Review of Riad La Terrasse des Oliviers, by Vitali Vitaliev

The word "riad" means "sumptuous" in Arabic. In Marrakech, it has come to denote a small privately owned hotel inside or on the fringes of the Medina – a picturesque and ever-so-hectic Old Town, where cars, bicycles, people and donkeys keep happily bumping into each other from dawn till dusk.

There are approximately 800 officially registered  Riads in Marrakech and another thousand or so unofficial ones, the exact number remaining a carefully guarded secret. Among other best kept secrets of Marrakesh is Riad La Terrasse des Olivier on the northern  edge of the Medina.

Its contrast to the Medina’s never-ending chaos cannot be greater. Shutting the riad’s massive black door behind you is like entering an oasis of peace and quiet. First you find yourself in a small and cosy lobby-cum-lounge, with a plunge pool in the middle. And next to the pool - a huge stack of paperbacks in different languages emphasising the cosmopolitan nature of this peculiar institution, owned by two Frenchmen, confidently and unobtrusively managed by Jacques (a Flemish man who had lived in Morocco for over 4 years), and staffed by 3 charming locals.

Rashida is a warm and kind, almost motherly, maid who once saved my partner and me from being pursued by a gang of the Old Town’s persistent beggar boys; Malika – a housekeeper and chef, who cooks best lamb tagine in Marrakesh  - with apples, almonds, prunes, cinnamon and tender pieces of meat on bones;  and Youssef – a shy and extremely polite young man who acts as both a security guard and a waiter and is always happy to accompany you to the Medina (which I would strongly recommend, particularly in the beginning of your stay).

The most popular space and the true focal point of the riad is a breezy and shady roof terrace where the riad’s guests are served refreshing mint tea (any time of the day) and the meals: breakfasts, lovingly put together by Jacque and served by Youssef, and Malika’s spectacular dinners - to be consumed at dusk in the treacherous light of brightly burning torches and to the accompaniment of muezzins’ chants from the Old Town’s countless minarets.

With just six cool, comfy and affordable rooms (all air-conditioned, en-suite and facing the courtyard), Riad La Terrasse des Olivier is small, yet extremely welcoming, home-like and therefore particularly appealing to visiting Europeans who are bound to feel a bit of a culture shock after their first expeditions to the souks (street markets) of the Medina.