COURTYARD HOUSE FOR RENT
In the district of Sidi Mimoune, a few steps from the Jemaa el-Fna Square, the luxurious Riad Darmina is, in itself, the epitome of refinement and traditional Morocco.
Decorated with a particular taste for details by its owner, the harmony of the colours of the furniture and the architecture offers a seductive setting to which a service of house staff of high quality is added.
Between the Royal Palace and the Gardens of Mamounia, its huge traditional patio gives way to a pool on the terrace, from which it is pleasant to admire the view of the Medina and the majestic Atlas Mountains and take a relaxing dip. And, to relax more, you will have the right to incredible massages in the room dedicated to this art.
The riad was spectacular. We spent the days on the roof by the pool on the sunbeds. The rooftop has been well thought out with shaded seating areas (for those who don't like sun!) and also a shaded dining table. There is also a small area on the roof level with fridge and various glasses so we could help ourselves to drinks throughout the day.
In the evenings we would move to the inside dowstairs area. We were there in March so the evenings got a bit cold and Ghirlane made a fire for us. We then could chose between a couple of seating areas for pre/post dinner drinks.
Every single bedroom had special touches and an en suite with gorgeous Moroccan tiling. The beds were comfortable and the linen felt luxurious. Five of the bedrooms are set around the courtyard and we enjoyed hearing the birds on the trees in the courtyard in the morning.
The staff were wonderful. Ghirlane helped us book a hammam which took quite a lot of calling round places. She really made us feel like nothing was too much and we were so appreciative. The food was incredible. The breakfasts were a mix of french bakery products but with Moroccan influence. We were made fresh brioche and cakes that were warm out of the oven and fresh eggs every morning. We had two dinners in the Riad, and it was the best food we ate during our trip. We had the chicken tagine with olive and lemon on the first night which was absolutely incredible and the lamb parmentier on the second which was also spectacular.
There is also an office with a printer which was useful when we realised we had not printed our boarding passes on the last night.
We loved the location of the riad because we wanted to be able to walk everywhere. We arrived Thursday and left Sunday so wanted to be able to walk into the main square every day. The area felt safe, as did the walk in.
All in all, the riad felt like a real treat and we would definitely want to book again. Definitely recommend!
I would also use Villanovo again because the communication was fantastic in the run up to the trip and it was very convenient having Simo at the end of Whatsapp who you could ask questions to and help organise things for your guests.