Riad Azzar, Marrakech, Morocco

A luxury riad with an air of quiet sophistication, Riad Azzar is a base for a relaxed visit to Marrakech.

The facilities

The rooms at this luxury riad fan out around a courtyard with a small green swimming pool. Banana palms provide shade and a refreshing atmosphere for even the hottest Marrakech day.

Riad Azzar's plum-coloured dining room is an inviting place to spend winter evenings. In summer, guests dine by the pool or on the roof terrace. There is also a three-sided room opening onto the terrace, a good spot to wile away sultry afternoons and ideal for dinner in spring and autumn. The luxury riad also has a hammam offering massage and traditional treatments to increase the relaxation of the Marrakech experience.

The rooms

Each of Riad Azzar's seven rooms and suites is decorated individually in shades of black and white, with bright accents provided by the silk drapes, local rugs and scattered cushions. Thick white towels and robes await in the bathrooms and the beds are made with monogrammed white bed linen. Carefully collected objets d’art and fascinating photographs taken by the luxury riad's well-travelled Dutch owners are displayed throughout the house, to particular effect in the stylish salon on the ground floor.

Taznarth, the largest room at the luxury riad, has a niche strewn with cushions overlooking the courtyard from behind a mechrabiah screen, a large bathroom with a high ceiling and a spectacular mirror mosaic. It is next to the pretty twin room, Kilim, with two single beds end-to-end. These two rooms have a separate staircase, making them ideal for a family.

Zayan is the most romantic, with a four-poster bed draped in silks and a private terrace. Zemmour has a deep, cast-iron bath in the dramatic black bathroom. Marmoucha features a fireplace, as do the three larger rooms. The traditional construction of Riad Azzar around the courtyard and the thick walls keeps the rooms cool, so there's no need for air conditioning on the ground floor.