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Clockwise from top /eft, a bedroom at Riad Madani. A bedroom at Riad Kaiss. The courtyard
Happy hookah It's smokin' in the funky old medina of Marrakesh, says Lucinda Bredin hree years ago, the idea of staying
within the city walls of Marrakesh would bring on an attack of the vapours. There was La Mamounia, of course, but that had seen better days and, like a beached cruise ship, it had a lobby that thronged with tour groups and luggage. The traditional solution for the creative aristocracy (Xavier Hermös, Charles Boccara) was to stay in the Palmeraie on the fringes of the city. With vast villas and swimming-pools surrounded by walled gardens, it kept the city at arm's length.
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How fashions change. To escape the gloomy months in Britain for a dose of pure exoticism, the medina, the heart of the medieval city next to the souk, is now the chic choice. You stay in traditional Moroccan townhouses called riads, some of which date from the 14th century. Almost all notable riads have several features in common. They are small, with 12 rooms at
the most, and are buiit around an internal courtyard. They often have pools and usually serve food, but on request only. While the service is attentive, it doesn't try to cover all bases around the clock, so don't expect complicated cocktails to arrive on a silver tray. Until you walk into a riad, yo:u have no idea what you'll find. In fact, given the layout of medieval Marrakesh, you don't know if 136
of Riyad El Cadi has a cluster of rooms that once
belonged to the harem. Perfect for nanny and the children.
you'll even find the front door. It took many phone calls to Herwig Bartels, the
Riad Noga, on another tiny side street, doesn't attempt to be the last thing in sophis-
former German ambassador, before I reaiised I had been
staring all the time at one of the four entrances to his Riyad El Cadi. After being led down a dogJeg passage, reassuringingly moderne in grey tadlakt, a glazed chalk plaster, you arrive in a ravishing courtyard with a 16th-century fountain in the
tication but, like its owners, ex-banker Norbert Furnon Robertsandhiswife,GabrieleSpäth,it'sjolly and comfortable. The rooms are sma1l but there are wonderful views from the terrace. Norbert (a nephew of Tiny Rowland) is an
indefatigable host. centre, slrrrounded by orange and lemon trees. Christian Ferrö, a Parisian architect, is priHerr Bartels's collection of Berber textiles and marily concerned with style. It took him three Moroccan woodwork is displayed to great years to renovate Riad Kaiss, and there is a effect and there is an airiness and a sense of Gallic ölan throughout. The dark salon looks civilised order, a great contrast to the anarchy particularly exotic and would be a good outside the gates. Only two hours after Jasper place to bring out a hookah pipe. The eight Conran checked out of El Cadi to stay in bedrooms are more Provengal, with wroughtthe Palmeraie, he begged to be allowed back. iron beds and crisp Chamb6ry sheets. joy of the rlads is that they reflect the Two minutes walk away,. another subfusc $The door leads to Riad Madani, personalities of their owners.
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Reno- RIYADELCADI:single, fill it with your own guests. vated by a former French from f70, including This tiny riad (it only has three ambassador to Indonesia breakfast.RIADMADANI: rooms.l has a whitewashed and his Brazilian partner, double,from€160, courtyardwithfourorangetrees Madani is remarkable for its including breakfast. RIAD and two salons with marble size (the gardens must be NOGA:double,from basins and superb carved ceilamong the city's largest) and fl00,includingbreaHast. ings. When I visited, a party its dazzling art collection RIAD KAISS: double, was being prepared. Lighted (Chinese scrolls, Picasso fromfl00.DARZELLIJ: flares, drifts of rose petals and lithographs, 19th-century double, from f96. For tables laden with Moroccan alone
in
Marrakesh.
photographs).Theroomsare UKreservations,contact delicacies were being laid out wonderfullyvariedandthere Western&Oriental under a starry night sky. I is a pool on the roof.
It also
{tel: 020 7313
6600}
simply didn't want to leave.