An 11-day spring trip to Morocco. Seven hotels, two young and frequently squabbling daughters. One husband who had to leave for work halfway through. Stressful? To put it mildly. But it was also by far the most memorable trip I have had with my four- and seven-year-olds to date.
After hopping luxuriously between five-star kids’-club-cosseted resorts, my husband bade farewell, and we were on our own for the “trickiest” part of the trip. I was slightly fearful of leaving the out-of-town majestic hotels for the madness of the medina, but one intake of breath as we stepped into the palatial Nobu Riad in Marrakech, and all fears abated.
Located a five-minute (private and always on hand) shuttle ride away from the Nobu Hotel Marrakech, the buyout-only Nobu Riad is within haggling distance of the Jemaa El Fna Square and souks. Once a nobleman’s private residence, the property was previously rented by the room until Nobu (and owners of Puente Romano Marbella, Nobu Hotel Marbella, and the upcoming Nobu Beach Inn) acquired it in 2020 and transformed it into a design-focused upscale abode.
Shut off from the energetic streets beyond and with all six bedrooms to ourselves, we really felt like it was our castle. A tinkling fountain and the scent of jasmine greeted us as my girls bundled inside, already playing cat and mouse under the ancient painted beams (often found in historic well-to-do mansions), running into ochre-walled bedrooms and past African art books dotting midcentury tables in the library. The space fuses the brand’s Japanese design motifs—using lots of wood throughout, from headboards to shutters—with Moroccan signatures, like geometric tiling and Arabic-inscribed doors. Piles of kindling pointed to cooler months, but while we were there, swathes of bougainvillea fell down iron railings in technicolor bundles, and palm trees framed the calm, cooling courtyard.
The girls made a mad dash up three flights of stairs to the rooftop pool, with loungers under shaded palapas. We found that power walking around the souk—and getting lost at every turn—was ample exercise; but for those who wish to hone their limbs further, a Peloton bike awaits, overlooking orange-tree-lined streets and the city’s signature red hues.
This was a family trip, but a DJ booth and chilled sushi counter for private chef nights tempted me for a heady and fun-fueled return visit for a significant birthday or celebration. The riad can play host to the full range: hedonistic, holistic, or homebody. Staff are on hand 24/7, be it to pour a Hendrix G&T from the handsome drinks trolley at sunset or to pass around almond and orange blossom treats to guests. My palatial room overlooked the courtyard, with a vast bed plonked in the center of the room, a walk-in shower big enough to house the whole family, a Marshall radio, and a minibar stocked with cool Moroccan brands. Moroccan leather slippers with a snake design and signature Nobu kimonos kept us warm on mornings when we descended for the most exquisite breakfast (the only meal that’s included in the stay): an array of freshly made traditional breads that we slathered in French butter and Atlas mountain honey, plus berries, flaky pastries (a nod to the French heritage), glass pitchers of freshly squeezed orange juice, and cheeses.