You can be a name dropper, with this fabulous Riad in Marrakech as it is steeped in history and Hollywood glamour. It has received various tribal chiefs in time specific to Madani El Glaoui, Grand Vizier to the sultan Moulay Hafid. He was at the Riad with envoys of Marechal Lyautey, and Queen Victoria, organising the Alliance Israélite Universelle.

For further name-dropping, you can recite Charlotte Rampling, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Ridley Scott and Calvin Klein as visitors, and Nicole Kidman recently filmed ‘Queen of the Desert’ here. 

You will find the Riad conveniently located just 2 minutes from the bustling Jemaa El Fna square. It was renovated in 2003, but retains a very traditional feel, according to Alex Peto, a partner at Kensington Luxury Properties Morocco. What the house lacks in modern amenities, it makes up for with its old-world feel. “The charm of the place, plus the location and the garden, is what makes it so special,” he said. Mr. Peto also said the full-size swimming pool was rare for the area.

Used as a guesthouse for the last several years, each of the 15 bedrooms has an ensuite and an open, airy feel. The rooms feature intricately tiled walls and ornate ceilings, with richly patterned rugs and tapestries. There’s also an art collection that includes work from Picasso, Miro and Warhol, plus a collection of Chinese portraits, said Mr. Peto. These, of course, don’t come with the house, but “everything’s negotiable,” he said.  

“There, you are 100% in Africa,” Mr. Peto said. “You’re in a big, bustling square with the tourists and the locals and the smells and everything else about being in Africa.”

You’ll enjoy strolling around its beautiful, spacious gardens with its orange trees, olive trees, jacarandas, and cypress trees, all watered by one of the few Medina wells.

For more information, including more photos and a location map, visit the Kensington Luxury Properties website.

To arrange an inspection, email or phone Alex Peto from Kensington Luxury Properties Morocco via the contact links below.

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