best riad in marrakech | Marrakech Riad

Gordon Gino and Fred, Christmas Road Trip

Three wise men followed the Star for an ITV festive special in Marrakech as Riad Star was honoured to host Gordon Ramsey, Gino D’Acampo and Fred Sirieix in, ‘Gordon, Gino & Fred: Christmas Road Trip: Three Unwise Men’. The traditional riad property is the final destination on a 6,000 culinary journey across Morocco in […]

Perfect Venue for Marrakech Yoga Retreats

Riad’s—traditional Moroccan homes—are the perfect destination for yoga groups. The intimate layout, the rooftop terrace, and the relaxing dipping pool of our Riad Star offer a gorgeous backdrop to any yoga retreat. Our in-house chefs are happy to prepare fresh, nourishing food for the body and mind and our live-in staff is always on hand […]

Madonna’s birthday headdress.

The queen of pop celebrated her 60th birthday in Marrakech, and chose a traditional riad as the palatial setting for the party. Madonna, has always embraced all that is bold and powerful. Conical bras and corsets were her trademark look in the 1990’s, so it is no surprise that she chose a powerful and iconic […]

Sahara Snowfall A Rare Sight To Behold.

A rare and spectacular sight is occurring in Southern Morocco right now (early February 2018), with snow falling on even the driest, lowland regions. As far south as Zagora (known as the gateway to the Sahara), residents are facing the first recorded snowfall in 50 years. Following decades of hot & dry weather, the region is […]

Moroccan fashion designer Noureddine Amir

Noureddine Amir is a fashion designer from Morocco. Born in Rabat he studied in a French fashion school which was briefly open in Morocco. His studio is called Villa Amir and is in Marrakech. The space is filled with wooden mannequins adorned with raffia and clay. what sets Noureddine apart from many Moroccan fashion designers […]

Christiano Ronaldo spends New Years Eve in Marrakech

Marrakech is an ever popular destination for celebrities, and as the popularity of this fabled red city grows year on year it is becoming the choice of destination for important celebrations. This year was no exception. Ronaldo was just one of a host of celebrities who chose to see in the New Year in the […]

What our guests say about a stay at Marrakech Riad

There are so many things we could tell you about the special things we offer at our four boutique Riads in Marrakech, from the importance of caring and helpful yet discreet staff to the comfort and special touches which we offer as standard to all of our guests……….but sometimes it’s best to just let our […]

Josephine Baker in Morocco

Ahmed Belbachir Haskouri (1908–1962) was a powerful member of the royal court of Morocco during the protectorate period. He was a prominent figure in Spanish Moroccan history. He was also a great friend of Josephine Baker. Josephine often stopped to visit him in Tetouan, a small coastal town in the North of Morocco when she […]

Josephine Baker and Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo and Josephine Baker are both women who inspire great respect and iconic status. Individually they both flourished as artists in their fields of painting and performance. At a point in history marred by bigotry and racism they reached heights of fame. Josephine and Frida were both known to be bisexual, and when they […]

Marrakech Marathon 2018

The 29th edition of the Marrakech marathon will take place on the 28 th January 2018. His Majesty King Mohammed VI is the patron of this event, where more than 8000 runners from all around the world will take part in a most prestigious marathon. The stunning circuit in Marrakech is considered to be one […]

Yves St Laurent museum wins architectural accolade

The newly built Yves St Laurent fashion museum in Marrakech has been named by the Architectural Digest as one of the most influential buildings of 2017. The new museum displays fashion pieces created by the iconic fashion designer who loved Marrakech. Designed by the French architecture firm headed by Olivier Marty and Karl Fournier, the […]

Moroccan Dance and Folklore – Guedra

Guedra represents several aspects of a form of dance which is particular to Southern Morocco, Mauritania and Algeria. The primary meaning of Guedra is cooking pot, when this pot is covered with a stretched leather skin to create a drum, the drum is also known as Guedra. When the drummer plays a beat representing a […]

Moroccan Dance and Folklore – Ahwash.

Ahwash dancing is from the areas around Ouarzazatte and the High Atlas mountains. Women in colourful dress stand motionless around a group of men who are in turn sitting around a fire. The men each have “bendir’s (simple wood and skin frame drums) A piercing cry breaks the silence, and the performance begins. The men […]

Morocco is officially the Spa capital of Africa

Morocco won the award for the best spa destination in Africa for the second consecutive year, at a ceremony recently held in Vietnam. The kingdom has won the “Africa’s Best Spa Destination 2017” Award, due to its spas, thermal centres, and modern luxury facilities, which offer a wide range of body treatments and massages. The […]

Ait Ben Haddou is top of UNESCO sites within Africa.

