Dar Housnia | TC5010 | 6 bedroom traditional riad in the heart of Marrakech Medina with services from a manager, butler and talented chef

This traditional riad and neighbouring douria have been carefully restored preserving the genuine charm and authenticity of a Marrakech home. Dar Housnia offers an oasis of calm in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the medina, and is an ideal base for friends and family to explore the ochre city. This 6 bedroom traditional riad is available for exclusive rent, sleeping up to 12 guests. The property is staffed with a manager, housekeeper, cook and butler, and the price includes a daily Moroccan breakfast.

Click here for a video presentation of Dar Housnia

Housnia 'female name, means quietness and serenity'

Dar Housnia is a haven of harmony and serenity in one of the most authentic and liveliest districts of Marrakech's ancient walled medina.

This property is for exclusive rental as a whole holiday property and includes the four suite riad (traditional medina home set around an open-air courtyard garden) and the neighbouring two bedroom douria; a separate small house with its own entrance but internally connected to the main riad.

Located in the heart of the vibrant medina of Marrakech, only a 10 minute walk to the main Jemaa El Fna square through the busy souks. The souks and narrow lanes of the medina are so full of vibrant colours, sounds and tantalising aromas that they mingle to create one sensory exotic North African experience. Once you step inside Dar Housnia, you close the door on the medina and calm descends as you appreciate the peace and tranquillity of this little oasis.

Dar Housnia is staffed with the maid and the talented chef, Rachida, living on site and there to ensure your stay is as relaxing and stress-free as possible. The rental price includes a Moroccan breakfast served each day on the roof terrace (weather permitting) and tea and coffee is available all day. You can also arrange lunch or an evening meal, which are arranged directly with the staff at an additional cost (payable locally).

One of the butlers stays at Dar Housnia each night as the night watchman and will be on hand should you require them. They have their own room adjacent to the kitchen.

The traditional riad follows the design of many medina homes with the sitting room and the dining room arranged around the open air (weather permitting) central courtyard. The four suites are arranged on the upper floors overlooking the central courtyard. The courtyard contains a covered area with sofas and a "sekaïa" fountain with basin, offering the opportunity to cool off on a hot day. The courtyard can be set up for dining at lunch or evening, should you choose to book a meal at the riad.

The douria is full of charm and intimacy and has direct access to the main riad via an internal terrace where you will find the swimming pool with swim-against water jets, perfect for a dip or swimming. The douria has two en-suite bedrooms and a spacious lounge open to the skies (weather permitting).

Dar Housnia has a large roof terrace with a hanging garden of bougainvillea, succulents and cacti, allowing views across the medina to the mighty Atlas Mountains in the distance, snow-capped in winter. The roof terrace is furnished with comfy seating under a Berber tent and provides a perfect place to relax, read a book, daydream or reminisce about your adventures of the day, whilst listening to the rustle and chatter of the medina or the call of the muezzin at prayer time. The roof terrace is an ideal place to socialise over a drink in the evening or dinner under the Moroccan night sky.

Bouchra the manager and Mustapha and Ali the butlers are all on hand to ensure that your stay at the riad is stress-free and can show you the sites and other places of interest in Marrakech, organise excursions, and assist in shopping within the souks.

On request Rachida can cook lunch and/or dinner and can tailor the menu to your needs including Moroccan and French dishes. Rachida shops for fresh ingredients everyday and is more than happy to share her recipes during an impromptu 'cooking class'.  Any lunch or evening meals can be requested during your stay and paid locally to the riad staff (two course lunch at 15€ per person or three course dinner at 25€/person).

A hammam or 'moorish bath' is a very authentic social Moroccan experience and most districts of the medina have their own public hammam (usually next to the bread baker as they share the same oven!) and there are many throughout Marrakech. Although a very fun experience, these can be somewhat daunting for the inexperienced! The ritual of the hammam is an art in itself, from the hot room of the hammam to open your pores, the soaping with a eucalyptus perfumed soap, the scrubbing of the skin with a kessa glove, then application of rhassoul, a specialist clay found in the Atlas mountains, infused with rose water. Dar Housnia has its very own private hammam and massage treatment room for your exclusive use. Manicures, pedicures, facial care and all types of massage can be arranged during your stay and paid locally to the riad staff.

