Riad Botanica

Our Story

Riad Botanica

The Team behind Riad Botanica are a husband-and-wife team from Melbourne and Marrakech. Meeting in the Souks in 2012, together; they brought both east and west and their individual passions to create this hidden gem. Riad Botanica has been a labour of love where luxury meets tranquillity.

Every plant at Riad Botanica is purposeful as we look to the natural world around us in order to heal. Each plant can be used for medicinal purposes through food, tea or inhalation. Nature grounds us and encourages us to breathe deeply and to go within to invigorate the soul.

" What your heart desires, your spirit attains"

Rumi.

EST 10TH CENTURY- RENOVATED 2022

The origins of the Riad in Marrakech Medina

Founded in 1070–72 by the Almoravids, Medina of Marrakesh Riad Botanical is proudly situated in the heart of Marrakech Medina. There is a little information about when the Median was first broken up into homes, most likely around the 14th century. Dating the Riad is difficult as it has been passed through families for hundreds of years. The Riad is situated in the heart of the medina, and today, we call this section of the medina Bab Doukkala, which is derived from the local mosque. Riad Botanica has changed over the centuries, and parts were divided up and sold off; however, a majority of the original building is intact and has been passed through generations of a handful of Moroccan families. The original Aristocratic family were well revered and maintained the property to a high standard, the family were so well off they could afford a well which has probably been part of the sustained growth for our orange tree over many decades. Today all you can see remaining from the well is the pulley system they once used, which is on the internal courtyard wall. The Riad has gone through a complete renovation from brand new sewerage and plumbing to electrics and wiring, reinforcement, new ceilings, walls and everything in between to bring this beautiful residence up to date. It has been a labour of love and celebrated only the best of the local artisans skills and materials.

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ROOFTOP

Renovated in 2022, we have brought the inside out with an iconic art deco-styled green marble bar finished with brass edging and honed green marble from floor to bar top. We have furnished our bar area with three handmade black and white stools where you can enjoy the views of the Bab Doukkala Minaret and the roof terraces of Marrakech. The rooftop serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily with a daybed and sun lounges to help you soak up the sun. See our gallery of images..

SUITS ROOMS

The Riad originally offered nine rooms now four deluxe suits and a two-bedroom apartment, lounge, dining room and more. Each room features Australia's Florence Broadhurst wallpaper which has been hand printed from Sydney, Australia. Arabian Bird print with botanicals perfectly match the Art Deco style with complimentary colours and patterns. Offering Zellige tiles, plaster work, tadealik, brass, marble with expansive modern bathrooms and all the modern creature comforts. See our gallery of images..

APARTMENT

Original to the property, this Douiriae has been completely changed and modernised the apartment with the addition of a lounge and kitchenette and large modern bathroom. Adding the Juliette balcony guests enjoy direct access to the orange tree connecting nature and finishing with the finest materials and elegant touches of Florence Broadhurst wallpaper accommodating four adults or two adults and two children. See our gallery of images..

COURTYARD

We celebrate the architecture of reflecting within decorated with classic black and thie zellige. Here we have brought together harmony of Islam and Christianity with our tile choice in that dominates the courtyard of classic star and crosses in black and white. In the heart of the courtyard is the star of the show, our beloved Orange tree and finished with our tribute to thee iconic Bab Agnou gate wall design had carved plasterwork as the backdrop to our riad. The courtyard has two cafe settings and two daybeds and a chillout cushion area, filled with plants to eat or make tea with. See our gallery of images..

PLUNGE POOL

Traditionally, Riads featured water as part of the architecture to bring cool air which is created by air circulations and water travelling up throughout the Riad into the rooms. Here we have brought a modern-day approach with an expansive plunge pool and in-built sitting area for guests to enjoy looking up at the orange tree surrounded by daybeds and towels available See our gallery of images..

" They say Paris is for lovers, we say Marrakech is also for lovers of design and culture."

Spaces for you to

Relax & unwind

Chill

by the Pool

Enjoy a dip and chill by the pool underneath the big orange tree in our courtyard. We have daybeds and benourain oversize cushions.

Sip

Moroccan Mint Tea

Proudly served by our staff, you could master the art with a tea-making session or simply just enjoy a cup and read a book.

Eat

Lunch or Dinner

We have a deliciously fresh and healthy menu catering to all food lovers, and we can cater for Gluten-free and Vegetarians.

Sun

bake on roof terrace

Marrakech enjoys over 200 days of sun a year, and our rooftop is designed for sun lovers with sun lounges a day bed, tunes and rooftop bar.

AROSTICRATIC RESIDENTS

Celebrating Sleep

We are passionate about providing the perfect bed for everyone in order to have a great night's sleep. We offer medical-grade memory foam mattresses, and all come with mattress toppers and protectors, luxury linen and pillows both feather and non-allergenic.

King Size Feather Pillows 100%
European Pillows 100%
Non Allergenic King Size Pillows 100%

Choices

Designing your trip

Retreat

We invite you to connect with self or host a group

Marrakech is one of the most popular destinations to visit on the planet. It is warm, boasting friendly people, and like every major city on earth, it's busy and noisy there and is always a lot going on. Our philosophy is to encourage time to live in the now. we encourage you to discover thee Garden of the soul ..Rumi... We offer yoga spaces within the riad from the courtyard to the roof terrace, and as our sister, Riad Be Marrakech is next door, we can provide access to the Flow Yoga space as well as other partners in Marrakech at Root Yoga which run daily classes. As you come through our arched doors into the courtyard at Riad Botanica, you will instantly feel the peaceful difference of your home away from home. Here we encourage a peaceful time to self reflect, unwind and take the time to be.

Foodie

Indulge in gastronomic delights and learn to cook

Moroccan food is enjoyed across the globe, from the finest restaurants to the local cafe, you will always find some dishes attributed to this wonderful cruise. We are delighted to offer homemade traditional food served here daily for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Whilst in Marrakech we encourage you to indulge in taste the wide variety on offer and even try to cook like a local! We offer tailored cooking classes in-house with our cook. We also have a list of the top places to eat and of course do a food tour!

Shopper

Welcome to shopping paradise!!

Marrakech is so diverse from the new city bursting with every global brand you know and love to showcasing up and coming new designers- Marrakech has it all. In the old city - the souks are some of the oldest and truly filled with hidden gems - "Get lost in the Souks" the traders come from all over the globe to try and sell their wears in the Medina's souks. Here at Riad Botanica, were just a few minutes walk into the heart of it all. We can share with you a few of our favourite places to shop and you will see some of the collaborations we have created with local designers. Plus you can always book a shopping guide and when your laden with goodies we can arrange a chariot person to come and help carry your items safely back to the Riad :).

Historian

Learn all about the golden era and take the best photos!

Marrakech is brimming with hidden treasures to discover for the person keen on learning a bit about the rich history - its fascinating to learn whilst the rest of the world was suffering through the dark ages Islam was flourishing and enjoying the golden ages. We can help set you up with a tour guide or a list of what we would recommend depending upon the length of your stay and interests.

Lunch & Dinner

We offer al a carte and serve a two-course lunch and or 3-course dinner fresh daily.