interior
riad42
Holiday planning is on the agenda and you are enthusiastically thinking about where to go. To the mountains, to the sea or to the other side of the world? City trip or off into nature? Adventure or relaxation? Or is both possible? You look for suitable flights, check train connections, car rental prices and distances. And: you look for the perfect accommodation. Blogs, hotel sites, AirBnB, Instagram and old bookmarks are browsed, discussed together, discarded and requested. In the end, you put it all together and off you go.
In May 2023, our destination was Morocco. Getting to know the country and its people. A mixture of city trip and road trip. Atlantic coast and Atlas Mountains. Lively cities and lonely beaches. And also a lot of togetherness in the hustle and bustle of one of the four Moroccan royal cities: Marrakech. The colourful city still promises the flair of 1001 Nights. Unfamiliar scents, dark, shining eyes, hidden gardens, merchants, Berbers, snake charmers, fruit sellers, donkeys, spices and lamps glittering in the sunlight. A constant hustle determines the picture inside the red city walls. The only thing missing is that the carpets on offer can fly.
Our accommodation: the Riad42. Located in the centre of the historic medina, the old town of Marrakech. When you enter through the wooden door, which is quite unpretentious by Moroccan standards, you immediately feel a sense of calm. The bustle and noise that always surround you in the narrow streets and souks are excluded here. The riad with its 5 guest rooms, the well-kept roof terrace, the small fireplace room and the sitting area opposite on the ground floor meets our taste exactly. Classical architectural elements and a minimalist, tasteful style of furnishing come together. Colour-coordinated, there is nothing here that imposes itself on the eye. Everything seems to have been chosen with care and good taste. Subtle, dark grey accents, warm woods, natural textiles. The Riad42 is small, but very fine and exactly the kind of oasis of calm we appreciate. A perfect stage for great angles, exciting perspectives and numerous details. The eye is gently guided, never overwhelmed and always pampered.
But is tasteful accommodation alone enough to report? We are more than grateful that at Riad42 beauty also meets hospitality and warmth. It is the team at Riad42 that makes the difference. It is the people who work there, who welcome us, show us around, give us tips for exploring, pay attention to us, spoil us with all kinds of lovingly prepared culinary delights already in the morning and make our stay unforgettable with a friendly, never intrusive manner. It is Yasin, Nourdine and Saïda who give us the feeling of having arrived at a second home for a few days. That's what makes an accommodation the perfect accommodation for us: hosts who make it a home. A home to which one likes to come back. Thank you Saïda, Nourdine and Yasin.
Morocco, May 2023. | All words and photos by The Sturgheons.
