Riad Tarabel – Review

Riad Tarabel is an intimate hideaway in Dar El Bacha, the most elegant quarter of Marrakech’s old town. Behind a storied wooden door, five interconnecting riads form a serene private mansion of ten rooms and suites, where Moorish architecture meets Napoleon-III character and the mood is calm, and the service truly personalised.

The property is set with the ancient walled city of Marrakech, with the vibrancy of the medina on the doorstep, yet life inside Riad Tarabel moves at a much gentler pace. Courtyards seclude meditative alcoves; sun bathing areas and a garden of orange trees filled with birdsong. There is a ground-floor pool, a smaller rooftop plunge pool, and a myriad of quiet corners to dine in privacy.

The signature hammam and spa, Les Bains de Tarabel, opens through a disguised mirror door and works with all-natural Moroccan products. Breakfast brings freshly made breads, Moroccan pancakes, and fresh fruit, served on the roof (or by the fire in cooler months).

Fifteen to twenty minutes from the airport, and a few steps from Dar El Bacha Palace, Le Jardin Secret, and small museums, Tarabel gives you the essence of old Marrakech without the chaos. It feels like your own home in the medina.

Magical Morocco

Marrakech sits close to Europe, almost within reach, yet the moment you enter the medina the energy changes. Spices, leather, cedarwood. I have been coming for more than twenty-five years and watched the city evolve: international names arriving outside the city opening ultra luxury resort and golf clubs, a new wave of refined riads within the medina, and a dining scene that grows ever more extravagant. Still, the heart of the old city endures. Lanes are narrow and shaded. Barrows are piled high with pomegranates and prickly pears. Scooters skim past with millimetres to spare. Its inspiring and intoxicating, so a place to retreat and relax is essential.

Tarabel is the perfect place. In Dar El Bacha, where the streets feel unusually well-kept and the boutiques are tasteful rather than touristy, down a dead-end alleyway one reaches the entrance of the riad, opening to the garden of citrus trees and a fountain that cools the central courtyard. The scent of orange blossom fills the air. You are greeted by an iced mint tea with a generous sprig, and a plate of handmade biscuits. The bustle has fades and you immediately relax,

Chic Retreat

What looks modest from the alley is, in fact, an elegant mansion created from five interlinked riads, shaped since 2007 with patience and care. High walls hold out the heat. Archways and salons open to the courtyards like stage sets, beautifully curated and composed. Co-owner and interior decorator Rose Fournier layers the place with her collector’s eye. There are antique maps and botanical prints, flea-market finds, and the signature painted wall paper in the main salon. Freshly cut flowers brings live into each space. By evening the whole house glows with lanterns.

Space to Relax

The ten suites feel individual. The comfortable bed sat at the centre of my suite dressed with white linens and emerald throw. Triple-shuttered windows let the light stream in. The bathroom was generous and tactile, with smooth tadelakt walls, a double shower, and a roll-top tub. The Ortigia Ambra Nera products suit the city, resinous, warm, with a touch of spice.

Each building is set around a courtyard. There’s the main courtyard garden, while another holds the main pool, a place for a late swim or a simple lunch at a shaded table. An intimate courtyard with deep daybed sofas invites reading, its carved woodwork a beautiful piece of artisan heritage. The final courtyard is home to the spa.

Wellbeing Rituals

The spa, Les Bains de Tarabel, sits behind a mirrored door. Manager Rkia and her team work with intuition and Nectarome’s all-natural Moroccan formulas. The hammam follows an ancestral sequence: a sea-salt foot bath scented with bitter orange, a eucalyptus black-soap cleanse, a gentle Kessa scrub, then a warm ghassoul wrap enriched with seven herbs. Massages are calming and nurturing. You choose your argan oil; neroli, of course, for me as relaxation was my goal. There are two hammams and three treatment rooms, including spaces for couples, and a separate street entrance for non-residents, though guests reach it as if by secret.

Dining

Dining is personal. Chef Madame Saida Amslil cooks to order: bright, herb-rich Moroccan salads, lunchtime skewers with just the touch of spice and smoke; an evening chicken tagine that comforts. Moroccan wines continue to surprise; I really enjoyed the sauvignon Blanc. Table settings matter here, with the impeccable attention to details with fine china, that perfectly complements the olive-green and charcoal ceramic tagines, while menus sheathed in covers echoing the hand-painted Zuber wallpaper of the summer salon. Breakfast on the roof terrace became my daily ritual: with a strong coffee, baskets of breads and pastries still warm from the oven, msemmen to drizzle with local honey, khobz to tear and dip in olive oil or smother with homemade fig jam, as well as baghrir and harsha and eggs prepared to order.

There are terraces and courtyards for chasing the sun and the roof terrace as a small plunge pool to help stay cool during the day, while the daybeds invite everything from an afternoon doze to a nightcap under the stars

Medina meanderings

Outside, the city is alive. From Tarabel you reach Le Jardin Secret in minutes, its pavilions and gardens a timeless homage to Moroccan geometry and the importance of water. Cross the medina in around ten minutes and you find small places that will delight, like the House of Photography with its remarkable portraits from the mid-19^th century to early 20^th century, or lose yourself in the extraordinary architecture of the historic Ben Youssef Madrasa.

Evenings can be anything you want them to be, as Marrakech has emerged as a global city, with a diversity of restaurants, bars, and clubs, from traditional tea houses to the most decadent night-clubs.

And you know you always have Tarabel to come home to, a magical place that so deftly balances the city’s intensity with a calm curated haven.