covered with brass accents. All five rooms have wood-burning fireplaces, making Riad Tiwaline a wonderful choice during cooler times of the year. The riad also has a dramatically designed hammam. Unlike traditional Moroccan hammams, the floors of this one are covered with veined black marble, and the hammam itself is lined with polished local limestone and has a deep conical domed ceiling that admits a stream of daylight.

Riad Aida
Riad Aida was originally designed and constructed at the end of the 19th century by architect Muhammad al-Mekki, who had been appointed head architect of the Bahia Palace by the Grand Vizier Ba Ahmed, and it echoes the splendour of the adjacent Bahia, one of Marrakech’s grandest and most impressive private palaces. When it was first built, this riad was connected directly to the palace quarters.

With beautiful calligraphy, verses from the Koran are also integrated into the decor of the main lounge, which is the heart of the riad and a delightful place to linger by the traditional fireplace in cool weather.

Quiet, intimate and charming, Riad Aida offers three superior rooms, two deluxe rooms and one suite. With the highest roof top terrace of the Angsana riad family, Riad Aida offers spectacular views over the neighboring Bahia Palace and Marrakech and is also equipped with a spa treatment room that can accommodate couples.

Riad Lydines
Though located in the ancient Kasbah, or palace quarter, of the Old Medina, Riad Lydines is the most stylish of the Angsana riads. This vibe comes from its contemporary color scheme of spice and citrus tones, and the striking modern art on the walls in its public spaces. Riad Lydines also has one of the largest private pools of any riad in the medina, a wonderful long, deep, tiled basin that is dramatically spot lit underwater at night.

“Lydines” means hands in Arabic, a reference to the quality of the hand-crafted artistry that is visible everywhere at this delightful property. Even the vivid crimson, forest green and gold Berber tent on the roof top where you can dine al fresco is handmade, as are the metal lanterns and hookahs (water pipes) that decorate the tent. All of the seven guestrooms and suites at Riads Lydines are individually decorated and come with spacious well-lit baths. Other facilities include a hammam and spa treatment room.

Angsana Riad El Farah (opening September 2008)
With a very convenient location at the entrance to the Medina and just off of Rue Riad Zitoun El Jedid, a street that leads directly to the Place Jemma El Fna, Riad El Farah (“The House of Smiles” in Arabic) is a perfect base from which to discover the charms of Marrakech.

A magnificent garden of palm and orange trees, bougainvillea and jasmine offers a fragrant haven and an outdoor swimming pool and patio invite swimming and sunning. The rich Moroccan decoration of the five superior rooms is another reason to smile, and the two-bedroom suite is a perfect choice for friend or family traveling together.

Summer 2008 rates begin from Euro75 per room per night. For bookings, email marrakech@angsana.com or log on to Angsana.com.