boutique riad in Marrakech: A Charming Stay in the Medina

You can swim in the courtyard pool, take a Moroccan cooking class at 11.00 with Chef Naima and eat what you cooked, book a hammam and a massage in the afternoon, use the rooftop jacuzzi at 36 °C at sunset, and dine in the patio or on the terrace. The medina is a 7-minute walk away when you want to go out.

Yes, and many guests do exactly that for at least one day of their stay. The pool, the spa, the rooftop and the kitchen are all inside the house, and meals are served on site, so a full day at the riad needs no planning at all.

A true riad does: the word describes a house built around an interior garden or courtyard, with the rooms facing inward. Some properties are marketed as riads without having one, so it is worth asking. At Riad Vendôme the courtyard holds the pool and is the centre of the house.

A riad is a traditional Moroccan house built around an open-air central patio with a fountain and garden. It is the typical dwelling of the medina, transformed today into a charming guesthouse.

In the Dar El Bacha district, medina of Marrakech. A 7-minute walk from Jemaa El-Fna, 7 minutes from the Dar El Bacha museum and 5 minutes from the Ben Youssef Medersa.

12 rooms (doubles, triples, quadruples and suites up to 5 guests), all with en-suite bathroom, air conditioning and Wi-Fi. Up to 20 rooms with a partner riad 100 metres away, for a capacity of 35, 40 or 50 guests.

Riad Vendôme is more than accommodation, it's a complete experience platform with 11 dedicated activity branches all coordinated by Éric (owner since 2011). Unlike traditional hotels where you book a room and arrange activities separately, at Riad Vendôme you have a single interlocutor for: private riad (12 rooms for up to 36 guests, up to 50 with the partner riad), spa & hammam, Chef Naima cooking classes (5/5), Day Pass without overnight, yoga retreats, birthdays, corporate seminars, golf packages on 11 courses, hen & stag parties, Morocco circuits (Agafay, Atlas, Essaouira), and direct booking with no commission. One contact, one quote, one coordinated experience.

There are no non-stop flights from the United States; from New York allow about 8 to 9 hours via Casablanca on Royal Air Maroc, which hubs there. From Canada, Royal Air Maroc runs a seasonal non-stop from Montreal to Casablanca, then a short connection to Marrakech. The riad is about 20 minutes from Marrakech-Menara airport.

You book directly with the riad, not through a platform. Send your dates and group size on WhatsApp at +212 600 608 608 and you receive a written quote within minutes. There is no automated booking engine: every stay is confirmed by a person, and the payment terms are set out in the quote you receive.

Yes, Riad Vendôme can be hired exclusively. The main riad has 12 rooms and goes up to 20 rooms with a partner riad 100 metres away, for exclusive hire of up to 50 guests. During an exclusive hire there are no other guests: the pool, hammam, jacuzzi and rooftop are reserved for your group alone.

Yes. Éric, the owner since 2011, is your single contact from the first message to your departure. One WhatsApp number, +212 600 608 608, covers the rooms, the hammam and massage slots, the cooking class with Chef Naima, the airport transfer and the excursions, and you receive a written quote within minutes. There is no call centre, no platform in the middle and no reservations department to chase. Transfers and outside activities are coordinated with an approved licensed transport partner, and Éric lines up the timings so the days fit together.

Between 10 and 22 m², depending on the room. Room Tan Tan is 10 m² for 2 guests on the ground floor, Suite Junior Merzouga and Suite Junior Asni 15 m², Suite Junior Zagora, Suite Junior Essaouira, Suite Junior Ouarzazate and Suite Marrakech 18 m², Suite Junior Dakhla 16 m² on the rooftop with direct terrace access, and Suite Oukaïmeden 22 m² for 4 guests. Every room has an en-suite bathroom with a tadelakt shower, hot and cold air conditioning, Simmons VIP bedding, a 40" TV with international channels and fibre Wi-Fi. Full sizes, beds and rates are on the rooms and rates page.

Yes, 100 Mb fibre optic, free, in the rooms and in the common areas: the patio, the Moroccan lounge with its fireplace and library, and the rooftop. It carries video calls, which is why the riad is used for small seminars and for remote workers. If you need to hold a call at a set hour, tell Éric and he will point you to the quietest corner at that time of day.

Each room has its own bathroom, most with a tadelakt shower, the polished lime plaster used in Moroccan bathrooms, and the hot and cold air conditioning works as heating in winter, when Marrakech nights drop close to 5°C in January. Towels, spa robes and a hairdryer are provided. Ask Éric on WhatsApp +212 600 608 608 for photos of the exact room before you book.

Yes. There is free parking 100 metres from the riad, and car access is via Bab Doukkala or Bab El Khemis. The last 100 metres are on foot because the alleys of the old medina are pedestrian; Éric or a member of staff comes to meet you at the car park and carries the luggage. Tell us your arrival time on WhatsApp +212 600 608 608 so someone is waiting rather than you calling from the car.

Marrakech-Menara is about 20 minutes away. The riad arranges a private transfer with an approved licensed transport partner: €15 by day and €17 at night for 2 guests. The driver waits with a sign and drops you at the car park 100 metres from the door, since the medina alleys are pedestrian, and we meet you there. On a direct booking of 3 nights or more the return transfer is complimentary. Send your flight number to Éric on WhatsApp +212 600 608 608.

Partly, and we prefer to say exactly where the limits are. The Suite Junior Zagora is on the ground floor, 18 m², with step-free access, an accessible bathroom and its own private patio; the pool, the patio and the ground-floor common areas are on the same level. The rooftop terrace and the first-floor rooms are reached by stairs, and there is no lift. Access from the airport is by private transfer to the car park 100 metres away, then a paved pedestrian alley. Describe the situation to Éric on WhatsApp +212 600 608 608 and he will tell you in writing what works and what does not, before you pay anything.