International Inspiration
INSIDE THE MAGIC OF
MOROCCAN RIADS AND DARS By Jade Prévost-Manuel
Morocco’s luxury traditional houses-turned-hotels give us something we can’t find at home. And isn’t that what hospitality is really about? LIKE ALL RIADS AND DARS IN MOROCCO, IT’S HARD TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT LIES BEHIND THE SIMPLE EXTERIOR OF RIAD DAR EL KEBIRA—an old keyhole hardwood door with
a large knocker, guarded by a robust Siamese street cat who looks like he could teach you a thing or two in a fight. Located in the heart of the Moroccan capital Rabat’s maze-like old medina, or walled city, it’s taken a while for me to find. Yet behind this humble entryway is a palatial residence fit for a sultan. It’s the kind of space that teases the senses—there’s the aroma of dried lavender steeping into the space, which the cleaning staff uses to perfume the rooms. The visual treat of the two-story enclosed courtyard, furnished with delicate ArabAndalusian, Turkish, and Ottoman furniture upon which its ornate chandeliers cast a warm glow. The feeling of the steam rising from a glass of mint tea, the country’s proprietary welcome drink that blends mint, black tea, and heaps of sugar, carefully arranged on a silver platter in the foyer. It’s high summer, but the hot tea is paradoxically refreshing, a warm treat accompanied by Moroccan shortbread cookies, or sables, of all shapes and sizes. “Soyez bienvenue, madame,” Safouane Abouya, general manager at Riad Dar El Kebira tells me as I bite into an almond cookie. “You are welcome in Morocco.” The riad—a traditional courtyard house that has been transformed into a hotel—has some of the most elaborate décor I’ve ever seen in a guest accommodation. Ironically, I’m told it’s rather modest, compared to some of the riads out there. Dar in Arabic means “house”, while riad means “garden”. Together, these words describe the traditional homes that have been around in Morocco for close to 1,000 years, and that today, are in high demand among travellers to the North African tourism mecca. Historically, riads were places where entire families would live—parents, plus their children once they were married, and even extended family members.
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staymagazine.ca
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Winter 2024