Morocco Riad 101: My Riad Search Criteria

Morocco Riad 101

Beautiful Poolside area of a famous Marakech Riad

 

My Riad Search Criteria

I used to work in tourism for several years therefore I have an agenda when checking through hotels which proved to be pretty successful over the years no matter where I’ve travelled. I’ve decided to share some of these concepts with you, in order to help you with your search.

But first thing first: Let me tell you about Riad and Dar just briefly. These are mostly renovated homes of rich or the very rich who could afford to have a 5+ roomed home. All Riads have a lovely courtyard, which in case of a Dar means an all-tiled place with a fountain or fishpond or a small pool, and in case of a Riad it means a more elaborate garden with big trees which are not in pots.  This atrium courtyard is totally closed from the street and all rooms and bigger windows, balconies face inwards to that central space. The Riads were built in a special way to ensure a better microclimate than it is on the outside which is very nice when it comes to the hot summers.

Today, most Riads have free Wi-Fi, often also built-in air-conditioning and a very personalized service as they are mostly under 10 room capacity. This means a great chance to meet friends, to make friends with the staff and the owners and to learn a lot about Moroccan culture. Quite often the staff is prepared to get you a local guide and also to enroll you in desert tours or other excursions at a trusted agency. The majority of Riads also serve very delicious local dishes too.

But if you are an introvert, then all that communication and the possible lack of a private place may disturb you. If the place has an exaggerated style, it may be just too much and cause you a cultural shock.

Luckily, today there are hundreds if not thousands of Riads, all looking a little bit different and with a little bit of focused search it won’t be hard for you to find the perfect one for you. In this series I will help you how to set up your preferences when it comes to choosing the best place for you and I hope you will find my attempts useful, when it comes to choosing your next favorite Riad.

Please keep in mind that I’m absolutely neutral and I receive no money for advertising any of the Riads ( Dars) – so far J so, my reviews positive or negative are fully based on my own opinions and I’m as unbiased as I can possibly be.