We had a wonderful stay at the Angsana Heritage Collection. It was a very easy trip from the UK, as the airport is very near to the city, which makes a short break very easy. The Riad was well situated, so you are within walking distance of the Medina, the souk, and Jemaa el-Fnaa. We stayed in Riad Blanc. The Riad is inside the walled city and is very beautiful. It was located in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the walled Medina, but the Riad itself was quiet and peaceful. It was beautifully and traditionally decorated. The room was comfortable and quiet (as was the Riad). There was a roof terrace with chairs and loungers where you could order refreshments if you wished; I sat out with a coffee every morning. There was a plunge pool on the ground floor of Riad Blanc with towels and loungers. The room featured huge, powerful showers with plentiful towels, towelling robes, and a hairdryer. Room service was also faultless, and everything smelt beautiful. Every day, there was a different essential oil for us to try in the room’s diffuser. The oils were all gorgeous.
What makes it stand out, alongside the location and the beauty of the Riad, was the service, which was exceptional. We were all tired from work and exams (respectively), and the calm of the hotel was restorative and gave us the energy and ease to explore Marrakesh as much as we could. We were greeted from our taxi and walked through the car-free narrow streets (derbs) to the Riad, where we were given comfortable seating and offered mint tea and pastries. We were then given a map of the city, and it was carefully explained to us by Ahmed where all of the main areas were and how to get there. We were given a mobile phone that we could use at no cost, which included Google Maps with the sites bookmarked.
The hotel also arranged an all-day walking tour for us on request with a fantastic guide, Hafid, who was incredibly knowledgeable. We visited the Bahia Palace, Madrasa Ben Youssef, the souks, and the Jemaa el-Fnaa market, with a stop for lunch. The cost was around 90 Euros for the day (excluding lunch), which we felt was very reasonable for a private tour.
Ahmed delivered kind and thoughtful service; in my view, he was the most outstanding hotel professional that I have encountered in my many years of travelling, working, and living abroad. It was anticipatory service at its very best—kind, calm, thoughtful, and unobtrusive. I made a major error in my booking, and he sorted it with kindness, calm, and empathy. Aziz served our breakfast and he was faultless, always remembering our preferences. For example, I asked for ice for my juice with the first breakfast; after this, ice was on the table immediately after we sat down. Mohammed, a host at the Riad, also deserves a mention for his kind and attentive manner. They were so accommodating you didn't even need to ask; they anticipated. One felt like the only guest in the Riad, and it was the sort of service you would expect with an extra zero added to the bill. If we returned by taxi, the staff always came to meet us in the car park and walked us back to the Riad through the derbs; this wasn't requested, it was just done as a service. Much appreciated. Everyone had a great personality, even the drivers they chose for us. The sense of humour is great. The stay was also very good value for money.
We were obsessed with the biscuits offered by the hotel; patisserie is an art form in Morocco, and the almond biscuits were, well, out of this world. We were also obsessed with the yoghurt at breakfast, which was just delicious, and the mint tea. The breakfast is described as a 'continental breakfast', but this is an understatement. It included unlimited coffee (and likely tea), freshly squeezed juice, fresh fruit, and yoghurt, followed by pancakes, bread, pastries, and cake, and then eggs of your choice. The omelette was amazing. Breakfast (and all meals) are served at the main Riad in a stunning courtyard garden. This was a 3-minute walk from Riad Blanc. We also ate an evening meal and a lunch at the hotel, both of which were delicious.
We visited in March. Like Goldilocks and the three bears, the temperature was 'just right'. We were four women travelling together, mothers and daughters (daughters aged 22), and we felt safe and respected at all times inside and outside the Riad. We did take care to dress modestly. We took a street food tour with Moroccan Food Adventures (booked in Marrakech off our own bat), which was a little vanilla but enjoyable—I wished the street food was more weird and less hotel—the highlight being Fatima's couscous. We also enjoyed a day trip with a 4-5 hour hike in the Atlas Mountains with Trailfinders (booked prior to arrival), which was flawlessly organised with a Berber guide and a Berber meal at the top of the mountain at the Kasbah Du Roches Armed (delicious).
A delicious Lebanese lunch was had at Naranj (which is 5 minutes away from the Riad). We had coffee at Cafe de France overlooking Jemaa el-Fnaa one night to enjoy the activity in the square. We had a special meal at Mizaan on our last night in the 'new' (Gueliz) district, which was also fantastic (all our food recommends were from our Lonely Planet Marrakech guide—I find these guides highly reliable). We also visited the Jardin Majorelle, which we did not take in on our day walking tour as it is outside the Medina.
We didn't have time to try a hammam, the Saadian Tombs, the YSL museum, or the desert, but we do need to leave something for the next visit. This was a very positive experience, made more so by the hotel, its staff, Marrakesh itself, and its wonderful people. We visited during Ramadan; we have not visited Marrakech before, but I did not notice any closures or negative impact at all. There was certainly a sense of kindness and community sharing, which may have led to more meaningful interactions with the community. There was a very busy evening scene that was more Moroccan than touristy, which again was hard to know if this was down to post-Iftar energy or just how it is. It was a privilege to be there at this time.
RO