Riad or apartment in Marrakech: which to choose?

The riad: the full Marrakech experience in all its authenticity

A riad is a traditional Moroccan house built around an inner courtyard, fountain, orange or lemon trees, zellige tilework. The architecture turns its back on the street: all life happens inside and on the rooftop terrace. Many riads have a private plunge pool, and some a hammam.

The location is in the heart of the Medina: walking distance from Jemaa el-Fna square, the souks, the palaces and the museums. The trade-off is well known: the narrow alleys of the old city are closed to cars. A taxi drops you at the mouth of the derb (alley) and the team comes to meet you with your luggage.

The riad is the ideal choice for a couple on a romantic getaway, a group buying out the whole house, or anyone who wants to sleep inside the scenery rather than next to it. My Kasbah offers eight riads here, including Riad Dar Maureen (Superhost, 4.92/5, private plunge pool), Riad Djemanna (two pools, hammam/spa, Bab Doukkala side), Riad De Vinci (19 rooms, three plunge pools, in-house spa, northern Medina), Riad Jil & Spa, and Charming Riad.

The apartment: space, modern comfort and freedom of movement

My Kasbah apartments are located in Hivernage, Guéliz and the Majorelle area, the modern city, with wide avenues, reachable by taxi in minutes. You get a fully equipped kitchen, a spacious living area, and often access to a shared residence pool. One address near Majorelle has a private jacuzzi with a view over the district.

This is the formula that suits families with children (space to spread out, a fridge for breakfasts), stays of more than a week, or travellers planning lots of excursions who appreciate returning to a practical home base. The Al-Boraq high-speed train station (Casablanca in under 3 hours) is a few minutes away. The Medina stays 10-15 minutes by taxi.

An apartment lacks the character of a riad, but it offers a different kind of freedom, cooking one evening, going out the next, swimming in the afternoon without worrying about plunge pool size.

Buyouts and groups: the riad's decisive advantage

If you're travelling in a group of 6 to 20 people, buying out an entire riad changes everything: you have the house to yourselves, the terrace, the pool, the hammam (depending on the property), with the My Kasbah team dedicated to your group. It's the most exclusive experience Marrakech can offer inside the Medina.

Apartments, designed for 2 to 8 people depending on the address, suit medium-sized groups who want to stay together without dealing with riad logistics (alleys, carrying luggage by hand). For very large groups, a riad + apartment combination is also possible: contact us for a quote.

Pool: private vs shared

The pool is often the deciding factor. In a riad, the plunge pool is private, available at any hour, yours alone. In a residence apartment, the pool is often shared with other residents, with set time slots.

Riad Dar Maureen has a private plunge pool. Riad Djemanna is one of the rare Medina riads with two pools. Riad De Vinci has three plunge pools. On the apartment side, some Hivernage addresses offer shared pool access, and one near Majorelle has a private jacuzzi.

If swimming is an absolute priority and you want enough space to actually do laps, residence pools generally have a larger water surface than most patio plunge pools. If you want to swim at midnight without seeing anyone, a riad with a private pool is unbeatable.

Riad vs apartment: the comparison

The criteria that make the difference, at a glance.

All My Kasbah addresses are bookable direct on WhatsApp. Rates on request, no platform commission.

Frequently asked questions