Riads & Hammam

Riads — Living Like in One Thousand and One Nights

A Riad (from Arabic riyad = garden) is a traditional Moroccan townhouse with a courtyard — and the most beautiful way to stay in Marrakech. From the outside, you see only an inconspicuous wooden door in a narrow alley; inside, a paradise opens up: courtyard with fountain, orange trees, Zellige mosaics, and bougainvillea. The rooms open onto the courtyard, above awaits a roof terrace with views over the Medina to the Atlas.

Riads are available in every price range: from simple (30–50€) to charming (50–100€) to palace Riads with pool and spa (150–500€). Breakfast is almost always included — and it is an experience in itself: Msemen (flatbread), Beghrir (crêpes with a thousand holes), Amlou (argan oil-almond-honey paste), jams, olives, cheese, eggs, orange juice, and of course mint tea.

Hammam — The Moroccan Bathhouse

The Hammam is not a spa visit — it is a cultural cleansing ritual that Moroccans practice at least once a week. The procedure:

1. Warming up: You sit in a hot, steamy room and let the heat work (15–20 minutes).
2. Savon Noir: Black olive soap is applied to the entire body and left to work.
3. Gommage: A bath attendant (Tayeb/Tayeba) scrubs your entire body with the Kessa glove — a rough exfoliating glove that removes layers of skin you didn't know existed.
4. Rhassoul: Clay mask for skin and hair.
5. Cooling down: A bucket of cold water over the head. Done — and reborn.

Which Hammam?

• Traditional Hammam (10–30 MAD): The neighborhood hammam — simple, authentic, only with locals. Bring your own Savon Noir, Kessa glove, and towel. Gender separation (different times).
• Tourist Hammam (200–800 MAD): Heritage Spa, Les Bains de Marrakech, Hammam de la Rose — more luxurious, with massage, argan oil, and private room. Less authentic, but more comfortable.