Riad Tarabel, Marrakech, Morocco

Riad Talabel is a whimsical new addition to Marrakech's range of luxury riads and would make a perfect pad for media junkies with a taste for Morocco's French colonial past. The riad takes its name from the town of Tarabel near Toulouse where the French owner was born and from where he sourced the large antique paintings that grace the riad's salons. A palette of soft grey and beige, antique bird cages, stuffed parrots and Asian paper lanterns add to the eclectic, eccentric décor. But guests will never forget they're in Marrakech as on arrival they are furnished with a traditional Moroccan djelaba (a pointy-hooded robe) and a pair of babouche (pointy slippers) to flop about in.

The facilities

The chef makes a fantastic breakfast of home-made bread and jams and he is also available 24 hours a day to whip up a traditional Moroccan tagine, excellent pizza or pasta dishes. The staff are always contactable to give directions in Marrakech's maze-like souks, make restaurant reservations or advise on the price of a carpet as guests are given a local mobile phone. A projector has been rigged up to screen films on the huge white wall of the courtyard, but the playboy who splashes out on the main suite gets his own huge plasma screen TV and Playstation. The hammam is large compared to those found in the typical Marrakech luxury riad and it has a separate massage room. A large pool is planned for the second phase when Riad Tarabel is set to double in size and up its rooms from three to seven.