Review - Riad Ambre Et Epices, Marrakech

When booking our trip to Marrakech, we wanted to stay in a typical Riad with a great view and where you could just step out of the building and totally experience the local life. What better way to spend it right in the heart of it all: in the Medina of Marrakech, right next to the Souks and Jemaa El Fna.

What is a Riad?

A riad, in simplest terms, is a Moroccan guesthouse. But the term actually refers to the type of building the guesthouse is housed in. The word “riad” means something close to “garden”, and so a riad will have an interior garden.

The rooms in a riad will be situated around a central courtyard garden, often with a fountain or pool. Technically, accommodations without a garden should be called a „dar“, but the terms riad and dar are somehow used interchangeably, especially when you’re searching for a place to stay in Marrakech.

Transfer to the Riad

We (and by saying we, I mean Florian and me) arrived at the airport after a four-hour flight from Dusseldorf and the car from Riad Ambre et Epices was already waiting for us. Given that most riads can be difficult to find for first timers, it’s good to book the transfer beforehand. The costs are usually between €10 to €15.

After we arrived at the Riad Ambre Et Epices, the staff immediately handled our luggage and we were swiftly escorted to the reception area to complete the check-in.

Check-In

Even though we arrived at 12pm, our suite was already ready for check-in. Official check-in time is 3pm, so we were really lucky. While our luggage was brought upstairs, we were offered some delicious tea and some snacks!

Design

Riad Ambre et Epices has an interesting mix of old and new design elements. When we first stepped into the Riad, we were both overwhelmed. It’s a very romantic yet typical Moroccan design. This special combination gives you the 1001 nights feeling.

While completely subjective, we really liked the design of the property.

Rooms

We stayed in a deluxe suite, which is one of the smaller full-size suites (25 sq.m. to be exact) the property offers. We absolutely loved our suite and in particular the the bathroom which may be a bit dark, but totally beautiful! {Btw, you can choose between a shower and bath tube.}

At first, we were a bit scared of possible noise issues due to the location of the hotel, but you won’t hear a thing of the outside hustle and bustle.

Common areas

The riad had several common areas, which include a fireplace, pool, fountain, terrace, and seating/relaxing. Unlike in large European hotels, you won’t find a huge lobby here, but rather a small reception room, which, however, doesn’t bother you at all and makes you feel more homely.

Spa & Wellness

In Morocco (almost) every riad has its own spa area, which often includes a typical hammam. You can also book massages or treatments for a fee. We always walk a lot when we’re in cities and really appreciate having a good spa to relax for an hour or two before dinner. The wellness at Riad Ambre Et Epices has a heated indoor pool, a jacuzzi, and a hammam. We didn’t try any of the treatments as we just were super tired after relaxing at the spa area.

Food & Beverage

Typical moroccan food and it was so good! Many riads have independent restaurants that are not directly in the riad, but on the same street. At Riad Ambre Et Epices, they ask you if you want to eat outside or at the property. If you choose to stay at the property, you can choose between different dishes that are prepared for you.

At the first night, we asked for a recommendation since we wanted to try some typical Moroccan food, and they did not disappoint us! We both had different tagine {one with meat and one without}, wine and dessert and loved this experience very much. In the end, it was a super delicious and romantic dinner.

The next morning we were already curious what a typical Moroccan breakfast would look like. In Riads it is not usual to choose between many things, but rather to get breakfast freshly prepared and to vary it every day. Usually, breakfast consists of fresh orange juice and tea, sweet pancakes with honey and jam, and something hearty.

We never had lunch at the hotel because we were always wandering around Marrakech, but we enjoyed huge amounts of tea instead.

Service

Generally speaking, the service was absolutely perfect. We were warmly welcomed, everything was explained to us in detail and we were given a map with some recommendations from the staff.

Although it was our first stay at the Riad Ambre Et Epices, we felt very comfortable. The team in particular is just super friendly, warm and tries very hard for its guests.

Value for Money

The Riad is in the medium price range. Base rooms tend to go for a little less than €100 per night and the deluxe suite is close to €200 per night in peak season. For Moroccan standards, this is of course a lot of money, but we think that – compared to other Riads -, it is really more than worth the price.

Food and beverage prices were quite average for Marrakech; tea is always free.

Summary

Location is key and first, we were scared the location would be too loud (since it’s located in the Medina), but we actually loved it! Everything we wanted to see and visit is walking distance from the property and as soon as you walked out of the Riad, you were submerged in the typical „Medina atmosphere“.

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