Marrakech is a magical place where the best of different worlds come together. It's the mysterious romance of 1001 nights in a boho laid back atmosphere filled with culture, art, aesthetics and cosmopolitan flair. I can best describe it as a sensory roller coaster along spices, roasted lamb, rosewater, Arabic sounds, French pastry, donkeys moving through the small Medina alleys, renewed skin after a revitalizing hammam ritual, pinkish red against the backdrop of snow capped High Atlas peaks, fresh cobalt blue of Jardin Majorelle, lanterns scattering beautiful patterns of light... I can go on forever! I just really love Marrakech!
It was love at first sight years ago when I first visited Marrakech during a roundtrip in Morocco with my husband. And I recently came back with a group of 8 friends. What a great reunion, Marrakech and me! And honestly... although perfect for a romantic tete-a-tete... it's even better when you can shop for ever with your friends in the souk and the ville nouvelle, party till the morning in bo-zin or pacha, have all the beauty treatments you want in the hammam, and chill and chat at the roof terrace of the riad in the sun with croissants and mint tea and wine and olives...
The best Marrakech experience is to stay in a riad (old family palace) in the Medina (the old town). It's a great experience to walk through the medieval Medina with its labyrinth of small dark alleys, find the door of your riad and then enter and feel like a princess. Most of these riads are beautifully restored, styled and decorated with European touch and often featured in interior magazines.
http://www.thevillabook.com/country/Morocco/region/Marrakech/villa/DAR_CHELITA/
We found Dar Chelita on the internet and immediately fell for the style, the location and the fact that we could rent the whole riad. Funfact: Jamie Oliver stayed here as well. Dar Chelita has a refreshing simplicity as the UK based owner calls it, with a mixture of traditional and contemporary furniture. The rooms are very comfortable, light, spacious and it has a sitting room overlooking the courtyard and a fantastic roof terrace with pleasant places to relax surrounded by beautiful bougainvillea. Dar Chelita is situated next to the Katoubia mosque and the Djemaa el Fna square. And the 5* Hotel Jardin de Katoubia is just around the corner with a not to miss hammam and swimming pool http://www.lesjardinsdelakoutoubia.com/uk/navigation.htm
Although you should definitively stay for dinner and/or lunch in the riad (absolute treat and great value for money in a lovely ambiance) try to book a table at Le Foundouk and Bo Zin as well. Two great and totally different experiences, Le Foundouk http://www.foundouk.com has a traditional superb Morocan cuisine in the old part of the Medina; Bo Zin http://bo-zin.com is a stylish restaurant/club that is a 15 min drive from the Medina that will give you a great insight in the cosmopolitan nightlife.
And last but not least do not forget to add some products of Les Sens de Marrakech to your shopping list of must have souvenirs. The products are great, not cheap but worth it, lovely smell, based on Argan oil and beautifully packed: http://www.lessensdemarrakech.com/
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