Unlike many villa or holiday home experiences, you do not need to worry about preparing meals, clearing away the pots or washing up. Your time at Dar Housnia is about letting someone else take care of you! A daily Moroccan breakfast is included in the price and any additional meals (lunch or dinner) can be arranged the evening before. There are also many restaurants in Marrakech and of course the daily evening street food market at Jemma El Fna. Please note whilst breakfast is included, all additional meals or snacks are paid locally to the riad staff.

Mustapha or Ali will be at Dar Housnia throughout your stay and will be on hand with the drinks menu, where you can purchase wine, beer, sparkling wine, spirits, soft drinks, tea and coffee, or even ask for a cocktail. All drinks are chargeable and payable locally. 

The Riad Suites
The Patio Suite		The Glaoui Suite
Located on the ground floor of the riad, the Patio suite has a definite oriental touch with its high ceilings and its large ottoman bath in tadelakt hidden behind graceful curtains. It is superbly decorated with a series of babouches made of paper created by the Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave. The "Essays for paper" painting, by the same artist, completes the decoration of this refined and intimate room. Click here to see The Patio Suite Gallery Double bed | en-suite | 27m²		Located on the first floor of the riad, the Glaoui suite is accessed via its own staircase open to the sky in summer through a douaya. This creates a strong feeling of privacy and intimacy, an attractive feature for couples in search of cocooning, quietness and isolation. A cupola (like in traditional hammams) tops the superb bathroom, all in tadelakt. The bath allows for a quiet relaxation. The room has a nice little salon decorated with reproductions of paintings by Paul Klee after his trip to Tunisia in 1914 with his two friends August Macke and Louis Moilliet. Click here to see The Glaoui Suite Gallery Double bed | en-suite | 30m²
The Fez Suite		The Mogador Suite
Located on the first floor of the riad, the felted space of the Fez suite is reached after crossing a quiet and cosy loggia - a private salon adjacent to the room - overlooking the patio. The room is decorated with reproductions depicting delicate watercolours of horsemen, fantasias and beautiful odalisques, having illustrated the travelogue of Eugène Delacroix after his trip to Morocco in 1832. The bathroom possesses two washbasins and a bath recessed in a tadelakt alcove… Romanticism is guaranteed! Click here to see The Fez Suite Gallery Double bed | en suite | 37m²		Located on the first floor of the riad, the Mogador suite is particularly enjoyable with its salon and big cushions. The suite is decorated with several paintings of the artist Jacques Majorelle who was fascinated by Morocco and particularly by the lights and colours of Marrakesh. His works are testimonies of the atmosphere of streets, souks, markets, local festivals and villages and kasbahs of the Atlas. Its spacious bathroom, all in tadelakt, is equipped with double washbasin and a generous bathtub topped by a douaya, a skylight opened to the sky in summer. Click here to see The Mogador Suite Gallery Double bed | en suite | 33m²

The Two Douiria Bedrooms
Traditionally, a douiria is the living quarters of the house owner, designed to receive visitors other than relatives. These private apartments usually have a street entrance independent from the access to the riad. It also communicates with the main riad. The douiria provides accommodation for 4 persons. It has 2 rooms (Moucharabieh and Sabaa), a lounge and a private terrace.
The Sabaa Room		The Moucharabieh Room
The room possesses a superb alcove in moucharabieh overhanging the lounge. It is the ideal room for those who want to hide, rest, dream or read on the couch encased in the alcove.		The room is impregnated by the presence of a rare chest of the 19th century coming from a coranic school. It is also decorated with souvenirs from a journey to Djenne, in Mali, illustrating the relationship between the Maghreb and the Sahel.
Double bed | en suite | 22m²		Double bed | en suite | 33m²
Click here to see The Douiria Bedroom Gallery

Click here for a video presentation of Dar Housnia