Riad Le Clos Des Arts: Honest Hotel Review

Riad Le Clos Des Arts is the best riad hotel in Marrakech, Morocco.

It’s conveniently located near all major attractions including Jemaa el-Fnaa Square and Majorelle Garden.

Riad Le Clos Des Arts offers spacious rooms with private terrace or balcony overlooking the pool, gardens, or city below.

Each of their 30 rooms are decorated differently to reflect a Moroccan heritage ambiance, creating an intimate and romantic atmosphere for guests to enjoy.

Riad Le Clos des Arts has become one of the most popular Riads in Morocco due to its modern amenities that include free wifi access throughout the property as well as satellite television channels in each room.

I stayed at this Riad for 3 weeks during my time living in Morocco and absolutely adored it! I can’t wait. to share my experience with you.

If you’re looking for a place to stay in Marrakech, then Riad Le Clos Des Arts should definitely be factored into your travel budget!

An Honest Hotel Review of Riad Le Clos Des Arts

I stayed in many hotels during my 1 month stay in Morocco. From a riad in Fez to homestays in the Atlas Mountains to a Best Western in Casablanca, I did it all!

But none compared to Riad Le Clos Des Arts.

This riad offers luxury without feeling isolated. You feel the warmth of a Moroccan household when you stay here.

The owners, who I had the pleasure to meet during my stay, are a foreign couple who moved to Marrakech to start a life after the husband got sick abroad. Now, they create a bucket list experience for every guest.

Their personal touches really make the stay complete. Like when they offered my mom a bottle of wine, since the Medina is notoriously alcohol-free. Or when the husband had a personal mint tea ceremony with me when I arrived and taught me about how to stay safe in Marrakech.

They even made my custom meals on nights when the main tajine course was a type of meat that I didn’t eat.

Beyond the owners, the staff are endlessly helpful.

My French is terrible, so I would try my best – as I always do abroad – to communicate. They’d smile nicely as I stumbled through the two words of French I knew before ultimately switching to English.

And they were always on hand with Moroccan mint tea in a silver teapot.

To help you decide if this amazing riad is worth staying at, I’ll break down the best parts of my stay. Don’t worry – I’ll include my honest opinions.

I haven’t been paid to say any of this. I just loved the riad and think more people should stay here!

The Best Riad in Marrakech: Riad Le Clos Des Arts

Riad Le Clos Des Arts is a guest accommodation in the Marrakech Medina. It’s located down winding sand-coloured alleys, with a lion-head door knocker.

The riad is everything you expect from a Moroccan getaway: berber rugs draped on the floors, Moroccan mint tea available in moments, and the smell of the nightly tajine wafting through the courtyards come evening.

Two courtyards broke the riad up into a figure 8, with rooms around the outer edge going up two floors.

On the fourth floor is a rooftop pool and dining area.

The courtyards are framed by seating areas. Large stone benches, adorned with plush cushions and simple tables hid in the alcoves, just out of sight.

Working remotely was much more pleasant when I could recline in my own alcove, watching the sun drift slowly over the fountain.

Living my Moroccan Princess Fantasy at Riad Le Clos Des Arts

The rooms were fitted with flowing curtains that billowed every time you opened the doors.

I stayed in two different rooms at Riad Le Clos Des Arts: a Single Traveler’s Room on the main floor for a week and a Doubles Superior Room on the second floor once my mom joined me.

Although the Traveler’s Room was on the main floor and meant you could hear the faint bustling of guests heading to breakfast or the sound of children squawking about sunscreen in the mornings, it was the nicer of the two.

It had a plush double bed that felt like heaven after a month in cots at a yoga retreat.

The bathroom featured brightly painted Moroccan tiles and gilded brass sink fixtures that were opulent yet comfortable.

When I sat, drinking mint tea from a silver cup, I genuinely thought I’d become Moroccan royalty overnight.

Maybe all those times my mom had threatened to sell me for camels hadn’t been a joke.

