Riad Dar des Arts

Overview

Behind the walls of the Marrakech medina, Riad Dar des Arts was once the home of an art merchant and his seven daughters, each devoted to a different craft. Today the boutique riad hotel is one of the houses of Dar Society, designed as a collector's residence. The group is a cultural sanctuary rooted in art, taste and connection. The spirit of creation still lingers in every corner. The rooms run from 36 square metres down to 16. The Suite Deluxe takes its Oriental mood from Noces de Sable, the 1948 film by Jean Cocteau. On the ground floor, a suite has sculpted plaster walls and soft light from the courtyard; upstairs, a double sleeps under a canopy bed and looks down on it, and two cosy rooms keep furniture inlaid with mother-of-pearl or carved wood. A compact single is made for travelling alone, and every room has a rain shower. The terrace on the roof opens to the sky above the city, with a pool for a cool dip and space for yoga, and breakfast can be taken up there in the sun. The spa lies underground. Café Ben Ali hides behind the courtyard, where the air carries the scent of freshly ground beans: Ethiopian Moka comes as a V60 pour-over, an espresso or a flat white, alongside alcohol-free drinks made with house syrups, with pastries on the side. Time slows here.