Hoosta Magazine

By Shelley Seale

Riad Kniza is very easy to find just inside the walls of Marrakech’s old medina, with an excellent location close to most of its top attractions. This five-star palace has welcomed guests including Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and Brad Pitt, and is truly the epitome of luxury. The “Hotel de Charme” has been in the family for two centuries, completely restored by Haj Mohamed Bouskri using traditional materials and artisans to recreate this gem of Moorish architecture, in which guests can capture an authentic Moroccan experience from days gone by.
Eleven sumptuously appointed guest rooms and suites are situated around three open-air courtyards and warm, inviting common areas such as a library, drawing room and pool terrace.

Rooms & Amenities

Riad Kniza offers eleven tastefully decorated rooms and suites, but the building and grounds are much larger. Amenities also include a beautiful and serene pool, with adjacent massage suite, sauna and Hamman bath. Four lounging salons with traditional Moroccan furnishings are delightful places to relax or take dinner; there are also three open air courtyards and a spacious rooftop terrace with sitting areas and sun beds, with beautiful views of the Atlas Mountains and the old Medina.

There are four deluxe and superior deluxe rooms, and even the smallest of these is quite spacious compared to most standards. The two junior and four senior suites are more like small apartments, with sectional sofas, carved wooden doors or luxe curtains that can close off the rooms, DVD players and great views of the courtyard or Marrakech. Beds are large and extremely comfortable; I didn’t want to get out of bed the first morning. Towels and bathrobes are thick and fluffy, and little extras like heated towel racks, double sinks and shaving mirrors are nice touches. All the rooms are fitted with air-conditioning, safe, telephone, flat-screen televisions with satellite, and Internet connection free of charge. There is more than ample closet and luggage space. The riad also provides modern amenities such as WiFi service and complimentary use of a laptop.

Rates at Riad Kniza range from €176 to 450, and the entire riad can also be rented. If you can spring for one of the suites, I highly recommend it. I enjoyed the privilege of a stay in the Royal Suite Bahia, and it was perhaps the single most beautiful, incredible room I have stayed anywhere in my life. However, even the standard rooms are exquisite, far exceeding those of most boutique hotels.

Services & Food

Experiencing a hamman bath at Riad Kniza is not to be missed. The hamman is a Turkish style bath in which the attendant scrubs you down with healing muds and a loofah on a heated tile platform. Afterwards, get a massage next door or take a refreshing dip in the pool.

The staff often arrange exquisite evenings of gastronomy and entertainment, beginning with traditional Gnawa musicians next to an open bar in the salon, at which guests mingle and trade stories. This traditional mix of African, Berber and Arabic songs is a perfect backdrop to the magical evening; an additional treat is the young musician who twirls the tassel on his fez hat if you point a camera his way. From there an incredible four or five course meal is served in the dining room, accompanied by wine. The food is hardly to be described – everything was delicious, but my favourite during the stay was the “salad,” which was several small dishes that could present a meal in itself. During the meal, belly dancers float in and out of the dining areas for entertainment. I met several other travelers during this evening in which we all became friends and shared the experience together, creating a delightful time that was much more enjoyable than a restaurant outside the riad’s walls.

Breakfast is a wonderful treat, with delicious homemade pastries, fresh juice, rich coffee, yogurts and eggs. It is highly recommended to take breakfast in one of the rooftop tents.
Riad Kniza is also an excellent point of departure from which to explore the city. Haj Mohamed, aside from being one of the most renowned antique dealers in Marrakech, has been a professional guide for the past 34 years and has shown the best of Marrakech to many VIPs and celebrities. Various city tours, shopping expeditions (with a pro!) and excursions outside Marrakech can easily be arranged.

Social responsibility

One of my favourite things about Riad Kniza is the family’s dedication to social causes. For each new booking reserved through their website, Riad Kniza donates €5 to one of three aid organizations that the guest may choose. Causes supported include disadvantaged children, education, support of rural women, disabled people and health care.