The exhibits are beautifully displayed and lit and have rightly received rave reviews. Many thanks to Sarah Corbett for the image above. Sarah is a renowned specialist in Berber Silver and runs tours for jewellery collectors in our Marrakech Riads.

This small ‘must see’ museum is located within the Majorelle Gardens in the Marrakech New town of Guiliez and the exterior is painted distinctive Majorelle blue.

Riad Papillon

Chain Code:                        GZ

Amadeus Code:                RAKRPP

Sabre Code:                       164665

Worldspan Code:             RAKRP

Galileo Code:                     9582

Riad Cinnamon

Chain Code:                        GZ

Amadeus Code:                RAKRDX

Sabre Code:                       164662

Worldspan Code:             RAKRD

Galileo Code:                     9579

Dar Habiba

Chain Code:                        GZ

Amadeus Code:                RAKDHA

Sabre Code:                       164658

Worldspan Code:             RAKDH

Galileo Code:                     9575

The Souk scenes from the movie sex and the city 2 were filmed here and the street scene was ‘improved’ with an elegant overhead trellis.  After the event the trellis was left providing extra shade from the Marrakech sun.  On closer inspection it is not made of wood but a fibrous plaster material,  after two years parts are starting to disintegrate and we doubt it will as long as the ancient medina streets around it!

Sleeping up to 11 people in five luxury rooms Riad Papillon is located in the fashionable Dar El Bashah district of Marrakech. The new site showcases images of the courtyard and pool as well as the fabulous roof terrace with views to the Atlas mountains on a clear day. Make your reservation today!

The coffee shops are packed with rows upon row of locals for the big games so it is advisable to grab a seat up to 30 minutes before kick off.

Top tips for bars if you would like a beer while you watch game are Cafe Arabe in the Old Town and Kechmara in the New Town.

Cafe Arabe located on the rue Moassine in the central medina have a big screen in their ground floor restaurant which they use for really big games during the world cup and the like.  Our Riad staff can help you book a table to dine on top class italian food during the game.

Kechmara located on the Rue de la Liberte  opposite the old central market which is now a huge construction site. There is a big screen in the bar at the rear, again food can be ordered if required. Lager is on tap at European prices and the atmosphere is usually excellent in there when big clubs are playing.

Mostafa offers a colourful and modern twist to traditional Moroccan designs and he will always be pleased to share a glass of mint tea in the best tradition of Marrakech hospitality.

If you are staying in Marrakech, stay in a traditional Riad in the old town, just a short walk from the main square and the Souks

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new Dutch language website www.marrakechriad.nl to offer a more convenient reservation experience.

The Mediaeval City of Marrakech is surrounded by the snow topped Atlas mountains, there could be no greater contrast to the low countries of Holland!  Convenient to access with direct flights from Amsterdam and Charleroi.  Don’t delay, make your reservation today!

Marrakech found itself in the French part of Morocco, one of the primary things this meant of course that Marrakech developed a link with the French language that can still be seen today and indeed in the vast majority of Morocco as all signs are in both French and Arabic and the fact that a high number of individuals speak both Arabic and French in most of the service sector as well as in general, indeed the Moroccan dialect of Arabic has been said to be a mixture of Arabic, Berber, French and Spanish, reflecting Morocco’s rich heritage.

French colonial influence is not only seen in the language used by Moroccans but by the actual city of Marrakech itself, the primary example of this is the area of Gueliz which was built by the French and the name is thought to originate from a corruption of the French word eglise, meaning church. This was due to the fact that the French new town was based around the church and therefore the area was associated the locals used the building to refer to the area in general. This area in particular shows particular influences from French architecture with large boulevards and French style cafés, restaurants and bars.

Particular examples of a French style café in Gueliz is the Grande Café de poste and in the medina Café France. Both are old colonial buildings that as businesses have decided to retain the colonial aesthetic in order to attract customers and achieve a certain ambience. To summarise although Morocco became independent in 1956 the cultural heritage of French colonial rule is still very much evident from the fact that the language is still dominant to the fact that one can sit down in a Continental style café and have a café au lait. Consequently  Marrakech has a very interesting mixture of ambience as one can in a 10 minute walk go from the archetype of North African towns that the Medina represents to European style boulevards and Cafés that would not look completely amiss in Spain or the South of France, in the shape of the area of Gueliz. This contributes to making Marrakech one of the most vibrant and interesting cities in the world.

If you are planning a visit to Marrakech don’t miss the opportunity to stay in a Riad hotel in the vibrant old town, just minutes walk from the celebrated Jemma al Fnaa Square.

With outstanding offers on direct flights from Oslo with Norwegian how better to escape the arctic winter?

Our English speaking staff will take great care of you and lend a Marrakech pay as you go mobile so that you can stay in touch as you are out and about in the Red City. Make your reservation today!

If you are traveling from Paris, Nantes, Bordeaux, Marseilles or Toulouse or Lyon check out the Jet4you alternative.

We can arrange to have you met on arrival and whisked away to one of our luxury Marrakech Riads in time for dinner on the roof terrace!

This delightful litte table sits in the Essaouira Suite at Riad Cinnamon.  The decor in our Marrakech Riads is carefully selected to be reflect local tradition.

Just a few steps from the main square – take the street between Cafe France and the Restaurant Marrakchi this little cafe is well worth the detour.  On offer are a good selection of Moroccan standard dishes at reasonable prices. Service is fast and friendly.

Central Marrakech has seen a big increase in recent years inexpensive cafe restaurants, this is deservedly one of the most popular. We also like the Henna Cafe which is run by an ”association culturelle’ which we helped to found with a charitable mission to give back to the local community.

There is also a super little cafe, very pleasant for afternoon tea with small moroccan cakes.

This small private museum is located of the main Dior Sabonne street near to the Chrob Chauf fountain, just two minutes walk from Riad Cinnamon. There are excellent signs marking the way through the surrounding streeets.

The oldest building in Marrakech, the Almoravid Kouba is open to the public and features  sone of the most remarkable architectural decoration in the whole of the islamic world.

The largest and most important museum in town is the Musee de Marrakech (Marrakech Museum) which houses a permanent collection of art as well as cultural artefacts including ancient carpets and Berber wedding jewellery.

Adjacent is the Ben Yussef Maddrassa an extraordinary and atmospheric building which was an active Koranic School until relatively recently. In our view this is the most interesting of all the historic monuments in Marrakech.

Then, in the same street, there is the Dar Bellarj foundation which is currently showcasing ‘perfumes of morocco’.

A couple of minutes to the North is the outstanding ‘Maison de la Photographie‘ which disays a collection of historic collection of photos giving a window into the history and traditions of he Berber tribes.  There is also a video room with rare footage.

The most recent addition is the ‘Musee de l’art de vivre’ which brings alive some of he social history of Morocco, at the time of writing a fantastic of Kaftans is on display with explanations placing them in their historical and cultural context.

Our Riad Cinnamon is located right in the heart of the Museum District. The best of Marrakech is literally on your doorstep!