Riad Antara

Beautiful, small, calm and peaceful, south of the Medina (easy walk to most places), great service, lovely roof top available for breakfast, afternoon tea or pre-dinner drinks. Not cheap but worth it ! (Only regret: the beds are all quite hard, not everyone’s cup of tea).

The Riad Antara was pure luxury and nothing was too much for our hosts, Anne & Laurent. We were contacted via email a few days after we booked to clarify booking and arrival details and were provided with lots of recommendations for places to eat. Laurent and Abdul greeted us at the nearby car park where our taxi dropped us off and escorted us to the Riad. We received a warm welcome with dates, fresh tea and a surprise gift. The Riad is very well located near the Bahia Palace and only 15mins walk to the Jemaa El Fna Square. Tip for a nearby ATM - use the Post Office around the corner from the Riad, near the palace which didn’t charge us for Revolut withdrawals. Our room was the Abla Suite on the ground floor, which was spacious and clean with a king size bed and a small sofa area by a fireplace. Each room is uniquely different and we did not feel intruded upon despite being by the main courtyard of the Riad. The bathroom was very opulent with a separate bath & shower, including his & hers sinks and fantastic toiletries. We felt safe and secure at all times and were made to feel like this was our home. The breakfasts were excellent with a wide variety of foods to indulge upon including locally baked breads, pancakes, eggs, fruit bowls, to name a few. Sadly we couldn’t try the restaurant on-site for dinner as the chef was sick for our stay, but Laurent was quick to find and book us alternatives. There is a rooftop terrace for eating breakfast and dinner, but was too cold to use for our stay. It also has some loungers for sunbathing when warmer and watching the sunset. The pool area was very secluded and had an additional lounge area for relaxing. There are water jets and we had a brief swim, but the water was a bit cold for our liking. I have to call out the helpfulness and attentiveness of Abdul who ensured we were greeted every time we returned from our day out with dates and tea. Even late at night after dinner and drinks he was ready to send us to sleep with some herbal tea. We liked the dates so much he even went to the local store to collect some for us to take home, so we weren't ripped off by tourist prices. On our last day we booked the spa for a couples Hamman and it was excellent. Very relaxing and a good price, considering the location and quality of oils etc. Overall, we had an amazing time and would highly recommend staying here.

Marrakesh is a "must experience" city, no? The spirit of it is a riad (boutique hotel = oasis of calm) . Antara is a truly an impressive riad. Classy, impressive architecture. Also very tastefully appointed. Committed & attentive service team. Laurent & Anna from France, the owners, are heartfelt hosts. I'm 73, have been around, and I'd say this is one of the best places I've ever stayed at. Highly recommended......