Hotel & Ryad Art Place Marrakech ★★★★★

“All things can be cured by argan oil” the bazaar pharmacist proclaimed wisely. “But mainly, it is to hydrate the skin and fortify the hair.” This was our second day in the souks, we had wandered into Rahba Kedima square to gaze at the coloured piles of different spices, try new herbal remedies and taste herbal teas. We were on our way to the Ben Youssef mosque to gaze an architectural wonder but somehow we managed to find ourselves distracted by the glint of the trinkets and colours of the bazaar.

“This carpet was hand woven over six weeks, feel how soft it is…” another bazaar seller was drawing us in, but no longer in the mood to haggle for a bargain, my husband and I moved on and made our way to the mosque. This was followed by a wander home of about fifteen minutes, when we arrived on the doorstep of Art Place. I say home, because for our week in Marrakech it felt as such, a comfortable North African home to retire too once the day’s work was done.

Art Place is a particularly beautiful and the location, faultless. There was no need to book taxis home or hire a car, most attractions were only a short walk away, and the hotel’s terrace even backed onto the best place in the Red Town, the Jemaa el Fna square; we were in the centre of it all. Marrakech was at our fingertips. Thought the hotel is completely new, it takes inspiration from the past and is decorated in spectacular Moroccan tradition, with intricate door frames, traditional lanterns and even a centre courtyard covered in typical Moroccan tiles. Silver plated, gold plated, the rooms throughout the hotel evoke all the riches of Moroccan culture. Every detail is ornate and eye-catching; they carry the beautiful style of this city in grace and elegance. The artistic touch makes its name evident and gives the hotel original flair.

We had decided to indulge a little and booked ourselves into a mini suite. Our bedroom consisted of a large bed backed by a beautiful opulent headboard, a seating area furnished with patterned sofas and a tiled and marble bathroom. It was spacious, relaxing and included all the necessary mod-cons such as a plasma screen television and wifi access. Once we had freshened up in our colourful bathroom after our day in the souks, we wandered to the hotel’s restaurant for our evening meal. We managed to secure a table with views of the famous Jemaa el Fna square and could watch live shows being performed whilst we savoured our seasonal dishes; sweet couscous, marinated meats, sugary patisseries and more.

Our first day we had enjoyed “Tea Time” in the central lobby sat on an embellished table next to a star-shaped fountain. Curious to discover the riad, one of the hotel staff gave us peak of this exclusive area where there are only six suites, breakfast is served on the terrace or patio in the warm light of the Moroccan sun.

We had taken a risk on this holiday, Morocco is fairly new to us and Art Place is a completely new hotel. But we were enticed by the opulent and resplendent photos, and as sure as, our risk paid off!