Riad Sakkan

Not all holidays are created equal. Some escapes feel greater than others, and Marrakech (with a relatively conservative three-and-a-half hour flight time from London) is just far-flung enough to conjure ‘big-adventure’ levels of excitement. 

Travelling to the Red City in September, as the UK weather begins to turn wet and windy, the prospect of 30-degree, sunny days (and oodles of shopping opportunities, ofc) proves too tempting to resist. 

Fast-forward to the date stamped on our boarding cards and we’re touching down in Menara Airport. Here, we’re met by a Riad Sakkan driver – for a pickup charge of €15pp, it’s well worth arranging a car collection, as trying to navigate your route from curbside drop-off to your hotel when you’re not in the company of someone who knows the way is not without its challenges. After a short traipse along the medina’s crisscrossed narrow lanes, we reach our traditional riad (guided here by the hotel’s porter, Mustapha). 

Positioned in the Mouassine district of the medina, the 12-room Riad Sakkan, our home for the next couple of nights, offers respite from the crowded marketplace to we, the travel-weary. 

Arriving in such an oasis makes us instantly perk up. First glimpses of the property take in two courtyard gardens: one with a large pool engulfed in vegetation, its surrounding walls overrun with fragrant jasmine climbing plants; the other, plant-lined and home to an array of animals, from the feathered to the hard shelled. 

Pausing our curiosity and desire to explore, we check in at the compact reception before being shown to our Junior Suite. Despite being one of the mid/larger accommodation options, the suite is by no means vast, but it certainly is charming. 

A portrait of Mick Jagger hangs over the king-sized bed, which is dressed in Egyptian cotton. Walls are distressed in style. The flooring is camel leather. The room is punctuated with interesting furniture, including a chevron patterned chest of drawers and an intricate copper stool. As you venture further in, you’ll spot the marble tub (a bath, enhanced by organic toiletries from local brand Botanika, is a must while you’re here). 

After unpacking we head up to the roof and are surprised by the absolute gem of a spot we’ve happened upon. Finding a seat in the rooftop bar area, surrounded by earthen objets, African masks, brass candlesticks, and monochromatic tiles, we concur that this is a rather lovely place to see out the end of the day. With snappable views in every direction, we toast to our first night in Marrakech. 

After prying open the shutters and adjusting to the morning light we unlock our carved wooden door and head out for a closer inspection of the tuneful des oiseaux who’ve been serenading us from the courtyard. 

Mindful of our step (tortoises roam freely across the parquet floors here), we pause at the trio of gilded cages for some chirpy chat and then head upstairs for breakfast. Morning mealtimes are simple, comprising of conserves and bread, fruit, yoghurt, and granola, plus eggs your way  – and all served until 11.30am (a real holiday win when breakfast extends this late). It’s enough to set you up for a morning of exploring and/or bartering in the bazaar. From the breakfast table we plot our route around the souk and then, freshly squeezed orange juice sloshed back, head out.

Returning with a delicate mirror and a couch’s worth of cushions (well, cushion covers), we celebrate our successful haul with a simple afternoon tea of pastries and a traditional mint tea (offered gratuitously to guests) before retiring to the pool. 

After a much-needed cooling off, we take position on the two-person mustard yellow daybeds. Clocking the little bell that sits alongside the loungers, it’s a relatively safe bet that our next drinks order won’t be too far away. 

While lounging by the pool (lucky we), our eyes zoning in on certain design details and then wandering about again only to be stopped in their tracks by some other colourful creation, it becomes clear: this is a design enthusiast’s nirvana. 

More contemporary than many other riads you’ll find nearby while staying true to traditional architectural elements, Sakkan’s juxtaposed style really appeals. Take, for example, the provocative black and white photographs snapped by Marc Lagrange which are dotted throughout the property. At odds with the walls on which they’re mounted, these pictures are arresting – one of the most alluring in the collection stares back at us from across the pool, fringed by banana leaf plants and brass orb-shaped lighting fixtures. 

By the time dinner rolls around we’re too lazy to go anywhere else. The menu at the rooftop restaurant isn’t extensive and doesn’t appear to cater to vegetarians (however, if you notify staff the kitchen will be more than happy to whip something up for you) but it hits the spot. 

Traditional Moroccan cuisine is your best bet here – try the chicken tagine or kofta with eggs – though more European dishes (such as roast chicken and beef fillet) are also available. When chat inevitably turns to ‘tomorrow’s plans’, it’s wise to seek the advice of Veerle, who co-owns the hotel together with her husband, Tom. Affable Veerle knows the ins and outs of the city, and is up to date on the latest openings and closings medina wide. But for now that bathtub beckons…