Riad Karmela Princesse

Though I am loth to indulge in overused clichés, the Riad Karmela Princesse is deserving of many. A fairytale palace swathed in history, where guests are treated like royalty; sounds familiar? Yet the clichés in this case are overwhelmingly true. Staff pampered my boyfriend and I from the moment we stepped through the doors, hitting that elusive balance of kind warmth and unwavering professional discretion.

As they ushered us to our suite through mazes of tiled patios, even passing by a small indoor fountain on the way which I made a mental note to revisit later, I couldn’t help but feel utterly enchanted by the beauty of the hotel. Opened in 2006 – not that you would ever believe it – the hotel has been lovingly restored to its former glory as a Riad, albeit with a flair of modern design and a whole host of modern comforts. Each room, suite and apartment has its own unique style and personality, adding to the ever-growing feeling of bespoke luxury, but even this was outshined by our own private terrace in our suite. Many balmy nights were spent here in undisturbed peace, the hectic buzz of Marrakech miraculously feeling worlds away from our own little haven.

If it wasn’t for the promise of breakfast on the terrace in the morning, I’m not sure we would have made it out of bed each day. A lingering breakfast in the soft morning sun, however, was entirely worth the effort of leaving the comfort of our rooms. Several hours later trawling through dusty lanes and heaving markets, the hotel was a dreamy sight for sore eyes (and sore feet), best remedied by an indulgent trip to the hotel’s intimate Spa. As irritating as clichés are to me, every one of them is well-deserved at the Riad Karmela Princesse, where it’s not a matter of whether you give in to its spellbinding magic, but when!