Riad Cinnamon

Choosing to stay in a raid over a hotel during your Marrakesh trip is choosing to stay in an, often, renovated historical family home or merchant’s house. You will find your accommodation far more aesthetically authentic; they often feature a dipping pool within an open-topped central courtyard, hand-made furniture throughout, and a roof terrace adorned with sun-loving plants. Riad Cinnamon is this and much more. From the moment I booked to our last escort through the narrow shopping alleys, we couldn’t have felt more lavished on. Communication over email started a few weeks before our stay, at this stage we confirmed our flight details and any transfer needs, we also requested that we have dinner at the Riad on our first evening and left our menu choices in their hands – it was, and still is, the best lamb and date tagine we tried in Morrocco. On our arrival day, we were met by our driver, who was holding a Riad Cinnamon logo and sign. We slipped into the air-conditioned minivan and then experienced the bullish style of Moroccan driving for the first time, it was an eye-opener and a giggle-inducing event – it’s impossible to dive over 10-20mph in the city and the special awareness of the roads users is awe-inspiring. Our driver dropped us off at a taxi rank, this is as close to our Riad as he could get. From here our bags would be transported using man-power (or moped/mule power) by way of a hand-pulled kart through the narrow and, initially, overwhelming alleys of the old city. It’s worth noting: if possible, bring some small monetary notes with you so you may tip the taxi driver and the porter, Moroccan money is a closed currency but you can bring in up to 1000 Dirham, tripping can be anything from 10-50dh. Or if you’re in a pinch, Euros are accepted. Before we knew it, we were delivered to the door of Riad Cinnamon. Our host answered the door on the first knock and ushered us into the internal courtyard, the sunshine streamed through the open rooftop and small birds flitted over the clear water of the dipping pool – it was extraordinary how one door acted as the distinction between the whirring throng of the streets and the instant quiet calm of that oasis. After our first taste of the local tea and a small amount of paperwork, we were shown to our room. High ceilings are married to authentically decorated walls by way of intricately carved covings, the room is spacious and beautifully traditional (with modern touches like the cleverly discreet air-conditioning unit on the wall), the bathroom has a “his and hers” sink and a fantastically powerful shower (my partner is a shower aficionado so the thumbs up from him is a real win). Our riad is the sister to four others in the area – all having different qualities – so do have a browse through the activities on offer; from Spa experiences to cooking demonstrations. We had dinner on the rooftop that evening, and both the meal and the setting were outstanding. The terrace consists of multiple “areas” – a dipping pool and sun loungers, covered bench seating, and patio furniture. All were discreetly screened from any other nearby rooftops that may be able to look in (not that many could, this was one of the tallest which owed to a great view of the surrounding Medina). After a very restful night's sleep, and a top-notch shower, we had breakfast in the cool courtyard and watched the birds play in the morning sunshine. Our hosts lay out a beautiful breakfast every morning which consisted of fresh fruits, yogurt, pancakes, breads, olives, and preserves – and then an egg (we chose boiled). Breakfast is at any time after 8 am and isn’t at a set time so allow yourself an extra hour in bed, the Riad are very accommodating on all fronts. You are given a room key (padlock) but no front door key, there will be a daytime host or a night porter to welcome you – at no point were we waiting more than a minute after knocking. The complimentary mint tea is very welcome after adventurous mornings exploring the local souks; I’d highly recommend taking tea on the roof terrace so you can enjoy the routine “call to pray” being sung throughout the Medina. Our stay at Riad Cinnamon ended too quickly and we asked to settle up with our host – our outstanding balance was to cover the airport transfers, standard tourism fee, and the meal on our first night. The lavish standard of service and beautiful setting was above and beyond what we could have hoped for – and quite frankly – was an absolute bargain. After another fresh breakfast, our bags were taken by a porter to our waiting airport transfer. We didn’t need to lift a finger or worry about any logistics; from the free app (created by the owners of the riad) which acts as an offline travel guide, to the great communication throughout. They have thought of everything. The wonderful staff are a credit to this Riad Cinnamon and we hope to stay again soon.