Jaal Riad Resort Review – An Oasis in the Middle of Marrakech

I was introduced to Jaal Riad Resort last year, at the World Travel Market. The week before the exhibition I was invited to the launch of Experienciah, a brand that introduces the Moroccan hospitality to its guests through excellence and authenticity. Jaal Riad Resort is part of Experienciah and, after chatting about my upcoming trip to Morocco with a few of the brand’s representatives, I was sold. This is how this Jaal Riad Resort review was born. 

I was looking forward to escape from the cold, stormy weather of the UK, so at the beginning of January I booked a sunny city break in Marrakech. When I was here last, a year ago, I was quite sick and didn’t get a chance to see many of the attractions of the city. I was so excited to return to this wonderful, chaotic city, that I convinced three other friends to join me. Jaal Riad Resort was the perfect accommodation option for us: adults only, luxurious Riad-style architecture, quiet, and elegant. 

Location 

Jaal Riad Resort is located in a quiet area of Marrakech, away from the loud hustle and bustle of the Medina. It is however close enough to the city centre, either by taxi or public transport. We used the local bus to go into the Medina, and taxis to return back, at night. There is also a large shopping mall a minute’s walk away from the hotel, with an extensive supermarket, fashion brands, as well as a few cafes. 

Jaal Riad Resort is 10 minutes by bus from the Medina, and 5 minutes away by taxi. This means that you can easily reach all the attractions of Marrakech quickly, but can have a good night’s sleep in luxury and quietness overnight. 

Checking In 

We arrived at Jaal Riad Resort at midday. The hotel is only a 10-minute taxi away from Marrakech Menara airport. We were warmly welcomed and invited to sit down in the lobby, whilst the lady in reception registered our passports. Shortly after we sat down, we were offered mint tea and our luggage was taken away to our rooms. 

One thing I noticed in reception, whilst waiting, was the oversized teddy bears sitting on different chairs and couches around the building. I thought they were such a fun touch and a perfect welcome to the hotel. 

Even if we arrived before 2 pm, our rooms were ready and we could check in early. 

My Room at Jaal Riad Resort 

As I travelled to Marrakech with friends, we shared two rooms: a twin and a double, linked to each other through a connecting door. I stayed in the twin room, which was so spacious and beautifully decorated with Moroccan accents. As I entered the room I noticed the beautiful blue and yellow pastels as the two main dominant colours of the décor. 

In the middle of the room, there were two large twin beds – I always worry about the size of the single beds when I book a twin room, but at Jaal Riad Resort I didn’t have to as they were big. Each bed had several cushions on it, as well as a blue throw which contrasted nicely with the colour of the walls. 

Whilst very modern, the room had plenty of traditional Moroccan motifs. I loved the window-shaped accents behind the bedside tables and above the bed. Next to the balcony, there was a beautiful relaxation area, with a typical Moroccan sedari. This is a wooden settee with soft cushioning on top, decorated with colourful cushions and throws. 

The room also featured a desk with tea-making facilities, a mini fridge, as well as a large TV with a second desk below it. 

The bathroom was divided into two areas: the shower room and the toilet. They each had their own door, which made it very convenient, especially when sharing the room. I loved the large walk-in shower which had a great water pressure. As a commitment to sustainability, the hotel doesn’t offer individual toiletries but large bottles filled with shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, hand soap and body lotion, attached to the wall. The towels got changed only if we left them on the floor as well. 

I really loved our little balcony with a table and two chairs, overlooking the pool. As the sunrise is quite late in Marrakech during January, I enjoyed watching it turn the sky red every morning, from the balcony. 

We were welcomed to the room with a bowl of fresh fruits, which included apples, bananas, and oranges.  

The rooms were room serviced every day. We also found new bottles of water waiting for us at the end of each day, which saved us from going to the supermarket. 

Breakfast 

Breakfast at Jaal Riad Resort is a feast! There are so many different options, from traditional Moroccan soups such as harira and bissara to chefs cooking eggs to order and pancakes. As soon as we sat down we were offered coffee as well as traditional Moroccan tea. 

I varied my breakfast every day – some days I would go for eggs and cheese, whilst others I would choose pancakes. I was very happy to find amlou on the breakfast spread, which I topped the pancakes with. Amlou is a delicacy made from crushed roasted almonds, honey and argan oil. It’s like peanut butter with a loose consistency but tastes much better. From my previous trip to Morocco, I know that amlou is specific to Essaouira and it’s not usually served anywhere else in the country. 

Facilities 

Our flight to Marrakech left London at 6 am in the morning, we chose to stay at the hotel and enjoy the facilities on our arrival day. We started with an essential – coffee – at the pool snack bar. The weather was simply gorgeous, and sunny, with temperatures of over 20 degrees Celsius. 

We loved that the hotel was quite empty, with most of the guests probably exploring the city. We got the entire pool to ourselves and even if the water was too cold for swimming, we did dip our feet in it. We spent a good few hours in the sun, by the pool. I can imagine how refreshing is to swim here, especially when the temperatures go beyond 30 degrees Celsius. 

Jaal Riad Resort is like an oasis in the middle of the desert. It has lush gardens filled with exotic plants, palm trees all around the pool, Moorish patios, as well as relaxing saloons overlooking the pool. I particularly loved the relaxation space with a fireplace opposite the Piano Bar. The large windows allowed the warm light of the morning in, creating intricate shadows over the floor and the wooden-painted ceiling. 

Whilst Jaal Riad Resort does have a hammam and offers spa treatments, we didn’t use this service during our trip. I did see the spa menu in the room and it did look very tempting if we would have stayed for a longer time. 

Dinner at The Cat 

On our last night in Marrakech, we decided to have dinner at The Cat, the hotel’s restaurant. The hallway to the Cat is decorated with giant funky art prints of cats, leading to the elevator to the restaurant.

The Cat specialises in Italian cuisine, offering classic dishes in the chef’s own interpretation, using local produce. The décor of the restaurant is elegant, with dimmed lights and lounge music, offering an intimate atmosphere. 

We had a selection of dishes, including the pasta carbonara, the seafood risotto, and the hotel’s own creation – the penne Jaal. I have to say that the highlight was the risotto, which was served with an abundance of seafood as well as an entire king prawn on top. The food was delicious and the service very good, with a very attentive waiter making sure that we were having a delightful experience.

Evenings at the Piano Bar 

The relaxed evenings at the Piano bar felt special. We would arrive just in time for the live music, where a lovely singer would entice us with a different genre each evening. We would sit at the table on the right, overlooking the elegant bar filled with bottles over bottles of different spirits, and order our drink: I would go for the mango mocktail, Amy would choose the tea, whilst the boys would order Casablanca beer. We would then just sink into the comfortable armchairs and let the music background our conversations. 

The high ceilings inlaid with wood and silver chandeliers, the golden palm tree-shaped lamps, and the attention of the waiters, made my mind wander away, to Rick’s Café in the famous Casablanca movie.  

If you would like to have a similar experience and enjoy a five-star luxury stay in Marrakech, you can book Jaal Riad Resort directly, by clicking here. 

For more similar articles, check out my recommendations below:

• Unique things to do in Marrakech
• What to drink in Morocco
• Traditional food in Morocco
• A 10 days in Morocco itinerary

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