Riad Najah

We bought our riad earlier in the year from a rather wonderful American/French artist who had lovingly restored it and added her own artistic flair.

You walk off the street through a big old wooden door into a court yard full of trees and twittering birds. It is a serene, shady haven away from the madness and magnificence of the medina. We looked at lots of riads and they come in all shapes and sizes; but we fell in love with the peace and calm of Najah.

Even though we have only had it for a few months we have already had many happy times there. The highlight was George's 21st birthday party with 17 friends staying over 3 days sleeping like a line of sardines in the artist's studio. We are now converting the studio into another living area with a master bedroom and bathroom with an additional roof terrace above. The work is nearly complete and when finished it will sleep 7 people in comfort (8 if they know each other well) in four bedrooms, three bathrooms, two salons and views from the roof terraces looking over the Atlas mountains and the palace gardens.

We will be letting the Riad to friends, friends of friends and friendly folk from January 2008. We have a wonderful team on the ground who can't do enough to help. Tim Buxton is a legend; he is a Brit and knows everything there is to know about Morocco. In fact, he has recently been presenting a TV series on the country which is to be broadcast in the UK soon. His right hand man is Mustafa One (we have given him a number because most people in Morocco are called Mustafa and he is a top man); he has just finished doing a law degree and is now studying English at the American college in Marrakech. Naima, the housekeeper and cook, quietly keeps everything beautiful and cooks the most delicious tagines. There are two permanent residents: a couple of Tortoises called Pinky and Sheba who are quite cool and just do their own thing.

Riad Najah is located in the Ben Chagra region of the Medina about 10 mins walk from the main square. The cost will be 250 euros per night at peak seasons, 180 euros at low season and mid season will be somewhere in between.