If this was the trade, she could have all the camels in Africa! As long as I got to sit in thin white slippers, sipping warm tea, listening to the birds chirp in the courtyard fountain for the rest of time.

The second floor room was marginally wider, fitting two twin beds. While it was lovely, the atmosphere was different.

Maybe because it’s hard to live like a Moroccan princess when your mother is in the next bed on her iPad. Or maybe because I was more mint tea than woman at that point and genuinely needed to stop drinking the stuff.

But it felt a bit less ornate, too. Even though it still had Moroccan tiles in the bath, there wasn’t the same chiffon draped around the bed.

The Location: Staying in the Marrakech Medina

I did actually leave the riad while I was in Marrakech.

Although, I would have happily spent the entire time drifting from alcove to alcove of the riad, memorizing the berber carpets, like some kind of tourist ghost haunting the guest house.

When we did leave, our activities were improved by Riad Le Clos Des Arts’ owners. They welcomed us upon our arrival, checked on us at meals, planned activities, and recommended sights.

I think couple that ran the riad were the only reason my mom felt half comfortable with me being in Marrakech alone.

They advised us on what to wear and how to be safe in Morocco. Their knowledge of the area helped us find interesting cooking classes, like the Amal Nonprofit Baking Class.

And they helped my mom find wine – a tricky thing in the dry Medina.

Although we didn’t take advantage of this option, the couple even runs yoga retreats from the riad.

If there is anything you require for your trip, any tips you want to know, or an activity you’d like to do: they will arrange it for you.

Dining at Riad Les Clos Des Arts

I’ve waxed on and on about the riad and I haven’t even gotten to my favourite part yet: the food!

Every suite at Riad Le Clos Des Arts includes breakfast.

This isn’t some buffet with soggy eggs or a selection of cereals: this is a coursed affair.

Breakfast features a fresh-squeezed juice (changed daily – once it was avocado!), Moroccan breads, fresh fruit salad, fresh yoghurt, tea, homemade jams, and a cake.

On top of all that, you can request eggs any way you like.

The selection of small plates covers the whole table and keeps you full for most of the day.

The riad also offers dinner.

You request dinner at breakfast, based on the daily menu they display. It’s all made fresh daily based on local meat and produce.

One of their dishes requires slow-roasting meat in a pot for a full day – and that wasn’t even their best dish!

Have dietary restrictions? Let them know and they’ll prepare something special for you.

I don’t eat lamb, so I got a special dish the night they did a lamb tajine.

Dinner is three courses: appetizer, main (usually a tajine), and dessert. Every table is set with olives, roasted nuts and fresh bread.

I swear, Moroccan bread is the most underrated bread in this world!

I wish I had one of their giant community ovens so I could spend my days baking the thin, dense rounds.

When I lived in Italy I didn’t eat as much bread as I did in three weeks in Marrakech.

Communal Lounge Areas

You can enjoy the free high-speed internet that made remote working a dream in the many communal lounge areas.

I can’t work in the same area that I sleep in, so I often ventured out to these little areas to work. They allowed me to relax on well-cushioned benches with a private table.

I also delved into the library, complete with a fireplace that perfectly melds my obsessions with Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin (the flying carpet nearly perfectly matches one of the rugs in the room!).

Unlike most hotels where you feel weird for venturing to public areas or where common areas are often far too loud, the riad made these places feel like an extension of your room.

It was easy to work as I needed, get service, or even chat with other guests.

The Downsides of Staying at Riad Le Clos Des Arts

This is an honest review. And honestly, I need to share some downsides to staying at the riad.

I didn’t experience much to be negative about. Riad Le Clos Des Arts is one of the most unique and comfortable places I’ve ever stayed at.

However, like anything, it wasn’t perfect.

The first downside is that it’s down a winding alley away from the Medina. As a solo female travelling in Morocco, that’s not ideal.

