Riad de L'Orangeraie, Marrakech, Morocco

Arty, friendly riad in the heart of the Medina – like most riads, you can rent one room or the whole house

At first, it was a love of golf that made brothers Laurent and Cyril Bernard occasional visitors to Marrakech, but it wasn’t long before a love of Moroccan style made them permanent fixtures.

So, fortified with a family inheritance (and funds from other relations) plus a sense of sophistication only hip young Frenchmen seem to possess, the Bernard brothers bought a neglected riad from Marrakech’s influential Tigani family and transformed it into the elegant Riad de l’Orangeraie.

Situated in the Mouassine district of the old Medina, a 5-minute stroll from the vibrant Djemaa El Fna, the words ‘prime location’ and L’Orangeraie are inseparable.

But it’s not just a pretty face in the right place. Inside, this harmonious 7-room townhouse wraps itself gracefully around two expansive patios – one with fountains and aromatic flowers, the other with a mosaic swimming pool and steamy hammam. And, literally topping it off, a dazzling roof terrace with views to the Atlas Mountains.

Riad de L'Orangeraie in the Marrakech Medina is a riad guesthouse with 7 rooms, with doubles costing from €130 for bed and breakfast.

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