From US$215 per room per night (including breakfast)
– Riad Star’s app, to find you way through the medina, is absolutely priceless
– Nothing we can think of!
Riad Star is a complete escape in the middle of the hectic Marrakech medina. As is custom with the traditional riad accommodation, through the winding lanes of the medina, you’ll stumble across a door, often ornate compared to the mud walls that you’re passing. And inside, you’ll find an escape, and Riad Star is no exception. The beautiful shiny door with a silver star gives you some idea as to the style that you’ll experience once you step through it.
Riad Star was the Moroccan home of American-French star Josephine Baker. The careful design is a mix of Art Deco and Moroccan inspired textiles, lighting, tiles and furniture and is timelessly stylish. In the dining room you’ll also find a collection of costumes, manuscripts and other paraphernalia celebrating Josephine’s career in Music Hall. Each room is also themed around particular parts of her life. In the Chiquita room (her leopard), we were set just off of the roof terrace where there are loungers and a seating area for you to relax in after a busy day exploring Marrakech.
Whilst not as notoriously difficult as Fez, Marrakech’s medina can be a confusing place and you can easily lose yourself. Riad Star does everything they can to make the experience as easy and pain-free for you as possible. They have created their own app which is a map of the medina with recommended places to eat and drink and the riad mapped. It works from GPS without need for internet, and if you are without a smartphone then they provide one for you to borrow. They also give you a phone with the hotel and host Aziz’s numbers saved for emergencies, or in case you get lost. The app is amazing and we would have been lost (literally) without it, we also ate at a number of the recommended restaurants and were not disappointed.
With just seven rooms, it’s a really personal experience and host Aziz is endlessly helpful, just ask him if you need anything. You can also rent to whole riad privately if you’re planning a group trip. They also have a hammam attached to the riad and you can arrange for traditional hammam spa treatments. Riad Star is a stylish retreat in the busy Marrakech medina, and we can’t find any fault with it.
