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Lonely Planet review
This is a tiny gem of a guest house, with just three rooms, but plans to extend into the property next door to double its capacity. The decoration is idiosyncratic but lots of fun – witness the room with dentist’s chairs and wall full of antique luggage. At night, the many windows looking into the courtyard are lit with candles, turning the whole into a glittering jewel box.
Services & facilities
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Breakfast
- Breakfast included
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Housekeeping
- Laundry facilities
Description provided by property
Riad Numéro 9 is a fine example of classical Moroccan architecture. What sets the property apart is the amount and quality of the embellishment which one would normally find in a much grander and sizably larger property. Apparently the property was built by a rich merchant as a guesthouse. The fine finishing was surely meant to express the gentleman's status and success as well as impress!
The three-storey house is set up around a central courtyard, which has a telescopic sliding glass roof, which may be opened/closed from the panoramic roof terrasse. All bed and bathrooms look onto this inner courtyard rather than the street giving a sense of privacy, intimacy and mystery.
The ground floor is the largest in the house and is made up of an entryway with hand-painted ceilings. The courtyard features a Japanese-style sunken dining table that can seat 8, and a mosaic-tiled fountain which required some ingenuity to restore! The sound system is also housed in one of the integrated cabinets here, allowing for the best acoustics.
The ground floor also houses the kitchen, a hybrid of French 1940s cabinetry and Moroccan tiling. It's fully equipped with juicer, oven, microwave…and a large selection of vintage crystal, linens and silver. Above all, it's a pleasant space to prepare and savour local offerings.
The view from the terrasse has to be one of the best in the medina and was the decisive element which persuaded the current owner to purchase the property. The panoramic view includes the medina itself. Beyond the medina one sees ancient Roman ruins and beyond that, the Atlas mountain range. The entire space has been tiled with large built-in sofas, benches, tables…and separated into two areas: one open and the other with awning to provide shade. The terrasse features a built-in traditional Morocian Bar-B-Q and complete kitchen as well as toilet facilities.