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There’s only one kind of place to stay in Marrakech: a riad.
They are magic places, each one different from the rest, and oozing with Moroccan character.
What’s a riad? Check out our post all about them; in a nutshell, they are former merchant houses, designed around a central courtyard.
You’ll find plenty of them spread across Marrakech and other cities around Morocco.
Riad Oriental Glory Local Area
We chose to stay in the Riad Oriental Glory, on the northern edge of Marrakech’s ancient medina.
Like most riads in Marrakech, Oriental Glory isn’t accessible by car, so we were dropped off just a few minutes’ walk away.
To help get your bearings, the riad is approximately a 25- to 30-minute walk from the famous Jemaa el-Fnaa square, located at the opposite end of the medina, and it’s tucked away at the end of a typically narrow medina alley.
We’d say one of the best things about Oriental Glory is its location, if you don’t mind the walk into the centre of the medina.
Although it’s slightly further out from the main square and souks, you get a feel for the real Marrakech and the rhythm of this vibrant, colourful city.
The area offers a genuine taste of Marrakech and what life is like for locals within the medina.
The riad is a stone’s throw from donkey stables, flour mills, blacksmiths, builders’ merchants and scooter repair shops, where you will see people working away from the early hours and late into the evening.
Initially, you might feel a little out of place and uncertain about the area, but you will quickly come to realise it’s a safe and fascinating place.
There are also a couple of local shopping areas (Rue Bab Taghzout and Rue Assouel) that come alive in the evening, where the locals sit around eating and chatting.
They will pay no attention to you whatsoever, despite the area not feeling like a tourist hotspot.
Beyond the bustle and brilliance of the area around Riad Oriental Glory, the famous and fabulous Madrasa Ben Youssef is a little over 15 minutes away, which is pretty much also the start of the labyrinth of souks.
There are also kiosks just around the corner where you will pay locals’ prices for snacks and drinks, and there’s the most amazing door called Mjadlia Door just a couple of minutes’ walk away, which you can see at the start of the gallery below.
If you would like to see precisely where the riad is located, a link to Google Maps is provided below.
๐ Zaouia Abbassia – 31 Rue Bounouala, 40000, Morocco
Amenities and Services
Upon our arrival, we were welcomed with a smile and a classic, sweet Moroccan mint tea in the gorgeous courtyard, where we sat in awe of the stunning green and white decor.
We’re unsure why it’s called Oriental Glory, given there’s no apparent connection to anything oriental.
However, there are plenty of connections to Morocco, with classic signs of a riad, such as a plunge pool, beautiful zellij tiles, a balcony, and a roof terrace.
As you will see from the photographs in the gallery below, the riad is very photogenic.
It’s also as peaceful as it looks, with only ten rooms spread across three floors.
We were at the very top of the building, on the roof terrace, where the spa facilities were.
And as is typical in many riads, we had a small, cosy room.
Despite its size, it was clean, comfortable, had a fab shower, and plenty of daylight flooding in thanks to its location at the top of the building and the whitewashed walls of the riad.
This whitewash also helped the daylight reach the courtyard, creating some beautiful, soft light.
Breakfast was a cosy affair, with only five tables or so in the restaurant.
We had a couple of different offers for breakfast, including pepper omelette, pizza, olive bread, bread muffin, strawberry jam, apricot jam, honey, pancakes, a cous cous cake, chocolate cake, and a gorgeous orange cake, all of which might sound a bit strange for breakfast; however, each mouthful was delicious.
For drinks, there was orange juice, tea and coffee.
Collectively, there was enough tasty food to set you up for the day.
We only ate dinner once in the riad, which was a cosy, candlelit affair featuring classic Moroccan tagine dishes of chicken and lamb, both of which were mouth-wateringly delicious, as is the case with most food in the city.
Beyond the food, drink and decor, you’ll find a comfortable roof terrace with festoon lighting for when the dark of the evening sets in.
The top floor is also home to the spa, where you can relax with traditional hammam and wellness treatments.
Finally, there’s free, fast Wi-Fi for your stay.
We didn’t have roaming enabled, so Wi-Fi was helping to plan our days before stepping out into the chaos of the medina.
For more information about the riad and its offerings, check out the link below.
The website says there’s a rooftop pool, but this isn’t the case.
However disappointing that may seem, we are confident you will enjoy your stay at the riad.
๐ riadorientalgloryandspa.com
Gallery
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