Riad Beldi — Hotel in Marrakesh Prefecture

I have stayed in 3 different Riads in the famous historic Medina of Marrakesh since 2012 and I have enjoyed my stay at every single one of them, but this last weekend I had the chance to stumble upon the most charming Riad in the Medina with incredibly a good price. Riad Beldi, true to its name ‘traditional Riad’, is located less than 5 min walk from Bab Doukkal, one of the nine main gates of the Medina. The Riad is a historic traditional house renovated into a beautiful guesthouse where every detail of refined decoration, in which tradition merges with modernity, is chosen with care. Once I walked through the doorway, it felt like an oasis of calm in the hectic Medina. I was transported into a different time period and right then I knew it was exactly what I was looking for. I dropped my luggage and sat on a large couch in front of a charming plunge pool with a bronze lion head basin filler in the central courtyard garden. I stayed in one of the Riad’s cosy rustic suites. I would describe the rooms style as a minimalist traditional Moroccan decor, with classic tie-died Tadelakt walls, beautiful Berber rugs, recessed Moroccan headboards with exquisite craftsmanship, and lots raw materials. I was starving when I first arrived to the Riad on Friday night, and luckily chef Khadijah suggested right away the delicious seven veggies beef couscous (a traditional Friday meal in Moroccan) for dinner. It was served after a flavorful vegan Zaalouk, which is a cold roasted aubergines salad. The fireplace in the restaurant area just added to the guesthouse homelike and intimate feeling. Next day, I went for an early much needed run along one of the main palm tree-lined boulevards followed by a hot showed (solar energy heater please) and right after I was ready for the famous Moroccan breakfast: fresh squeezed local OJ, veggie omelette, Moroccan crepes, assortment of jams, honey & butter and of course the TEA. By 9am you could feel the rays of sunshine on the rooftop so I grabbed a book that I’ve been putting off reading for months now, Promise At Dawn by Romain Gary, and I laid on a sun bed (in shorts/T-shirt in the middle of November) on the starkly beautiful roof terrace and just read and dozed off (...many repeats) until lunchtime. To spare the long details, I had a wonderful stay with another unforgettable experience of Moroccan hospitality in a tranquil retreat in an atmospheric part of Marrakesh. If you are looking for the perfect Marrakesh Riad stay experience with a great bang for your buck, I would definitely recommend Raid Beldi because I’m...

The staff at Riad were really lovely and tried their best to help us out, which was great. The riad itself was super clean and comfy, and the breakfast was delicious! They were also really welcoming and hospital. However, we did have a big issue with the location. It's tucked away in a maze of small, unsecured streets, and honestly, getting to and from the riad was quite stressful. We were actually harassed by groups of men on several times on our way, and they even followed us right to the door. When we raised these serious concerns with the person in charge, they unfortunately stated it wasn't their problem, which made us feel like our safety wasn't a priority for them. We ended up reporting the incidents to the police and made the decision to leave a couple of days earlier than planned because we simply didn't feel safe. Adding to our frustration, the riad's description mentioned a nearby street where taxis could drop us off, which was a key reason we booked this particular accommodation. However, this turned out not to be the case, and we felt this was quite misleading. To our disappointment, the riad refused to provide any refund for the unused nights. So, while the riad itself has some nice qualities, the location really let it down in terms of safety. Just a heads-up for anyone thinking of booking it might not be the safest spot. Maybe look at other places in a more...

In un rilassante ed elegante palazzo della medina il Riad Beldì si sviluppa su tre piani collegati da una scala centrale illuminata e ampia, finendo con un grande e assolato terrazzo con qualche pianta ad alto fusto, arbusti, un paio di attrezzi palestra e un gazebo al coperto, che vale la pena sfruttare per mangiare e passare un pò di tempo sdraiati su comodi lettini e sedute in giunchino, in pieno relax o semplicemente a prendere il sole o chiaccherare in compagnia lontano dal marasma caotico e dalla frenesia (seppur positiva e vacanziera) che in alcuni orari la città può darti. ||Colori chiari e caldi come il crema e il grigio pietra si alternano ai viola, arancioni, bianchi, turchesi e blu dei complementi d'arredo, dei materiali naturali e delle tende, sfumature tenui, elementi di indiscussa bellezza in ferro battuto e legno, luci studiate e dettagli particolari e tipici avvolgono l'ospite in un'atmosfera di comfort, agio, silenzio e assoluto relax.||Le stanze: spaziose, calde, luminose e di gusto gradevole, "basic" ma non troppo, in tipico stile marocchino ma con una leggera influenza internazionale di stampo europeo; i bagni non sono enormi ma sono sempre puliti ed accoglienti (anche se manca shampoo e gel doccia). I letti comodi e grandi, in una stanza doppia puoi anche trovare due letti matrimoniali e gli spazi sono adatti anche a famiglie o piccoli gruppi.||Le colazioni sono interessanti e abbondanti; tavolini a bordo di una piccola piscina in un cortile arabo interno luminoso e suggestivo. Pane arabo buonissimo di diversi tipi: nero, al sesamo, bianco o con i cereali, davvero croccante e gustoso, da accompagnare con ottime marmellate fresche di albicocche e fragole, burro, o da guarnire con zucchero e miele! Ottime le Gallette e le Crèpes ( su richiesta) servite calde con frutta, biscottini dolci di pasticceria ( i migliori quelli con le mandorle, molto buoni anche quelli al cioccolato o il pistacchio, solitamente sono "di benvenuto") e caffè nero americano bollente. Succo d'arancia e the alla menta per completare una prima colazione tipica di Marrakech. ||A me non è capitato purtroppo di cenare ma se ci tornassi proverei la cena in Riad perchè ho visto belle tavolate con cibi interessanti, sapori e profumi molto invitanti.||Il servizio è ottimale e i proprietari sono gentili e disponibili. Vivianne, una bionda, affabile e simpaticissima signora francese gestisce al meglio e sempre con il sorriso sulle labbra questo piccolo gioiello nel cuore della città vecchia con uno staff sempre attivo, preparato e pronto alle richieste del cliente, anche il più esigente.||L'unica pecca è che non è molto segnalato in giro, quindi non facilissimo da trovare nel dedalo di viottoli e piccoli vicoli della medina, orientarsi e riconoscerlo non è sempre facilissimo.||Ma il mio soggiorno in generale è stato molto piacevole e al di sopra delle aspettative, ottimo il rapporto qualità/prezzo.||Situato vicino al centro, 10 min dalla piazza delle spezie e a 15 min. dalla piazza centrale, è rivolto leggermente a Nord della medina, consiglio per orientarsi al meglio portate sempre con voi una bussola.||Esperienza decisamente positiva, il...