For over 20 years Ben Abdallah has been having a love affair with the palaces and Riads of Marrakech. During this period he has restored over 50 such places with a view to preserving their patrimony and wonderful character, using only traditional materials and authentic restoration.

No wonder he’s called the “child of the Medina”. Most he has sold on, but the truly special ones he has kept, places such as the Riad Al-Jazira. 

The Al Jazira is actually the restoration of 3 combined Riads, giving it a larger number of rooms than is usual – 15 en suite bedrooms, but here big is definitely beautiful. A large patio replete with banana trees, walls made in the traditional plaster of Tadelakt, ancient galleries with equally graceful columns from which guests can access the rooms all adds up to a magical place, especially so as you will not be treated as guests but as friends.

Then of course, there’s the roof terrace with fabulous vistas of the locality and swimming pool. It’s also a great place to enjoy the wonderful breakfast prepared by Fadma, which includes fresh fruit juice and Moroccan pancakes.