Riad Star is located inside the medina in Marrakesh. It actually used to be the home of Josephine Baker. She was a hero of the French resistance and a civil rights fighter. She was also a singer and actress. The riad doubles as a little museum with some pieces from that time period in the lobby.
Riad Star Review, Marrakesh
There are just 7 rooms here at Riad Star. This is one of a handful of riads the company owns. They are doing renovations which were not done when we arrived but I peeked inside and the new lobby room is going to be amazing once it’s done.
There is a dipping pool in the lobby and sun loungers on the rooftop, but no large swimming pool. Small is definitely something to think about when you stay inside the medina as hotels physically cannot expand.
After check-in and tea, we were escorted to our room where our bags were already taken. The room was actually bigger than the last place we stayed inside the medina which was nice. The architectural design of the room was amazing but we couldn’t help but notice it wasn’t quite ready, with things like lightbulbs out, soap dispenser empty, and the bathroom having not been clean. Once we alerted staff that the bathroom needed to be cleaned they did so right away and we went off to explore.
As a personal note, there are so many amazing colors and housewares in Morocco that you see in every shop and restaurant, so I was surprised by the baby blue felt blankets on the bed. Obviously just a minor note! The website shows that the rooms have luxurious pure silk duvets so it might be part of the renovations or they were forgotten.
The bathroom was nice and open with a very powerful rain shower. There was a safe, water kettle, robes, slippers, TV, and A/C in the room.
At nighttime, the rooftop is really something else and looks completely magical. We sat up there for dinner. You do need to order ahead as they make things fresh like many small riads do. We had the couscous and the lamb tagine. Both were fantastic, and as I told the chef it was the best lamb I’d had while in Morocco!
Location-wise it is the perfect spot, just 5 minutes walking to the center of the souks. You can put “nomad” into your GPS which is a popular restaurant in the shopping area, to get yourself walking the right direction. We did get lost coming back as there isn’t signage for the Riad out of the main walkway. There are many small alleys in Marrakesh medina and they all look the same, so keep their phone number handy in case you get lost.
There was an app to download that helped with directions, but I had not space on my phone and also didn’t get good 3G inside the medina. In fact, GPS has a hard time knowing where you are once you get on the small alleys.
There is a spa and hamman in the Riad and prices were very affordable at about 30 Euro for a 30-minute massage.
I definitely recommend this Riad. It was the most affordable place we stayed on our trip and is a great value for money. Rooms vary in cost throughout the year but you can expect to pay about $138 a night here as a starting rate. It might seem high, but keep in mind Marrakesh is actually pretty expensive and this is a good deal considering what you get and that breakfast is included.
Click here to see reviews and make a booking.
For more Morocco travel tips:
- The Perfect Morocco Itinerary for 2 Weeks
- What to Buy in Morocco
- Crazy and Delicious Foods to Try in Morocco
- How to Dress in Morocco in a Way That is Stylish AND Appropriate
What a beautiful place! It looks even better by night!
You’re right – at night it’s really magical
That pool looks AMAZING!! Marrakesh is definitely on my list of next big trips to plan. I know this might be weird to say but just from one fellow blogger to another, I would LOVE if at the bottom of your posts you had a “pin-able” post. I really wanted to pin this post but none of the images are Pinterest optimized :(
Hope you don’t take that the wrong way! Just trying to give some ad vice (and help myself out because I find so many of your posts so helpful! ;))
Hi Kayti! Thanks for mentioning that. I make them for many of my posts that have travel guides etc, but I didn’t realize people would want to pin a hotel – that’s good to know and I will start adding a pinterest image at the bottom! Thanks!
What a beautiful place! Not just the rooms, but also that building – simply awesome. It must have felt like the “real” Moroccan experience! Awesome.