This place truly is a gem. We arrived at Marrakech airport and were met by Youssef who took us back to the hotel. The hotel is a little way out of the city and we were driving along, further out of town and I was wondering where on earth we were going to end up. We turned down a dirt road and I began to worry. But when we went through the gates at the end of the road we saw the Riad. The place is simply incredible.

We were met by Alain, the owner, he speaks very little English but we managed to communicate and he was so welcoming and warm, and he showed us around his beautiful house. The room was exceptional and classy, with a private terrace overlooking the wonderful swimming pools and the Atlas mountains. We ate most of our meals at the Riad and the food was great, the staff were all so friendly and kind. Youssef took us in to Marrakech when we wanted, and also took us up to the mountains to the waterfalls and drove us almost to the top of the range. The pool was unbelievable, surrounded by four poster beds and sun loungers.

I haven't got a single bad word to say about the place and cannot recommend highly enough. If you know a little French it would probably help, but my two friends and I only knew a few words and we got by just fine, the staff were very patient with us. I would also mention, staying outside of the city is a big bonus in my opinion. After experiencing the craziness of the city, while it was certainly an experience to visit, staying in the madness would have been too much. The Riad was so serene, beautiful and peaceful and gave us the opportunity to have a perfect mix of the culture of the city, while still being able to relax and enjoy being away.