African media outlet site Afrika News has ranked the Moroccan Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou in Ouarzazate as one of the top four most distinguished UNESCO heritage sites across Africa. The famous Kasbah made it to the top of the list ahead of Victoria Falls , Kenya’s lake system, and the Namib Sand Sea. The report stated that “Morocco is one […]

Moroccan Pastry Chef attempts world record bake.

Moroccan pastry chef, Said Lâouaouda, could enter the Guinness World Records thanks to the gigantic 140-kilogram pie. The young Chef from Morocco has created a vast Panettone; a traditional Italian cake made with candied fruits and pearl sugar. The mammoth task took four days of work by four people. The recipe required 69 kilograms of […]

Marrakech tops Fodor’s travel list for 2018

Fodor’s Travel Guide is the world’s largest and professional travel guide book. Marrakech has been placed at the top of its “Travel Go List for 2018.” beating 51 other renowned world holiday destinations to top the 2018 list. “This romantic desert oasis is set to be one of 2018’s most fashionable vacations,” Fodor’s said. “Marrakech really […]

Josephine Baker and La Revue Nègre

In 1927 he lithographer Paul Colin was commissioned to create a portfolio of work representing La Revue Nègre in Paris. He created Le Tumulte Noir, a potrtfolio of 45 coloured lithographs. The lithographs celebrated Josephine Baker and the cast of the show, showcasing the energy that the black performers generated in jazz age Paris. The […]

Early film footage of Josephine Baker in Paris

Josephine Baker strutting her stuff. The lady really could dance…………Wild moves from our favourite entertainer. This clip is from La Revue Des Revues. Paris in 1927. (Not the original sound.) Riad Star the former home of Josephine Baker in Marrakech, and now a luxurious boutique guesthouse. With suites dedicated to the star herself. Come and […]

Josephine Baker reported as safe in the New York Times on the 6th December 1942

There was much speculation regarding the fate of Josephine Baker, some feared and reported the worst. The New York Times ran an article on December 6 th 1942 declaring that Josephine was safe and living in Marrakech. “JOSEPHINE IS SAFE” “Negro dancer reported dead is living in Morocco. Casablanca Morocco Dec 5th Josephine Baker, the […]

A recipe from Marrakech Riad cookery school – Olive Tapanade

Our cookery school ethos at Marrakech Riad is really simple, Keep it fresh and keep it healthy! For our tapenade recipe the first step is to visit the local market to buy today’s best ingredients. Then we can begin to cook a delicious meal! 1 cup/200 grams black cured olives 2 tablespoons capers (rinsed and […]

Embrace the wonders of exploring Marrakech

There are those of us who love to explore the world, who seek places where our senses can be filled with wonder. Places where we can delight in the richness and differences of cultures and cities. Those of us who yearn to widen our life experiences of the world. If you are this person we […]

Josephine Baker honored in new publication : Their Morocco by Mehdi Graincourt

We love this new book by Mehdi de Graincourt. It’s a wonderfully researched and beautifully presented book in which Mehdi presents the Kingdom of Morocco through the eyes of those visitors through history who found a deep connection and passion for the country. Over several centuries, Morocco has attracted Western writers, painters,composers, singers and artists. […]

Josephine Baker in Marrakech

The first time that Josephine heard a news report of her own death, she was lying on a chaise relaxing whilst enjoying the scent of the fragranced trees upon the rooftop gardens of Mohamed Menebhi’s palace. The very same complex of buildings are today Riad Star in Marrakech. Josephine’s response, as reported by Ollie Stewart, […]

Immerse yourself in the culture of Marrakech

We all have different motivations to travel, and we all have different styles of doing so. To take a break from daily routine, to relax, to experience something new, to learn, to challenge our understandings of other places and other cultures, to step outside our daily norms and broaden our awareness of the world and […]

A recipe from Marrakech Riad cookery school – Zaalouk

Our cookery school ethos at Marrakech Riad is really simple, Keep it fresh and keep it healthy! For our zaalouk recipe the first step is to visit the local market to buy today’s best ingredients. Then we can begin to cook a delicious meal! Zaalouk is a wonderful tasty treat, it is versatile and stays […]

Gabriel Veyre in Morocco

Gabriel Veyre was born in France in 1871 and was an early filmmaker and photographer. Veyre travelled to the Americas and to Japan and China where he created many films and photographs, some of these were shown in 1900 in an exposition in Paris. In 1901 Veyre travelled to Morocco where he was contracted to […]