Alleys aren’t a great space for women anywhere in the world. They especially aren’t good when it’s dark out and there’s no lighting in the alley.

You also don’t get a key to the front door. You have to knock and wait for an attendant.

This usually isn’t an issue, but as someone trained to see danger for solo women, this could be a significant safety obstacle if a woman was being followed and had to wait to get inside.

The other negative of staying in the Medina, is the shop owners. To get anywhere, you need to walk past a lot of people selling items.

They’ll constantly call out to you – no matter who you are. As someone who is very introverted, this could be an issue for me.

I solved it by wearing headphones that weren’t connected to anything.

People assumed I couldn’t hear them, so they’d leave me alone. Meanwhile, I could still stay alert because I wasn’t actually listening to anything.

Another issue is for people like my mom who drink alcohol.

The medina is dry. You can’t even buy alcohol there.

Luckily, the hotel owners offered my mom a bottle. Otherwise, it would have been a bit of a trek to get her some wine.

It’s not impossible, but you do need to plan ahead if you’ll want to drink alcohol in your room or at dinner at the riad.

I sort of loved that you could decide whether to eat there for dinner day of. But you do have to make the choice in the morning.

This means that if your day goes unpredictably, you could miss dinner or end up needing to figure out somewhere else to eat.

They are pretty accommodating, but since most of the dishes take all day to cook, they can’t feed walk-ins.

The last issue is the price.

It’s actually very reasonable, considering the expense that a hotel like this would set you back in Toronto.

But budget travellers will be priced out of stayed at Riad Le Clos Des Arts.

The cheapest room is $166 CAD or $130 USD per night.

That’s definitely not as expensive as the luxury hotel I stayed at in Singapore, or even the cozy cabins I’ve rented in Ontario.

But it’s more than a hostel.

If you’re travelling with someone else, you could share a double room for $250 CAD or $195 USD per night. That helps make it more affordable.

But honestly, it’s worth the splurge!

Riad Le Clos Des Arts Room Price

The riad has many different rooms, each with a unique personality and layout.

This means that there are many prices for me to share with you. So let’s break down the room options and their costs.

Single Room

The single room features a double bed with a private bathroom. These are usually on the main floor facing the courtyard.

That means there’s a higher chance of morning noise as people head out to start their days. But to be honest, it never disrupted my sleep or prevented me from having a lie in.

I only noticed it if I had the window open, too.

A single room costs 1,200 MAD.

Double Room

A double room, or a “Superior Double Room”, features a queen bed. These are often on the second floor, offering you more privacy and less noise.

The double rooms have a private bathroom, just like the single rooms.

A double room costs 1,800 MAD.

Deluxe Double Room

If you want to upgrade, check out the Deluxe Double Rooms.

For 2,000 MAD, you get a queen bed with more ornate designs to the room. The room is also a bit bigger with more ornate windows for better views.

Suite

Live like a Moroccan princess in a suite at Riad Le Clos Des Arts.

These suites are larger rooms with a separate sitting area.

They also offer a bidet in addition to the rest of the bathroom.

For just 2,200 MAD, you can live like the harems of the past at Bahia Palace.

Deluxe Suite

There is only one deluxe suite at Riad Le Clos Des Arts. This makes it very desirable.

In the past it was actually inhabited by an Arab princess. Now you can live like her!

For 2,400 MAD, you’ll get a double king sized bed, a jacuzzi bathtub alongside your shower, and a much larger room.

The Best Riad in Marrakech

When you’re looking for the best riad hotel in Marrakech, don’t skip Riad Le Clos Des Arts.

The riad is small, lending to its exclusive feel, but it’s right in the city centre. You can get to everything within a few minutes and guides will meet you at your door.

But more than the location is the service and the atmosphere.

Staying in a real riad adds to the Moroccan experience. And of the many I stayed in during my time in Morocco, Riad Le Clos Des Arts was the clear front runner.

No other place offered the impeccable level of service, the delicious food, or the genuine care for their guests that we felt there.